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Good morning, Fearless readers:
Happy Monday. The election week is finally here — you can learn about voting through the Iowa Secretary of State office.
We want to give a huge thank you to all who made our Fearless Annual Celebration a success last week! We had a great time celebrating four years of Fearless, hearing from inspiring speakers and connecting with attendees. We will share stories from this year’s publication in the newsletter in the coming weeks.
In this week’s Fearless e-newsletter, you will find:
- A story from Jefas Magazine about Ximena Rojas, co-owner of Blue Bean Studio.
- A guest commentary piece about the "likability challenge" for women in leadership from Katherine Harrington, the president and CEO of the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce
- In the headlines: The Iowa Women’s Foundation will unveil its Childcare Impact Report.
- In case you missed it: Hummingbirds has raised $5.4 million in new venture capital funding.
- Lots more!
— Emily Wood, Business Record special projects editor
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BY CHRISTINA FERNANDEZ-MORROW FOR JEFAS: LATINAS IN BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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Editor’s note: Fearless will be sharing one Jefas Magazine story in the first e-newsletter of the month through November. Jefas: Latinas in Business Magazine showcases Latina entrepreneurs. Find the magazine online and at Latina-owned businesses across Iowa, the Quad Cities, Chicago and Nebraska. To order copies for your place of business, contact Erika Macias at holaamerica2000@gmail.com.
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When Ximena Rojas set out to make her entrepreneurial vision a reality, she wasn’t expecting to be a trailblazer.
"We ventured into uncharted territory by introducing a novel concept, a fusion of a coffee shop and a coworking space nestled in the suburbs," she said of Blue Bean Studio.
She and her husband had a lot of "what if" conversations as they brainstormed ideas for a business. They wanted to open a place that breathed life into their values and allowed them more control over their future.
"It was this blend of passion, purpose and the desire to make meaningful contributions that fueled my journey into entrepreneurship," Rojas said.
The couple noticed there were places to enjoy a cup of coffee, but not all of them were comfortable for working. Coworking spaces were popping up across the country but were hard to find in Iowa.
"My husband and I have been living in Iowa since 2006. This state has become our home, a place where we’ve laid down roots, built our life and raised our family," Rojas said. "So, when the entrepreneurial spirit took hold of us, it was only natural that we chose Iowa as the birthplace of our business venture."
They opened in January of 2019 after months of meticulous designing and planning to create a space where comfort meets functionality and caffeine.
The couple were excited to incorporate their Bolivian roots, including salteñas on the menu alongside gourmet toasts and pastries. Salteñas are Bolivian empanadas stuffed with meat and vegetables, often containing a hard-boiled egg and olives that Rojas made every night according to her family’s recipe. As more Iowans warmed to the idea of a coworking space where you can buy a membership for access to meeting rooms, audio/video equipment and high-speed internet, COVID shut them down and sent patrons home. Rojas wasn’t daunted.
"Every challenge taught me to adapt, to pivot, to reinvent," Rojas said. "The hurdles don’t get smaller; you just get better at jumping. Or sometimes, finding a new path around them."
Once businesses opened, more people were looking to get out of their homes, while remote work took off. Blue Bean became more of a destination. During the hiatus, Rojas perfected her recipes and came up with new ideas. Their shop was the first to offer coffee flights, which gained popularity on social media and have become a staple of their business. In 2023 Rojas and her husband opened a second location in Johnston, where they sell the same delicacies as the Ankeny location, plus bagged coffee beans, mugs and other branded swag.
While Rojas didn’t set out to create a business with so many firsts for Iowa, she believes it is an inevitable part of being a business owner.
"There's always going to be a first version of everything you do, but it’s the next versions, how you grow and evolve, that really count," she said.
Photo by Wezz De La Rosa / Hola Iowa.
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Guest commentary: The likability challenge: a barrier for women in leadership
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The notion of "likability" is a double-edged sword that countless women face in their professional lives. As a woman who has navigated various leadership roles, I can attest that the likability challenge is both frustrating and deeply ingrained in our culture. It’s a subtle but persistent barrier that shapes how women are perceived in the workplace and affects not just their day-to-day interactions but also their long-term career prospects.
I’ve often encountered situations where I was asked to tone down my assertiveness, simply to ensure I came across as more "likable." In one instance, when I was working at US Magazine, I was asked to show up "not so early" as it "made everyone else look bad." In another instance, at the San Diego Business Journal, I was told to "stay in my lane" and quit "being so innovative." It is a tightrope walk that many women must balance: Be too assertive, and you’re labeled as "bossy" or "difficult;" show too much empathy, and you’re seen as "soft" or "not tough enough for leadership."
Studies show that women who exhibit traditional leadership traits — decisiveness, assertiveness — are often penalized for it. A 2016 study by Lean In and McKinsey & Co. found that women are 24% less likely than men to get advice from senior leaders, which is key for career advancement. Why? One reason could be the undercurrent of likability. Women are often perceived as less approachable, or their ambition is misconstrued as overbearing.
This likability challenge is not unique to me. Consider Oprah Winfrey, one of the most influential women in media. Oprah’s rise to the top was marked by her ability to balance warmth and approachability with her ambition. Her likability became a cornerstone of her brand, yet even as she built a media empire, critics sometimes dismissed her business acumen in favor of focusing on her persona. Oprah had to navigate a landscape where likability was both an asset and a constraint, proving that women — especially Black women — could lead with empathy and strength in equal measure.
Similarly, Sheryl Sandberg, former chief operating officer of Facebook and author of "Lean In," has faced her own version of the likability challenge. Sandberg’s push for women to assert themselves in the workplace sparked a national conversation, but she was often criticized for being too ambitious or not "relatable" enough. Her book encouraged women to lean into leadership roles, but she also faced backlash from those who felt she was too corporate or out of touch. Once again, a woman’s professional achievements were scrutinized through the lens of her personal likability rather than her competence.
As I reflect on my own journey, I’ve learned to be unapologetically myself. Yes, I am always positive and excited — those are just parts of who I am — but it took time to feel comfortable being that way, particularly in leadership roles. I’ve literally tried to "tone it down," but I failed miserably. It wasn’t until I found the right role for me, one that allowed me to be fully authentic, that I realized how freeing it is to lead as myself. For women, especially in leadership, the likability challenge feels like a constant negotiation. We shouldn’t have to fit into preconceived molds to be accepted or valued. Women, in all their diversity of style, strength and leadership, should be empowered to lead authentically. What I like most is that it is freeing to just be yourself. I am creating my "own lane," and I am thriving in it.
So, how do we change this narrative? One way is through mentorship and support systems. Surround yourself with people who encourage authenticity and provide opportunities for personal and professional growth. In my role at the West Des Moines Chamber, we’ve seen firsthand the power of programs like our Mentoring for Women Summit, where we gather women leaders to share their stories and strategies. These conversations are crucial in dismantling the expectations that women must be likable to succeed. These conversations have changed lives.
Another way is for organizations to actively challenge biases in the workplace. It’s not enough to recognize that these biases exist; companies must actively work to create environments where women are judged based on their work, not how they conform to societal expectations of how a woman leader "should" be.
The likability challenge may still be with us, but with awareness and collective effort, we can ensure that future generations of women are not held back by it. Women should feel free to lead confidently, unapologetically and authentically. And, for the record, likability is overrated.
Katherine Harrington is the president and CEO of the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce. She has launched 30 programs, including the Athene Black & Brown Business Summit, and led efforts contributing over $250,000 to nonprofits. Harrington is a media veteran, community leader and is the president of the new West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce Foundation, which launched this year.
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"COURAGE DOESN’T ALWAYS ROAR. SOMETIMES COURAGE IS THE QUIET VOICE AT THE END OF THE DAY SAYING, ‘I WILL TRY AGAIN TOMORROW.’"
MARY ANNE RADMACHER
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We had a full house for our Fearless Annual Celebration on Oct. 30. Thank you to our sponsors, speakers and Women of Influence who served as mentors for making it a great day! Photo by Duane Tinkey.
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Iowa Women’s Foundation to unveil Childcare Impact Report at Iowa Solutions Summit: The Iowa Women’s Foundation will host the second Iowa Solutions Summit on Nov. 19, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Prairie Meadows Conference Center in Des Moines. The Solutions Summit will focus on child care and include the unveiling of IWF’s Childcare Impact Report conducted in partnership with the Common Sense Institute. Susan Gale Perry, CEO of Child Care Aware of America, will give the keynote address. Register for the event here.
Erika Macias named 2024 Latina Publisher of the Year at NAHP conference: Erika Macias, publisher of Hola America Publications, was named the 2024 Latina Publisher of the Year at the 42nd Annual National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP) conference in Chicago last week. NAHP is a trade advocacy organization that represents the leading Spanish language publications across the country. The award "recognizes her remarkable leadership, dedication, and impact on Hispanic media," according to a release.
New University of Iowa dean lands $10M research award to fight ovarian cancer: Shortly after the University of Iowa named Jill Kolesar its College of Pharmacy dean, she received a $10 million research award to develop a new method for fighting ovarian cancer. Kolesar is one of 23 awardees receiving the funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health for projects "seeking solutions for health conditions that uniquely or disproportionately affect women." The award will be shared with the University of Kentucky, where Kolesar was employed at the time of application, according to this story in the Cedar Rapids Gazette.
Hope Ministries gets ready to open new center for women and children in Des Moines: Hope Ministries unveiled its new 50,000-square-foot women and children’s center in Des Moines on Tuesday. The new space, located at the expanded and renovated Douglas Elementary School in Des Moines, brings the number of women and children the organization can support from 35 to 100. Over 1,000 donors contributed to the $16,000 renovation and expansion, according to the Des Moines Register.
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Need child care while you vote? In some states, you can get it paid for. (The 19th). These breast cancer survivors are taking back October. Here’s how. (Washington Post). Private equity’s gender problem impacts the companies they back, new report says (Forbes). America's first Native American cabinet secretary says she's righting historical wrongs (NPR). A woman died after being told it would be a "crime" to intervene in her miscarriage at a Texas hospital (ProPublica). Why female entrepreneurs are key to getting more women to work (BBC).
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Hummingbirds co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Charise Flynn, left, and co-founder and CEO Emily Steele. Photo courtesy Hummingbirds.
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Hummingbirds raises $5.4 million in new venture capital funding
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BY SARAH DIEHN, BUSINESS RECORD DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
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Des Moines-based startup Hummingbirds announced Wednesday it has raised $5.4 million in new venture capital funding for a total of $10 million raised since its first fundraising round last year.
Hummingbirds’ platform aims to create authentic word-of-mouth marketing for national and local brands in local communities by partnering them with content creators, whom the company calls "hummingbirds." The creators post on social media about their experience with brands and receive a perk from the brand.
The startup raised more than $1 million in its first round in January 2023 followed by a $3.3 million round in December 2023, which focused on accelerating the company’s national expansion. Hummingbirds co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Charise Flynn said results from that effort took shape this year. Read more
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At its core, Fearless exists to help empower Iowa women to succeed in work and life. We believe that everyone has a story to share and that we cannot progress as a society unless we know about one another. We share stories through featuring women in our reporting, featuring guest contributions and speakers at our events.
We are always looking for new stories to share and people to feature. Get in touch with us!
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