Women’s History Month dates back to 1980, when Molly Murphy MacGregor, Mary Ruthsdotter, Maria Cuevas, Paula Hammett, and Bette Morgan founded the National Women’s History Project (NWHP) in California to broadcast women’s historical achievements. In 1981, thanks to the NWHP’s efforts, Congress declared the week of March 7 “Women’s History Week.” In 1987, the designation was expanded to the entire month of March.
A core reason the group, now the National Women’s History Alliance, exists is to correct the historical exclusion of women and women’s achievements from history books. The stories of women’s achievements throughout history, including present day, are sources of strength and inspiration. We encourage you to support the women in the current Veterans in Residence cohort, including these consumer-facing businesses.
Grace Joy Reid grew up as an Army Brat and a Chaplain’s kid who began accompanying military chapel services regularly by the age of eleven while at Fort Riley, Kansas. She has been an accompanist for choirs, church services, instrumentalists, and an opera singer. Creating Music Joy offers original music composition and arrangement, music production, and virtual group piano lessons.
Grace Reid, Military Family Member
Veterans in Residence Cohort 21A – Washington D.C.
Carolina Hernandez, Air Force Veteran
Veterans in Residence Cohort 21A – Washington D.C.
Ariana Ferguson, US Army Veteran
Veterans in Residence Cohort 21A – San Francisco / Bay Area
Callee Ackland, US Navy Veteran
Veterans in Residence Cohort 21A – Virtual Cohort
Tennesha Wood, US Army Veteran
Veterans in Residence Cohort 21A – New York City
The team consists of a pair of directors of photography, editors, a part 107 certified drone pilot and a director. As a boutique production company, they have the flexibility to choose the best team per project and to give their clients scalable options. Their specialty is working with in-house marketing teams and agencies that know what they want to say, but they are also experienced collaborative teammates that can translate your message into a well-crafted story.
Melanie McLean Brooks, US Air Force Veteran
Veterans in Residence Cohort 21A – Denver
Joshica Kiah, Air Force Veteran
Veterans in Residence Cohort 21A – Washington D.C.
Paris Love, US Army Veteran
Veterans in Residence Cohort 21A – Nashville
After 10 years in the Army and 10 years in ‘Corporate America,’ Beth was finally blessed with a healthy baby boy at the age of 40. The day her maternity leave ended, and she dropped her son off at daycare and her heart sank. She wanted to be there to witness his first steps, watch him try all his first foods, and teach him how to be a great human. A few days later she was inspired to create Busy Baby Mat when she met a few friends and their babies for lunch.
Beth Fynbo, US Army Veteran
Early Cohort Member – Minneapolis
In 1956, “Mutt” got the idea to make a sauce he could use for every meal. Mutt’s sauce was a multi-purpose specialty sauce, infusing sweet, tangy and a little bit of heat into each spoonful. Mutt never turned his sauce into a company and upon his passing he left the recipe to his granddaughter she decided to have it bottled, with his name and face…and share it with you.
Charlynda, Air Force Reserves
Veterans in Residence Cohort 21A – Columbus
Talea Beer Co., founded by Navy veteran LeAnn Darland and Tara Hankinson, is in the middle of changing this barrier. Talea plans to shift its production toward 60-pound kegs, called sixtels, to allow a broader range of people to apply for entry-level jobs and enter the pipeline.
In 2012, there were 384,574 veteran women-owned businesses, an increase of 295 percent (nearly triple) from 2007. The percent of veteran-owned businesses owned by women over the same period in time nearly quadrupled from 4.0 percent to 15.2 percent.