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Good morning, Fearless readers.
Happy week of Beggars’ Night, Halloween, Dia de los Muertos, All Saints Day or any traditions you may celebrate.
It’s a special week for Fearless because on Wednesday we’ll be hosting our Fearless Annual Celebration! Can you believe it’s been four years since our launch?
Also, the election is quickly approaching. If you haven’t already voted, learn about how you can cast your ballot. Voting is one of the simplest ways to participate in our representative democracy.
In this week’s Fearless e-newsletter, you will find:
- A preview of the five Iowa women featured in this year’s Fearless publication.
- A story about attorney Roxanne Conlin, who the Business Record named the first Women of Influence Alum of the Year, a new annual award launched to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Women of Influence.
- In the headlines: Learn about Preppin’ Mama, a southeast Iowa business.
- In case you missed it: Meet Jodi Urich, CEO of Caring Hands Outreach Center.
- Lots more!
— Emily Barske Wood, Business Record special projects editor
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Meet 5 inspiring Iowa women in this year’s Fearless publication
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BY EMILY BARSKE WOOD, BUSINESS RECORD SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR
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Left to right, top row: Tara Geddes, Natalie Andrade, Dana James. Bottom row: Trang Pham, Sara Kurovski. Photos by Duane Tinkey.
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OVERCOMING DISCRIMINATION AND ADVERSITY
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At 80, Roxanne Conlin still practicing law, advocating for equity
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BY EMILY BARSKE WOOD, BUSINESS RECORD SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR
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Roxanne Conlin may best be known for championing several civil rights causes in her law practice and suing institutions for various forms of discrimination, particularly advocating for women. She’s won cases giving more rights to pregnant workers, survivors of rape and women who have been sexually harassed in the workplace.
At 80, she’s still practicing law full time and says, "I am going to sue these companies that do not take action in the face of sexual harassment until the day I die. Count on that."
Or perhaps she is best known for being the first female nominee for governor on a major party ticket in Iowa when she ran against Terry Branstad in 1982. Though she lost the election, she received letters from women and girls who were inspired to run for office after seeing her campaign. Since her run, she’s hosted many fundraising events for other women running for office.
But many may not know that Conlin loves ballroom dancing. So much so that when I called to line up the interview for this story, she was on a ballroom dancing cruise sailing up the east coast. Given Conlin’s passion for gender equity, it’s probably not surprising that some of the best friends she’s made through dancing are also trailblazing women, including Donna Barbisch, a Vietnam War veteran who obtained the rank of major general in the U.S. Army, and the late Doris Lors, who earned a Ph.D. back in 1940.
The Business Record named Conlin the first Women of Influence Alum of the Year, a new annual award launched to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Women of Influence. She was honored in 2000, the first year of the awards. Business Publications Corp. Chair Connie Wimer launched the program to recognize women who were making a difference in the community but were seldom recognized. All those who’ve received the award in the past were invited to nominate fellow alumni who’ve continued making an impact since being honored by the Business Record.
Jann Freed, a leadership development consultant and 2024 Woman of Influence, nominated Conlin.
"Roxanne is still standing strong and marching forward," Freed said. "She was in the first cohort and she is still a Woman of Influence. She is a giver in so many ways — a giver of her time, talents and energy. Roxanne is admirable, inspirational and a role model."
I recently interviewed Conlin about her advice for others and some of the biggest moments of her life. I asked what she would wish for, as it relates to gender equity, if she could wave a magic wand. She said, "Because employment is so important, because it governs our lives, it makes everything else possible, I would wish that women everywhere would be able to do every job for which they were qualified without any kind of discrimination, without sexual harassment."
The following Q&A has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Tell me advice that you have for other women who want to be trailblazers.
There are still plenty of trails to blaze, but there are so many trails that have been blazed. I look back on the women’s movement for more than 60 years. In that period of time, we have made enormous progress. The laws affecting the rights of women have changed from such atrocious things as women not being able to lift more than 10 pounds, women not being able to work more than eight hours a day, the so-called protective legislation that kept women out of important jobs, women not being able to get credit in their own names.
In terms of my advice to women: Be flexible. Don’t get locked into any one position, to any job. Keep your options open. Learn to turn on a dime — that’s very good advice for trial lawyers, I can tell you that. I know it’s not possible for everybody, but you should think about what makes you happy, what brings you joy. For many people, that’s a pipe dream. They work all day, every day, to support their families. But for those who have some choices, choose to be happy.
What excites you about the upcoming generations of women behind you?
I am excited by the freedom that young women today have grabbed. I think most young women don’t feel bound by old rules. They don’t feel bound by stereotypes. They don’t feel bound by what has come before. They want to do what they want to do, and they want people to get the heck out of their way.
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"DEATH DOES NOT EXIST, PEOPLE ONLY DIE WHEN THEY ARE FORGOTTEN; IF YOU CAN REMEMBER ME, I WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU."
ISABEL ALLENDE
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Stepping Stones Child Development Center leaders break ground in Slater. Submitted photo.
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Stepping Stones Child Development Center breaks ground on new $1.2M facility in Slater: Stepping Stones Child Development Center recently broke ground on its new $1.2 million facility in Slater. According to a press release from the Ames Regional Economic Alliance, the center will expand access to high-quality child care in the region. Funding partners for the facility include the city of Slater, the Story County Board of Supervisors, Consumers Energy Cooperative and private financing from the owners.
Applications open for 2 Latina Leadership Initiative programs: Applications have opened for two programs run by the Latina Leadership Initiative of Greater Des Moines (LLI), one of which is a new pilot program designed for Latina entrepreneurs. Helping Entrepreneurs Rise, Building Innovative Zeal, or HERBIZ, is a 40-hour workshop that aims to provide essential skills for entrepreneurship and foster economic empowerment and social advancement. LLI is also accepting applications for its flagship Leadership Program, a five-month program where participants collaborate with local nonprofits on service projects.
NewBoCo’s Kaitlin Byers plays crucial role in helping Iowa’s underserved entrepreneurs: In her role as NewBoCo’s first and only capital access manager, Kaitlin Byers is unlocking the economic potential of communities across the state of Iowa. Byers helped establish NewBoCo’s relationship with Kiva, a national and international microlending organization, which she pursued after noticing the lack of diversity in Iowa’s startup space, according to a feature in the Cedar Rapids Gazette.
Preppin’ Mama empowers next generation of women: Preppin’ Mama, a small mother-daughter owned business specializing in freeze-dried food and baked goods in southeast Iowa, has launched its "Sweeties" program to empower young women. The program will provide 13- to 25-year-old women learning opportunities in a variety of skills, from classic homesteading to marketing, according to an article in the Southeast Iowa Union. Program participants also attend various networking and small-business events.
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What’s behind the widening gender wage gap in the US? (AP News). States revive lawsuit to sharply curb access to abortion pill (New York Times). Infant mortality in the U.S. worsened after Supreme Court limited abortion access (Los Angeles Times). First openly transgender lawyer to argue at Supreme Court (NBC News). This influencer says you can’t parent too gently (The Atlantic). Gisele Pelicot tells mass rape trial ‘it’s not us who should feel shame’ (Al Jazeera).
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A Closer Look: Jodi Urich
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CEO, Caring Hands Outreach Center
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BY KATHY A BOLTEN, SENIOR STAFF WRITER
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Jodi Urich was at a Bible study class when she first learned that Caring Hands Outreach Center was hiring a new top executive.
Urich, whose daily walks took her past the center at 602 Third St. S.W. in Altoona, decided to apply for the job.
"I put my name in the hat thinking I’d at least be able to help them with grant writing and development, and they hired me," said Urich, 67, who became the group’s CEO in January. Caring Hands’ previous leader, Ned Looney, retired.
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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