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Good morning, Fearless readers:
We hope you had a relaxing, enjoyable Memorial Day.
In this week’s Fearless e-newsletter, you will find:
- A profile of Jenny Steffensmeier, owner of Steffensmeier Welding & Manufacturing.
- Coverage of our 2025 survey on the status of gender equity in Iowa.
- The Business Record's 2025 Women of Influence Honorees.
- In the headlines: Gov. Kim Reynolds announced child care solutions with full-day continuum of care grants and new statewide fund.
- Lots more!
— Macey Shofroth, Fearless editor
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Resilience bolsters owner of Steffensmeier Welding & Manufacturing
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BY MACEY SHOFROTH, FEARLESS EDITOR
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Jenny Steffensmeier. Contributed photo.
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Jenny Steffensmeier’s journey to owning Steffensmeier Welding & Manufacturing was not easy. But it began with a love story.
Her husband, Ben, owned the small business in Pilot Grove, Iowa. He learned blacksmithing and welding from a local man named Butch, who was said to be the best of the best in the area. Butch handed over the business to Ben in 1982.
"While he did Steffensmeier Welding, I made babies. We have five of them. My career was as an X-ray technician and sonographer in the local hospitals," Jenny said. "After baby No. 3, I went part-time. Over the years Ben would ask me, ‘Do you want to come in and help the secretary?’ Then after baby No. 5, I kind of landed there full time."
Ben eventually developed frontotemporal dementia. Jenny used what she learned from the secretary – crunching numbers, purchasing steel – and slowly took on more work before Ben fully ceased running the company in 2011. Jenny fully took over operations and became 100% shareholder when he passed away in 2015.
Her experience was one of getting done what needed to get done, both for her business and her family. Through a tragic loss and growth into a new world, she developed resilience without thinking too much about it.
"When you’re in it, you’re just in it. You’re not really thinking about it," she said. "It’s all about how you react to change or how you move with the changes."
Getting it done
In the early days of the business, the Steffensmeier family lived above the shop. Jenny was mowing the grass, cleaning inside and doing any task that you might do in your home. Those tasks evolved into work for the business.
"I can remember tearful moments like, ‘This is not patient care.’ It was numbers and I am not a numbers guy. [The secretary] would be showing me things and I’d be like, ‘This is embarrassing. I don’t know how to do this, I’ll never get this,’" Jenny said. "But it was a good thing because I learned how to buy and sell steel and lots of other things."
Steffensmeier Welding & Manufacturing creates custom metal fabricated projects for a variety of industries. As Ben’s illness progressed, Jenny moved her way into the leadership role. That meant she had to learn a new industry while mothering five children and caring for her husband as the dementia changed his personality.
"There was this space and time that the kids and I were not even on this planet that everyone else was living on. We were living in our own little world, and it was private," she said.
The business has always kept a small but close-knit team. Several of Ben’s brothers and friends have worked for the business over the years. Two of the Steffensmeiers’ three sons and one of their daughters work for the company.
With that community supporting her, Jenny led the company into its next phase of operation. People make all the difference, she said. They’ve since earned the Woman Owned Business certification. They’ve expanded its customer base and attracted and retained a young workforce. She and her daughter, Rachel, even began a new business, Subtle Impacts, that sells designed decorative weights.
She hesitates to describe the way she moved forward as persevering.
"It was just knowledge. You just did what you had to do," she said. "Get educated, figure it out. Whether it was the dementia or the business, you just figured it out. It’s almost like not having time to be scared. You’re just doing."
A never-ending journey
Jenny has learned many things over her time with Steffensmeier Welding & Manufacturing. Most recently, how to acknowledge the hard work she has put in.
"I’ve allowed myself to accept the fact that I have added value to this business," she said. "I just learned that I actually can do some things and it’s OK to celebrate, which I’m going to start doing with my children."
One of those accomplishments was investing in a solar power array to power Steffensmeier Welding & Manufacturing. The shop became 100% solar-powered in 2016, and she’ll pay off the loan this year.
She cites her family as the biggest blessing to her business. As she’s evolved as a leader and grown more comfortable, she’s able to celebrate their wins, too.
"It’s a special thing to get to work with family," she said. "I love talking about this stuff now that my boys are there. They’re young. They’re giving me courage to say, ‘We can do this.’"
The journey came with anxiety and sadness. Jenny misses her husband. She’s wondered if she’s doing things right.
But now, she knows the journey is the whole point.
"I almost said, ‘[I haven’t arrived as a complete leader] yet,’ but that’s ridiculous," she said. "That is something I have to remind myself – there is nowhere to get. I’m not going to be like this today and be a leader tomorrow. It’s just a journey."
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Survey on gender equity in Iowa: How women feel they are treated at work is more balanced this year
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COMPILED BY MACEY SHOFROTH AND EMILY BARSKE WOOD
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Editor's note: This is the second part of coverage from our 2025 survey on the status of gender equity in Iowa. We will feature parts of the survey throughout the year.
Our annual survey on the status of gender equity in Iowa asks questions about women's experiences at work. The questions range from specific policy implementation to general feelings and perceptions.
Each year, we ask if women and nonbinary people feel they've been treated equally to their male coworkers. In our 2025 survey, 58.8% of respondents said no, while 41.2% said yes.
This is a shift from the 2024 survey, where 71.1% of respondents said no and 28.9% said yes.
Learn more about what respondents told us and check out full coverage of the survey online.
If you are a woman or nonbinary, do you feel that you've been treated equally to your male co-workers?
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"My former profession was heavily male-dominated, mostly because women my age didn’t know you could do the kind of thing I did."
"At my affiliate, yes, because I have proven myself to be a leader at what I do. Amongst men from other affiliates of our national organization, is a different answer."
"There is a specific example of a male colleague who had a similar role and was at the same pay grade for many years. However, more recently we have both taken on more assignments. As a result, he has gotten a pay raise and a VP title. I have only gotten a ‘temporary’ assignment stipend for eight years."
"I am treated with respect in the same manner as my male co-workers. I can do anything a man can do within my skill set. It is my competence that garners the respect I’ve enjoyed."
"As a woman, when voicing suggestions or opinions, I feel they carry less weight than those of male counterparts."
"I am asked to plan many more admin things than my male colleagues, although our compensation is based on billable hours. Am I supposed to volunteer to work outside of work because I’m a woman?"
"Now that I’m older, I feel like I’m treated equally. Not as sure that’s always been the case."
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Congratulations to the Business Record's 2025 Women of Influence honorees
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Top row (from left): Courtney Clarke, Bridget Cravens-Neely, Suzanna de Baca, Sally Dix, Sally Frank. Bottom row (from left): Christina Moffatt, Jackie Norris, Dawn Refsell, Kimberly Baeth, Courtney Shaw.
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The Business Record is proud to announce the 2025 Women of Influence. These awards celebrate the work of Central Iowa women who have attained success while helping others along the way. From a variety of career paths and walks of life, they’ve devoted their time to making an impact. They’ve spent countless hours on various initiatives, working on major issues and blazing a trail either personally or professionally for other women to follow.
Full profiles on each of the honorees will be published in the July 18 edition of the Business Record, and we’ll honor the women in person at an event on July 31. While general admission sales don’t open until July, you can see details on the event and corporate table opportunities below.
Join us in congratulating this inspiring group of women!
Women of Influence:
- Courtney Clarke, mayor of Waukee | vice president, institutional portfolio manager, PMA Financial Network, LLC
- Bridget Cravens-Neely, CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa
- Suzanna de Baca, CEO, Story Board Advisors | former CEO, Business Publications Corp.
- Sally Dix, president, Bravo Greater Des Moines
- Sally Frank, professor of law, Drake University
- Christina Moffatt, assistant director of business development for income solutions, Principal Financial Group
- Jackie Norris, chair, Des Moines School Board | president and owner, Horizon Group
- Dawn Refsell, North America field sciences leader, trait characterization and development, Corteva Agriscience
Iowa State University Ivy College of Business Woman Business Owner of the Year: Kimberly Baeth, president, Cutting Edge Success | founder, Golden Openings
Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines Emerging Woman of Influence: Courtney Shaw, chief communications officer, Greater Des Moines Partnership
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"WHERE THERE IS A WOMAN, THERE IS MAGIC."
NTOZAKE SHANGE
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Gov. Reynolds advances child care solutions with full-day continuum of care grants and new statewide fund. Last week, Gov. Kim Reynolds launched a new Statewide Solutions fund to extend the Child Care Assistance pilot program. This fund allows individuals and Iowa businesses to contribute funds to boost child care workforce wages. She also introduced a Continuum of Care grant that will support partnerships between preschool programs and licensed child care centers to offer full-day care for 4-year-olds. "When individuals, businesses and government all work together to solve a problem, Iowans benefit. Nowhere is this more evident than in child care," Reynolds said in a release. Read more about these programs. [Related: Iowa Women’s Foundation continues to address the child care crisis in Iowa]
Wintersteen to retire from ISU in 2026. Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen announced she will retire next year after a 46-year career with the university. Wintersteen became the 16th president of Iowa State in 2017. She is the first woman and second alumnus to hold the position. Before serving as president, she was the inaugural endowed dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station for 11 years. She started her career as one of the first female ISU Extension associates in integrated pest management after attending Kansas State University. She then completed her doctorate in entomology at Iowa State. In a message to the campus community, Wintersteen said she has asked the Iowa Board of Regents to begin the search for the land-grant university's next president, who would assume the role in January 2026. "In these past years, Iowa State University has reached new heights of research and teaching excellence, continued improvements in student outcomes and national recognition for innovative and entrepreneurial achievements. ... I will truly miss our ISU students and their creativity, excitement and potential," Wintersteen wrote in the message.
Character Counts! expands early childhood resources. The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University announced that $530,000 in grants will extend new early childhood resources to 1,687 classrooms in Polk County. The funding came from the Lauridsen Family Foundation, Prairie Meadows Legacy Grant Program, Polk County Community Development and Community Betterment program and the Gartner Family Foundation. The expansion will double the program's reach to more than 30% of classrooms across the state at no cost.
Gov. Kim Reynolds appoints Sarah Martz to serve as Iowa Utilities Commission chair. Gov. Reynolds selected Sarah Martz to serve as chair of the Iowa Utilities Commission. Mars has served on the three-member commission since May 2023. She also serves on various committees and state working groups at the National Association of the Regulatory Utility Commissioners and is the Iowa representative to the Organization of MISO States. A two-thirds majority of the Iowa senate will need to confirm Martz's appointment. Her term runs through April 30, 2027, according to the Des Moines Register.
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The uncommon influence of guardians ad litem (The 19th). One dead and four injured as bomb damages Palm Springs fertility clinic, authorities say (New York Times). Why juggling IVF with work can be a career killer (Bloomberg). Ankeny preschool cancels teacher contracts amid workplace concerns (KCCI). "Heart Lamp" wins International Booker, with stories of India's Muslim women and girls (NPR). Study reveals emotional toll women quietly carry (WFXG).
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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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