Celebrating Women’s History Month
Powerful Austin Women
In honor of Women’s History Month, we are taking a moment to look back at the inspiring stories of Austin women. This is just a small selection of the many incredible women we have had the opportunity to work with. From artists to musicians to community leaders, these women are making history.
Wilhelmina Delco: Legislator
Wilhelmina Delco, the first Black legislator from District 50, moved to Austin in 1957. She’s lived in the same well-kept home just south of MLK Boulevard for 59 years. While she wouldn’t live anywhere else in Austin today, initially she didn’t have a choice. It used to be that no African American was allowed to buy a house or live anywhere west of I-35. If they tried and were caught, the city shut off the property’s utilities, forcing Black Austinites to seek a better quality of life on the Eastside. Continue reading here…
Jennifer Balkan: Impressionist Painter
Neuroscience, mental illness, oil painting, and the carnivalesque: which one doesn’t belong? Actually, viewers will find all these themes and more in Jennifer Balkan’s impressionistic artwork, which colors the walls of her Cherrywood studio and hangs in galleries as far away as Denver, CO and Charleston, SC. Continue reading here…
China Smith: Dancer & Instructor
China Smith speaks with her hands as much as she does with her heart. When the perfect topic hits the surface of the conversation just right, the tone of her voice rises, anticipating a point to be made, as if each word is a downbeat to which she’s dancing. Which, in the least, is to say—the woman has rhythm. Continue reading here…
Martha Cotera: Historian, Librarian, & Activist
Inside Martha Cotera’s office is a grand, wooden bookshelf that displays a colorful array of her most powerful tools to date: books. On the shelf are plenty of influential titles, like La Historia de México and The New Jim Crow, books that have clearly inspired Martha’s work through the years. Continue reading here…
Arielle Austin: Abstract Painter
When Arielle Austin steps up to a blank canvas, before she dips her brush into the paint or even considers what she’s about to create, she begins with a pause and a prayer. Continue reading here…
Pamela Benson Owens: Community Advocate & Entrepreneur
Female entrepreneurs are the fastest growing population in business, with recent data showing that 40 percent of U.S. businesses are women-owned. Within that group, the number of businesses started by women of color is even greater. “Yet, last year, I watched an entire panel talk about the woes of entrepreneurship, and it was all white women,” states Pamela Benson Owens, founder and CEO of Edge of Your Seat Consulting. “So even within the dynamics of women, there’s a lot of work to do.” Continue reading here...
Carrie Rodriguez: Singer, Songwriter, & Violinist
At 40 years old, Carrie Rodriguez has had more adventures than most people can dream about in a lifetime. Currently an East Austin resident, Carrie grew up in Austin and traveled the world playing a menu of musical genres in an effort to understand herself and her cross cultural roots. Doing so eventually brought her back home. Continue reading here…
Camille Jobe & Ada Corral: Architects
Life happens, and when Camille Jobe and Ada Corral moved into their homes in the early 2000s, they had no inkling that a decade later they would evolve from strangers to neighbors to business partners. Fifteen years ago, they were just two women in very different stages of life who just happened to both be fond of architecture, albeit for different reasons. Continue reading here…
Miranda Bennett: Sustainable Designer
In a time when fast fashion reigns supreme, Miranda Bennett Studio is embracing a steady, more sustainable process that’s gracefully leading to a greener future. One garment at a time, fashion designer and business owner Miranda Bennett is asking customers to reexamine their relationship with fashion. “We’re asking the customer to have a really big paradigm shift,” Miranda explains. “Our garments are rooted in functionality, craftsmanship, [and] personal style—they’re not rooted in trends.” Continue reading here…
Raasin McIntosh: Community Advocate
This Houston-born Olympic athlete first moved to Austin in 2000 to run track at the University of Texas. After officially retiring from her career as a hurdler, Raasin McIntosh founded Raasin in the Sun, a nonprofit “urban beautification” initiative serving the greater Austin area and beyond. Raasin in the Sun’s mission is to “support communities, unite residents, and erase deterioration” through neighborhood cleanups, vacant lot restorations, and mural projects that employ local artists. Continue reading here…
Shara Funari, Lauren Hunt & Katie Plunkard: Artists
Despite the hot summer wind and the 2000-degree, ceramic-lined ovens that emanate heat 24/7, Ghost Pepper Glass workshop is surprisingly tolerable. Fans circulate, and both ends of the space are open to keep a constant circulation of air as participants spin an iron rod between their palms. That’s not to say it doesn’t get sweaty. For those who have never engaged with glass as an artistic medium, it is surprising that, for glassblowers, art is a team effort. Continue reading here…
Chef Wendy Wan
After honing her skills in kitchens across the country, chef Wendy Wan offers Austinites a no-nonsense, flavor-packed tour for the taste buds. Not all food trailers are created equal, and at the northwest corner of Cesar Chavez and Pleasant Valley stands a delicious and underrated testament to that fact. Wanderlust Asian Fusion Eats is the brainchild of Wendy Wan, a creative artist and culinary nomad whose experience in kitchens across the country—including an eleven-year stint in New York City—shaped her meticulous and surprisingly inventive menu. Continue reading here…
Jessica Honegger: Entrepreneur & Fair Trade Fashion Visionary
Jessica Honegger is a dreamer, or as she likes to call it: a “futurist.” She says that when you work among the poor, that sort of mentality is necessary, because she has to be able to see hope, opportunity, and what lives could be.
Honegger is the founder and CEO of Noonday Collection, a fair trade fashion brand founded in Austin. Continue reading here…
Tasha Morrison: Activist & Founder of Be the Bridge
“People think Charlottesville was an isolated event,” says Tasha Morrison, activist, speaker, and founder of Austin faith-based organization Be the Bridge, “but people of color know terror when we see it.” She’s referring to the August 12 event in which a white supremacist sympathizer rammed his speeding car into a group of anti-racist protestors in Charlottesville, VA, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring 19 others.“Charlottesville was an example of overt racism. It was bold. No hoods. Nazi flags. They knew exactly what they were doing, so they can’t make excuses.” Continue reading here…
Ora Houston: Former City Council Member
First impressions are only skin deep. “You can’t tell by looking at people, what kinds of experiences they’ve had that led them to be the authentic self that they are today,” declares Ora Houston. Ms. Houston explains that if someone could be judged based upon a cursory glance, image would be a one-dimensional view of a persona, of her persona, as a former City Council member. However, after living a life that began with Jim Crow and, most recently, ended with passing city-wide legislation on the dais, Ms. Houston as a District 1 Representative is only part of the story. Continue reading here…
Mélat: Singer, Songwriter, & Performer
2020 forced most of us to scrounge for a silver lining, but silver linings are Mélat’s MO. The self-dubbed “R&B Soul Pop” singer is graced with a demure brand of positivity that manifests in her music. Despite a barrage of canceled plans, including a SXSW showcase and bi-coastal tour, and the rash of racial violence that temporarily “stole her words,” Mélat finds herself hopeful for the future. Continue reading here…
Sheila Lopez: Lifestyle Blogger & Community Builder
Growing up, Sheila Lopez was never the type of girl to stop and pose for a picture. In fact, to avoid the camera, she would usually volunteer to snap the pic. But today, the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle blogger’s radiant digital presence is celebrated by a community Sheila has helped create. Throughout her Instagram, loyal followers leave comments expressing admiration for the various ensembles Sheila brings to life. Continue reading here…
