Here at Women of Denver, we get asked regularly for a list of diversity professionals in the city to support local diversity initiatives. 

Below is a short list of consultants and trainers who have presented to our group or come highly recommended by members. 

Dr. Nita Mosby Taylor, The Equity Project: Dr. Mosby Tyler, a consultant accredited by the Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence, is nationally recognized for her equity work with non-profit, community, government and for-profit organizations. In her work, Dr. Mosby-Tyler specializes in the development and delivery of leadership, equity, diversity, cultural responsiveness and inclusiveness training programs and strategies.
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Karyn Lu, Megan Abman, and Regina Motarjeme, Strata: Strata is a team of fractional Chief Inclusion Officers providing startups with DEI and Culture planning and training.

Mo Abdullah, Culture Energized: Mo has worked with over 60 schools and organizations across the U.S in creating positive culture through professional development trainings. In addition, she has over 5 years experience working in the education and non profit sector servicing over 2,500 students, teachers and professionals on social emotional learning, group management and youth leadership. With her electrifying facilitation style, she has been able to impact diverse groups of people while shining light on the issues that matter!

Dr. Nicole Gravagna, NeuroEQ: The company provides empathy-focused training programs that include leadership strategy, unconscious bias training, executive coaching, culture assessments, and vendor analysis. 


An additional list of resources can be found here: http://equitysolutions.io/equityconsultants.html

By Jennifer Gance, Founder, Jennifer Gance Coaching


Every human being has the ability to magnetize. As a woman, I intuitively knew what embodiment was and that I was magnetic. I love the work of Jenna Ward, a Feminine Embodiment Coach and Founder of the School of Embodied Arts (https://jennaward.co). She defines concepts, frameworks and tools around embodiment to practice in day to day living both personally and professionally. Taking action without going deep into our inner and somatic emotions is lacking balance. Also, exploring depth without follow through is missing a key piece. We will refer to these concepts as our feminine (emotion/depth) and our masculine (action/practical). Every human being has both feminine and masculine energy.

I can attest from experience that awareness around the balance between my feminine and masculine energy has been the key to my success in making crystal clear decisions in business, leadership and entrepreneurship. As a woman and a leader, I know that by operating with awareness in both my feminine and masculine energy, I am able to magnetize the right resources at the right time and accomplish the desired outcomes with greater ease.

Exploring how we feel before taking action allows us to move forward with our full power and whole being. We are standing behind our actions fully instead of just practically. We can say we are making decisions from our deepest source of wisdom. 

How are we able to create a better world or better corporate America if we are not paying attention to how we feel before jumping into action? If we are continually operating in reaction to our environment, we are allowing the outer circumstances to determine our actions, therefore perpetuating what we already see in the world. When we hone into how we feel, explore the depth, then take action, we are bringing a new truth into the environment that comes from a deeper source. I’m proposing this is how we change the world from an individual level.
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So how do we make quick decisions in high-pace business environments using this method? 

The answer is practice, just like everything else. Try this simple system in all areas of your life and you will notice a feeling of balance and increased confidence in your decision making. The “how” will be accomplished with more magnetism than hard work:

• What is the desired outcome and why do I want it? 
• Do I feel spacious or constricted? Do I need to work through constriction before moving forward?
• Where is this feeling manifesting somatically?
• How do I honor my feelings with the knowing an action must take place?
• Gauge clarity.
• Take action from a place of power.

​Those who energetically exemplify trust, foundation and confidence are operating in balance within their feminine and masculine whether they are aware of it or not. You will find you no longer second guess your decisions when you explore your depth, then move forward. For me, I no longer second guess my actions or decisions, even if they did not manifest the desired outcomes. This is what I like to call “High Vibrational Leadership” because once you practice embodiment and master the skill of magnetizing, everything flows. 

Photo credit: Miranda G. Photography

Written by Kelsey Krahn

The global pandemic has shaken society as we know it. Our economy currently rests in a state of unpredictability, uncertainty, and unease, making it tough for many employers, employees, and non-essential businesses to generate income and stay afloat. 

However, numerous working ladies in Denver have used innovation to turn adversity into impact. Several have taken this opportunity to get creative and expand their network by reaching out to new customers and clients. While others have pivoted their business to make an impact on the community. 

The following eight ladies have creatively swiveled their business to help out others during the coronavirus pandemic: 

Adriana Giorgetti: Content Creator and Social Media Strategist

Adriana Giorgetti, the founder and CEO of Posting Bee, is an experienced social media consultant and content creator who has ditched charging fees and is giving out her expertise for free. She has been working with businesses to help them brainstorm, bounce ideas around, and aims to do whatever she can to keep companies from closing doors. 

On the side, the innovative strategist and creator is sewing masks for whoever needs them. 

Erika E. Righter: Agitator, Advocate, Mom

Erika E. Righter, founder of Hope Tank, has fearlessly developed an idea that has helped small businesses during COVID-19. The agitator, advocate, and mom developed Hope Tank in 2012, a local Denver retail store that sells gifts that give back. Ever since day one, Erika has taken a percentage of Hope Tank’s sales and delegated it to a nonprofit chosen by the creator of the product. And she has continued her streak of goodwill by starting a unique fundraiser!

The fundraiser aims to raise money for now-closed small businesses that may be subject to robbery and vandalism during COVID-19. Several storefronts have been covered with plywood to hinder damage and break-ins, but some can’t afford to do so. Erika’s fundraiser will bring in money for businesses that need extra help, but it gets better. 

Poets and artists will get the chance to write and draw visuals of hope on the boards, and she will pay them to do so.

Sydney Jackson-Clockston: Business Strategist, Responsible Travel and Retreat Coordinator

Sydney Jackson-Clockston, founder of Sydney Starr Travel, a company that helps clients plan ethical and sustainable travel, has experienced a significant dive in business due to COVID-19. 

When Sydney started her business, she knew something like this could happen based on history: September 11th, Bird Flu, Recession of 2008, etc. But the outside-of-the-box thinker had no idea that the hospitality and tourism industry would get hit this hard.

With all that being said, she had to become strategic and savvy to ride this wave out, which is where the Business Strategist within her shines through. With COVID-19 showing limited signs of slowing, she decided to jump right into marketing virtual travel opportunities. She is now offering four weeks of free virtual travel to inspire and educate folks. This offering has been great for all ages as it gives clients something to do, is free, it inspires people to want to see the virtual destinations in real life, and it keeps her name and business relevant. 

She notes that “Business will pick up again and I want to be the first name people think about when they are ready to travel again. This is just one example of how I have personally been strategic during COVID-19.”

Abby Gardner: Owner of Abby Cooks Wild

Abby Gardner, busy mom, wife, and owner of Abby Cooks Wild, alleviates the stress of mulling over dinner choices (and the thought of cooking, in general) by offering full-service, in-home meal prep to those who are time-strapped but want to consume healthy home-cooked meals. She takes orders from clients and shops for ingredients and portions the meals for them. Unfortunately, frequent grocery shopping and face-to-face interaction is no longer an option due to the pandemic. Therefore, Abby has had to pivot her business model. 

She now spends a lot of time using her Facebook page to share kitchen tips and tricks with viewers—Abby rarely used her business Facebook page before COVID-19. 

Since March 21, the helpful chef has gone live on Abby Cooks Wild every evening at 5 pm from her home kitchen, where she shares what she’s concocting for dinner each night. Abby aims to show her viewers that cooking doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. She wants those tuning in to feel empowered! 

In addition to sharing recipes, Abby has been engaging with her viewers by providing tips on ingredient substitutions, discussing kitchen hacks, and detailing unique ways to use the food already in the fridge or pantry.

Danielle Smith: Photographer and Personal Development Coach 

Danielle Smith, founder of Lotus & Lily Photography, has had to change her work drastically due to social distancing measures. The lifestyle, portrait, and wedding photographer needs to be around people for her business to thrive, but she can’t do so anymore. 

However, Danielle has decided to push another aspect of herself that she has been hesitant about, which is to work as a personal development coach. She aims to encourage positivity during these tough times. Her story portrays that COVID-19, even though horrible, may inspire a fire within to try something you’ve always wanted to try. 

Jennifer Peters and Amber Hunter and: Owner, Head Baker at Just Be Kitchen

Jennifer Peters, owner of Just be Kitchen, a fast-casual restaurant that has a mission to serve mindful meals, and Amber Hunter, Head Baker, have pivoted their business to benefit members of their community. 

Just Be Kitchen has concocted the first medically approved immunity boxes: Just BE Immune Meal Kits. These boxes will help keep their business relevant while also benefiting the community. 

The Just BE Immune Meal Kits include a nutritious, fulfilling box of meals and supplies, specifically made with proven nutrients that elevate immunity and combat illness. Each box contains five large entrees with specific ingredients that build the body’s defense against illness, soup, house-made bone broth, and golden turmeric powder to fight inflammation. The boxes are available for individual purchase, but they are setting a target for 500 boxes to be donated to front line workers in healthcare, law enforcement, and grocery stores. 

Diane Wall: Psychotherapist for Domestic Abuse Clients

Diane Wall, psychotherapist, has had quite the shift in her work. She has had to learn to live with so much uncertainty over the last few weeks. Diane used to help women by not only seeing them in her office but at their place of business or a phone session. The psychotherapist unveils that COVID-19 has stopped her from seeing clients, but she still manages to find moments where they can exchange a few words. 

She says that “now there is no break from an abusive partner.” Diane continues, “I feel as though I am holding my breath and waiting for that very thing I’ve tried so hard to help them avoid.”

Diane’s work exemplifies how COVID-19 is forcing some people to live in painful, uncomfortable, and abusive situations. 

COVID-19 has shifted everyone’s lives and the economy. Some jobs have stopped completely—around 17 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits in the last month—while other entrepreneurs have been forced to get creative and tap into another skill or try out another endeavour. Everyone is fighting to stay relevant, and these ladies deserve recognition for their hard work and dedication to empowering and bettering the local community of Denver. 

Well Fit Human founder Wendy Yates is a beam of light in the wellness travel community.

Contributed by Lisa Blake, Writer, Editor, and Content Creator 
 
Colorado entrepreneur Wendy Yates is a woman on fire. Not even COVID-19 can shut that down. The luxury lifestyle designer has spent the past year carving out a trailblazing niche, bringing together destination travel, fitness and philanthropy with her groundbreaking retreat series, Well Fit Human.
 
Spurred from her successful national luxury lifestyle design firm Abigail-Elise Design Studio, Well Fit Human takes wellness destination travel to the next level, amping it up with intense cardio workouts (think booty-shaking hip-hop sweat sessions), coach-driven strength training, soul-nourishing yoga and mindfulness talks and impactful volunteer efforts.
 
Yates had planned to travel with her team of coaches and humanitarian volunteers to Hopkins, Belize in May and Vis Island in Croatia this October. In the wake of COVID-19 and subsequent travel and retreat shutdowns—and, who are we kidding, all around life shutdown—she is pivoting and inspiring others to stay mentally and physically well.
 
Her organization has shifted to growing community through connection and promoting personal growth and positive impact. Yates’ virtual community dinners, dubbed Cocktails and Conversations, are bringing people together over Jeffersonian-inspired BYO feasts. Friends and strangers gather over Zoom screens to share their travel and wellness stories and books and quotes that lift them up and to listen to encouraging speakers share their success stories.

As a small business owner, it can be challenging to keep the pace of business during a crisis that has now shut-down about 1/4 of the country. Many companies are struggling to maintain momentum, or worse, closed completely as we strive to flatten the curve through social distancing. 

While even large businesses are bearing the burden of this shut down, small companies have the additional challenge of having a smaller footprint, and a lower budget for marketing activities. 

So how can a small business maintain a customer relationship and prepare to ramp up again when the "stay at home" orders are lifted?

1. Take the time to reach out to customers - Reach out for a quick phone call to say hi and offer a moment of connection to your regular customers to show that you're thinking of them. In this time of disconnection, a simple conversation goes a long way. 
2. Create video content on your favorite social platforms - Many people are at home with extra time to spare. Creating positive content that they can tune into can be a great way to interact on a larger scale with your community to continue the relationship you've built with them. 
3. Continue your ongoing marketing - While it may seem best to pull back, staying the course of marketing (if budget allows) will keep your company in mind for the moment when business activities resume. 
4. Find ways to provide virtual services - Is there something you can offer online? Make a list of the services and products you sell and think about the needs your customers have right now. If something you offer has value in the current circumstance and has the ability to be offered online, find a way to provide that product or service through digital sales to keep your business operating. 
5. Engage in online groups providing valuable responses and tips - When in-person networking isn't available, we can turn to online avenues such as social media groups, and virtual events. Use your available time to engage in those conversations to meet new people, share your knowledge, and improve the lives of others. People will remember the impact you made and that support will come back around when you're back in business. 

Women of Denver has a network of thousands of women in business. Connect with us by joining our Facebook group, becoming a member and attending virtual events, or use us as a platform for marketing and PR support by becoming a Power Woman. 

We're excited to showcase the newest member of the Power Women of Denver, Lisa Lewis, CEO and Founder of Career Clarity, a platform that has helped over 500 people get clarity and make bold, exciting career changes.

Connect with Lisa:

Facebook
​Instagram

What unique impact do you make on the world through your work?

I help people who don't love their jobs to find the work that lights them up. We spend so many waking hours at work every single week that it's a huge honor and privilege to help people map a pathway to work that better aligns with their values and fits their needs.

Tell us about a recent accomplishment you're proud of? 

I just learned how to crochet and successfully made my first baby blanket for a friend! I'm the kind of perfectionist who can't just have a hobby for the sake of it -- I need productive, creative hobbies where I get to have fun outputs at the end!

What actions do you take to support and empower other women? 

My business tends to skew towards supporting women identify who they are, what they value, and find the work that suits them, so I support and empower women in their careers every single day!

How did your career take off, and what do you attribute your success to most?

My career took off when I started to get courageous and calculated in my decisions. After spending about a decade working in digital marketing, I knew I was done, but didn't know what was next. Over the course of 2 years, I took baby steps to explore different directions, and started up my career coaching business on the side of my full-time job. One year later, I had started generating enough business to take a leap of faith and leave my full-time job -- and if I hadn't been willing to do that, I would have never been able to serve and have an impact at the scale that I do today.

How do you keep yourself passionate and driven regardless of how busy you are day to day?

Taking breaks every once in a while to recharge and re-ignite is important! The passion comes from taking care of myself and my needs while also remembering the bigger mission I'm serving. (I'm a woman on a mission to help people truly enjoy their work!)

What do you see as the future of your industry?
The coaching industry is in a fascinating high-growth stage right now, because typically high growth means a lot of regulation is coming (look at Uber or Lime scooters!). I think the future of the industry will be incorporating far more coaching into companies, so that you won't have to be an entrepreneur to build a satisfying career as a coach.

What is the best piece of advice you've ever received?

When I worked in grassroots communications consulting in Washington DC, my boss Bill noticed that I was very smart and also very quiet. He told me never to leave a room without making sure the people in it heard my voice and knew why I was there. That encouragement changed the trajectory of how I was showing up professionally and using my voice for good.

What's been inspiring you lately?

New music has been inspiring me lately! Loving groups like American Authors and Magic Giant.

What do you love most about Women of Denver? 

It's exciting to find a community of ambitious women who are focused on building community!

What else would you like our readers to know about you?
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I’m an obsessive learner, recovering perfectionist, passionate traveler, INTJ, English breakfast tea lover, perpetual dreamer, a cappella singer, overachiever, raw cookie dough enthusiast, and a definite Ravenclaw.
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​By Andrea Sarow, Denver-area Small Business Banker with Bank of America
 
As we celebrate women this month, it’s an ideal time to focus on the outlook for women in small business. Denver was recently ranked as the top metro area for women looking to start a business, ranking above 49 other cities across the country. With 29% of business being woman-owned and operated and an unemployment rate of 4.2% for women, Denver is leading in economic and business mobility for women in business.
 
To better understand this thriving community of business owners, Bank of America surveyed more than 500 women across the country to gain insights into their aspirations and concerns, as well as similarities and differences with their male peers.
 
Bank of America’s 2019 Women Business Owner Spotlight found that women entrepreneurs are increasingly confident in future revenue growth (with that confidence reaching a four-year high), and 73 percent of women business owners plan to expand their business in the next 12 months. Additionally, 25 percent are planning to hire, compared to 21 percent in the fall of 2018. Women entrepreneurs are taking action, but not without facing difficulties in several areas.
 
This year’s report examined women’s perspectives on barriers to establishing and financing a small business – including the extent to which gender bias may play a role. More than half of women entrepreneurs say they don’t have the same access to capital as their male counterparts and approximately a third say it will take some time — about 14 years on average — to achieve equal access to capital. Nearly a quarter say they believe women will never have equal access. Business.org found that while women on average make $10,000 less a year than men in Denver, this is “one of the better pay gaps across metros in the country.”
 
When reflecting upon positive influences on their business, more than half of women business owners identified external factors like experiencing adversity, obtaining a college degree and having a mentor have helped them achieve success. When asked for the single character trait that has had the greatest impact on their business success, women entrepreneurs identified integrity (23 percent) as the top personality attribute, closely followed by perseverance (22 percent).
 
When looking to factors that could have the greatest impact on women business owners over the next five years, strong majorities of both women and men business owners believe achieving work-life balance, pay equality and equal access to capital will be important milestones to achieve at a national scale. Looking to the future, business owners agree that having more women in positions of influence would be the most impactful in paving the way for the next generation of women in business. At Bank of America, we recognize that women play a vital role in driving economic growth and we have formed partnerships to connect women entrepreneurs to mentoring, capital and other tools that will help them have the power to advance their businesses and make significant contributions to our economy.
 
For more research findings on the 2019 Women Business Owner Spotlight, please click here. 

Contributed by Deborah Radman, Chairman, Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, CoGreatWomen.org

​The Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame is dedicated to recognizing and preserving the history of accomplishments by extraordinary women with strong ties to Colorado. Since 1985, 162 diverse women have been inducted.

These inductees represent our 2020 class, and the next group of contemporary and historic women to be recognized for their exemplary contributions to their fields and for opening new frontiers for women in society. 

These women will be recognized in a formal ceremony on March 18, 2020. 


Katherine Archuleta Growing up in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, Katherine Archuleta has had an extraordinary and influential career, including a position in the Obama administration as head of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, that has changed the landscape for what is possible for women and, specifically, Latina women.
 
Lupe Briseño As the organizer of the Kitayama Carnation Strike, Lupe Briseño demonstrated the strength and power of Latina leadership in Colorado’s Labor Movement and helped set the stage for the Colorado Chicano Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and ‘70s. 

Rosalind “Bee” Harris Rosalind “Bee” Harris has dedicated her career to elevating communities of color by providing a platform for their voices and their stories with the founding of the Denver Urban Spectrum newspaper in 1987 and the Urban Spectrum Youth Foundation in 2000. 

Velveta Howell Velveta Howell has made many contributions as a life-long champion for social justice and advocacy. She was the eighth African American female graduate of the University of Colorado Law School and the first woman of color appointed as Colorado’s Deputy District Attorney. 

Marianne Neifert, MD, MTS Colorado’s earliest physician breastfeeding champion, Marianne Egeland Neifert, MD, MTS, has devoted more than 40 years to improving maternal-child health. She helped re-establish breastfeeding as a community norm and advanced the nascent discipline of breastfeeding medicine. 

Gale Norton Gale Norton was the first woman Colorado Attorney General (1991-99) and the first woman to be appointed as Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior (2001-06) under President George W. Bush. On behalf of Colorado and 45 other states as Colorado Attorney General, Norton helped negotiate the most extensive legal settlement in history: a $206 billion national tobacco settlement. 

Mary Lou Anderson A passionate advocate for cultural arts and arts education, Mary Lou Anderson was an influential leader across Colorado and the nation through her development of programs that engage millions of students, educators, and business leaders in the cultural arts. Anderson founded the National Parent Teacher Association Reflections Program and the Arts Business Education Consortium. 

Dr. Alida Cornelia Avery A graduate of the New England Female Medical College of Boston in 1862, Dr. Alida Cornelia Avery was a professor of Human Physiology and Hygiene, and a Resident Physician at Vassar College from 1866-1874. In 1874 she moved to Denver, Colorado, and is credited as Colorado’s first woman to practice medicine while also serving as the Superintendent of Hygiene. 

Elizabeth Piper Ensley Elizabeth Piper Ensley was an African American educator, political activist, and suffragist. Her leadership was instrumental in Colorado’s victorious campaign for full voting rights in 1893. Ensley dedicated her career to organizing for women’s rights, especially for African American women. 
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Carolina Gonzalez Carolina Acuña Díaz González was a Colorado Renaissance Pioneer, renowned for her welcoming home, her active support for the arts and culture, and her uniquely authentic restaurant, Casa Mayan, a “Mutalista” or refuge for 40 years for immigrants in Colorado. González provided accommodations and a safe haven during the Depression for countless youths “riding the rails” to Colorado. 

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Submitted by Amy Collette; Written by Amy Collette

Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul. The stories and practices in this book help you connect to the positive power of gratitude every day: 
​

• Love and appreciate what you have and who you are
• Build a foundation of happiness 
• Celebrate your victories large and small 
• Relieve the worry and stress that’s keeping you stuck 
• Find the peace of mind that you crave 
• Connect to gratitude even in tough times 
• Activate success and abundance 
• Claim a renewed sense of personal power 

May you embrace the positive power of gratitude!

Get it at: https://amzn.to/2r9USR1

Submitted by Celeste Ferro; Founded by Celeste Ferro
​
Mala necklaces are beautiful pieces of jewelry, but did you know that they are tools to help you in your meditation practice? Each mala I make is unique and comes with an intention tied into each knot. Every step of the process, from creation to the tassel, it is done while chanting a Sanskrit mantra specific for that Mala. Your necklace will come with instructions as to how to use it during your meditation practice through Japan mantra meditation.

“Celeste is an extremely gifted massage therapist. Her healing touch and intuitive sense allows for the deepest parts of my physical body to experience healing while in her care. Her knowledge and wisdom as a conduit for the Reiki Ki energy is an extra added bonus, as is, the medicinal oils she uses. I highly recommend her to all my friends and clients.”-esteemed client.

Get it at: www.wholeheartedlywellbeing.com​