June 2023

since

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Every woman should feel seen and be heard throughout all stages of their life it’s the respect that you deserve Yvette Williams-Brown, MD, is a fellowship-trained gynecologic oncologist in both Women’s Health, a clinical partnership between Ascension Seton and UT Health Austin, and UT Health Austin’s Livestrong Cancer Institutes Dr Williams-Brown recognizes the value in understanding your lifetime of experience and works with you to build a treatment plan centered around your needs Find out more by scanning the QR code

32 FEATURE MOVEMENT FOR EVERY BODY

40 FEATURE PASSING THE TORCH

BY TESS HARMON

BY STACEY INGRAM KALEH PHOTOS BY ANNIE RAY

Empowering Your Business to Meet Demand

In today’s digital-first world, there are more opportunies than ever for your business to grow. At SVA Software, we help you find new opportunities for growth and to navigate the challenges ahead.

Our technology solutions, scalable services and personalized support have helped organizations across industries like banking, retail and government to gain visibility into their system and make informed business decisions.

We’ve enabled faster processing of transactions, boosted Black Friday sales over 25% and even helped to streamline unemployment claims. In uncertain economic times, we are there to help our customers deal with ever-changing workloads and boost efficency.

Our best-in-class technology solutions are designed to help you save time and money by automating tasks, reducing errors and unlocking new opportunies. Our personalized support will keep your IT operations running smoothly so you can focus on growing your business and pursuing your passions.

“At our company, our passion lies in providing you with peace of mind. By taking the burden of IT off your shoulders, we enable you to focus on the business decisions that truly matter. With our help, your business can thrive and grow to its greatest potential.”

Lisa Schwab COO / SVP Sales SVA Software, Inc.

How does YPO’s mission align with your teachings about intergenerational success?

Intergenerational success has many moving parts. One has to think about succession planning, tax and legal structuring as well as prepare the next generation. It requires a longterm view, where one is adaptable, given potential changes in industry, investment landscape and one’s family. There’s often a steep learning curve for family members, both individually and collectively. Key to learning is connecting with peers navigating similar challenges to gain practical insights from folks that have been there or are on their journey there.

In particular, the next generation often lacks confidence as they may feel like they’re growing up in the shadow of a giant. Consequently, they may feel voiceless and powerless. Being in a safe space with peers where they can speak openly about the challenges of being in an enterprising family helps them to find their voice, find solutions and develop their confidence. YPO is helpful as it is about connecting leaders, promoting open sharing and trust where we members learn from each other, learn from resources and make lasting friendships.

What has been the most meaningful aspect of being part of YPO?

The most meaningful part of my YPO journey is having a safe space to troubleshoot personal, family and enterprise matters in confidence. Often as a business owner, it can be lonely, dealing not just with technical complexity but also relational issues. For example, trying to forge one’s path whilst honoring the family legacy as a next-gen. I’ve found here a global community of like-minded people who are oriented toward growing and learning.

What is a piece of advice you can give young professionals who want to build success for their families?

Empower the next generation so they can build their competence and confidence. Focus building the three Cs, which are the critical success factors.

Clarity. Be clear on your values, vision and mission and share these with your family. This context is important. Make room for them to explore theirs also and to explore your family values in a family meeting.

Communicate. Have two-way dialogue where you can share your wisdom and experience to the next generation, but also where they can ask questions and share their perspectives. It’s helpful to share your struggles, mistakes, failures and anxieties so the next generation can feel more comfortable coming to you with their struggles and they can learn and develop a growth mindset. A great exercise to carry out is a lifeline exercise where you share critical events in each others’ lives that influenced you, share lessons learned, growth opportunities and wisdom gleaned. Collaborate. Consider avenues to practice your collaboration with your family members. For example, through mock investing or a philanthropic project where they can put their ideas to practice in a risk-mitigated environment, they can develop confidence, make mistakes and learn from them.

For more information check out this article I authored on empowering the next generation: insights.northerntrust.com/story/elevating-womenmagazine-empowering-the-next-generation/page/4

The world’s largest leadership community of chief executives, over 30,000 extraordinary global members, coming together to become better leaders and better people.

NIKE ANANI CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

CY WHITE

DARBY KENDALL

MICHELLE BERMEA

SONIA YAZDI

ETHAN JIN

Contributors

This month, we asked our contributors: What was your biggest dream growing up?

JAIME ALBERS

KRISNA MENIER

CLAIRE HELENIAK

NINA GLORIA

KAITLYN WILKES

Writer, “The Camp of Rock,” Page 20

• Her favorite musician is Taylor Swift.

• She doesn’t like horror movies.

• She can speak Spanish.

“My biggest dream growing up was to be an author. I feel like I got pretty close with journalism.”

CONTRIBUTORS

Editorial: Sanika Bhave, Brandi Clark Burton, Brianna Caleri, Brown Girl in Recovery, Tess Harmon, Jenny Hoff, Stacey Ingram Kaleh, Shonté Taylor, Georgia Valles, Cy White, Kaitlyn Wilkes

Art: Brianna Caleri, Reza Cristián, Andrea Elizondo, Karina Gonzalez, Annie Ray, Paxton Smith, Shonté Taylor, Cy White

INTERNS

Tess Harmon, Jessica Spendley, Isabella Urby, Georgia Valles, Kaitlyn Wilkes

MELINDA GARVEY

SHURONDA ROBINSON

LANA MACRUM

LYNELLE MCKAY

TERRY MITCHELL

GRETEL PERERA

ANA RUELAS

NEHA SAMPAT

SAMANTHA STEVENS

GEORGIA VALLES

Writer, “Young Girl Pit Bosses,” Page 48

• She is an avid fiction writer and reader.

• She loves fantasy-style movies.

• She is a creative writing minor. “Growing up, my biggest dream was to write a book and see it on display at a bookstore.”

CY WHITE

Writer, “The Art of Self,” Page 18

• Her favorite video game is Majora’s Mask

• She knows every single line in the film Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon.

• She can sing in Korean and Spanish. “My biggest dream was to become a singer. I did a few things here and there, but selfconsciousness got the best of me.”

Austin Woman is a free monthly publication of AW Media Inc. and is available at locations throughout Austin and in Lakeway, Cedar Park, Round Rock and Pflugerville. All rights reserved.

To offer feedback, email feedback@awmediainc.com. For submission information, visit atxwoman.com/jobs. No part of the magazine may be reprinted or duplicated without permission. Visit us online at atxwoman.com. Email us at info@awmediainc.com.

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Primo the Alien Gives the World “More Love”

Electrosynth-pop princess Primo the Alien has returned with a soaring homage to the power of love and how we need more of it.

Stix: Providing Morning-After Pill to Texas Women Stix, a reproductive and vaginal health company, teams up with local businesses to provide their emergency contraceptive pill to Texas women.

Mae Krier: “I Just Never Quit”

An original Rosie the Riveter, Mae Krier fights for recognition of women’s roles during WWII, advocating for empowerment among young girls.

Correction: In the May 2023 issue, the article titled "Boosting Women’s Success By Addressing Deficits" by Shonté Jovan Taylor, Msc, Ph.D(c), was incorrect. To correct this, we have partially reprinted the article on page 50. For the entire article, be sure to visit atxwoman.com.

SAVE THE DATE

SEPT. 8, 2023

SEPT. 8, 2023

JW MARRIOTT DOWNTOWN

JOINUSFORAFULLDAYOFCELEBRATINGBEINGAUSTINWOMEN! JOINUSFORAFULLDAYOFCELEBRATINGBEINGAUSTINWOMEN!

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

to arm you with tools to take the next step personally and professionally.

CONNECTING & NETWORKING with local brands and other Austin women.

LUNCHEON

featuring a motivational panel with past Austin Woman cover women.

appy June, readers. To our beloved LGBTQIA2S+ community, happy Pride Month. To our Black and Brown sistren (and brethren), happy Juneteenth. This month, we celebrate the infinite possibilities of the future. This is our Young Women to Watch issue, in which we acknowledge young women under 35 who are claiming and stepping into their true Girl Power. (And, yes, that’s a Spice Girls reference. I regret nothing!)

We are living in times that become progressively more difficult for kids to navigate at a younger age. As a millennial, I am in a position to try to make sure the women coming up behind me have the tools they need. Millennials are also part of a generation that’s seen two and a half recessions, a pandemic and escalating racial tension, so it can seem a little daunting to see the forest for the trees. Gen Z, however, is made of tough stuff. They’re also not afraid to reach out for help when they need it mentally and emotionally, something our generation is still grappling with. The young women and girls in this month’s issue are a fraction of those who are not only paving a path forward; they’re walking it in spite of all the madness.

Our cover woman, Natalie Sanders, founder of Body Positive Barre, has built her entire platform and art around ensuring that every body is accepted, that every woman, especially the yungins, understands they are valid, important and necessary. That no one has the right to try to take away their self-confidence and their self-power. That power extends to the young women representing some of the remarkable activists in Austin. Paxton Smith, Meghan Ross and Andrea Elizondo talk about their journeys to activism and how they’re advocating for Gen Z to shout, kick and blow the doors down on issues that continue to tear our country apart, such as reproductive rights and gun control (issues that aren’t exactly easy to rally behind in the state of Texas). We have young girls who express themselves through art and embrace both their power and vulnerability. We have women who bodaciously take up space in various male-dominated fields such as venture capital, media and food. It’s a veritable treasure trove of talent, innovation and fearless self-confidence.

I went into this issue wanting to explore the concept of “Girl Power.” What ended up happening is I found my own source of power in the young women and girls telling their stories. The future can be frightening, but it is undoubtedly bright, if the ladies in these pages have anything to say about it. Yes, June is about growth, but it’s also about revolution, innovation and guts. As the Spice Girls once said, “Come on and do it! Don’t care how you look, it’s just how you feel.” We could all learn something from these young women and girls, dear reader. Take their stories to heart, and no matter your doubts, go on and do it!

CY WHITE EDITOR

Publication of Austin Woman would not be possible without the support of our monthly advertisers and sponsors, who believe in the impact we are making in the Austin community. The following businesses have stepped up their support of our efforts beyond traditional advertising and we are proud to recognize them as our partners. The team at Austin Woman is grateful for these businesses that have shown their commitment to the advancement of women in Austin and hopes you, as readers, recognize their efforts and support these businesses and all our regular advertisers.

Editor’s Picks: Inspiring albums about Girl Power

Spiceworld by The Spice Girls

WILLOW by Willow Smith

The Golden Echo by Kimbra

Young Leaders

This year’s Austin 40 Under 40 highlighted the profound work of women in the Austin community.

BY AUSTIN WOMAN

Since 1998, Austin 40 Under 40 (AU40) Awards has recognized 40 Austinites under the age of 40 who have used their talents and resources to build up the Austin community. A collaboration between the Young Women’s Alliance and the Young Men’s Business League, AU40 has shown young people in the capital city how valued and important they are to the advancement of their hometown with a black-tie gala. Across 17 categories, millennials and Gen Zers are given space to celebrate and champion one another. This year, over half of the recipients were women from across several industries.

Kathryn Fritts; Winner Retail, Manufacturing and Supply Chain

Kathryn Fritts’ journey to entrepreneurship began with 10-year-old undergarments! After going away to college, she came back to find that styles and accessibility for intimate wear had stagnated. With a desire to diversify offerings for more body types and comfort levels, she founded Underclub, a monthly subscription service offering designer intimates. Currently serving women sizes XS to 4XL, Underclub offers ethically sourced, sustainable selections and works with nonprofits such as Dress for Success, the Pride Foundation and Feeding America. “With the pressures and hectic lives we live doing and giving for others, Underclub is here to make a little monthly moment all about you,” Dowd says. “When you feel your best, you show up as your best self for those around you.”

Francis Leigh Jordan, Esq.; Winner Journalism, Marketing and Public Relations

AUSTIN’S WOMEN UNDER 40

COMPILED BY AUSTIN 40 UNDER 40 AND CY WHITE.

Grace Dowd; Winner Sports, Wellness and Fitness

The daughter of two accountants, Grace Dowd didn’t grow up in a household where therapy was a common conversation. However, she took with her strong values of community service and the concept that every human deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. She opened Grace Therapy and Wellness after earning her master’s in social work at UT Austin and opening a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Intensive Outpatient Program at a local psychiatric hospital. With her experience as a psychotherapist and board-certified clinical supervisor, she leads with empathy and compassion. She has been featured in Texas Tribune, Fox 7 Austin and the Huffington Post. “I will empower you through creating a tool kit of coping skills that will help you respond effectively to life’s challenges,” she says. “My goal is to help you live your best life.”

With a wealth of experience in communications, policy and community engagement, Francis Leigh Jordan has brought a mindset of service and advocacy to community relations firm Rifeline. She incorporates her J.D. in law from University of Kentucky and her B.S. in political science from Tuskegee University with her powerful connection with the Austin community to strengthen outreach between the city and state and local agencies, nonprofits and school districts.

Lindsay Neuren; Winner Real Estate

Lindsay Neuren’s experience in nonprofits has fueled her passion for helping people who need it the most. This passion and her service-forward perspective lends itself to her calling in real estate and shows in her track record at two of the nation’s top real estate agencies: Realty Austin and Compass Real Estate. “Having sold over $1 billion in real estate in Austin, Lindsay’s vast knowledge of the diverse neighborhoods helps her clients find the area in Austin that best fits their lifestyle.”

Photos courtesy of Austin 40 Under 40.

Liz Schoenfield, Ph.D.; Winner Nonprofit Service

Self-proclaiming herself a “reformed researcher and strategist who puts people first and data second,” Liz Schoenfield has used her expertise to advance data-driven advocacy for those who need it most. Per her AU40 bio, “Her success using data to inform service delivery and the adoption of evidence-based programs at LifeWorks was highlighted in the documentary Failing Forward: On the Road to Social Impact. She is a leader in the local and national movement to end youth homelessness, and her work has been published in numerous peerreviewed journals and featured in outlets such as the U.S. News & World Report, Psychology Today and The Austin-American Statesman.”

Lauren Taylor; Winner Energy, Sustainability and Transportation

Daughter of a cybersecurity professional mother, Lauren Taylor counts her mother as being one of her biggest inspirations and icons of representation for Black women in STEM. Her inspirations have driven her to great success in STEM herself. As the assistant vice president and deputy Texas district planning lead at multinational engineering and design firm Williams Sale Partnership USA, she has put her talents to work assisting with management of a team of over 20 planners and scientists. “For me, the best way I can show gratitude [to my personal inspirations] is to hopefully be an inspiration myself, paying it forward and hopefully breaking some glass ceilings of my own,” she says.

Lia Truitt; Trailblazer Award (P2P Challenge, raised over $10K); Winner Journalism, Marketing, and Public Relations

A former beat reporter for KTBC-TV/FOX 7 in Austin, Lia Truitt has amassed an incredible track record in public relations. As the vice president of ECPR Texas, her roster of clients is staggering: Austin FC, Visit Austin, the Downtown Austin Alliance, Google, Las Palmas Medical Center, Orangetheory Fitness, JW Marriott Austin and the Children’s Hospital Association of Texas, to name a few. A devoted volunteer, Truitt has dedicated thousands of hours of intentional hands-on work with various nonprofits as a Junior League of Austin member. Truitt is also an ardent supporter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and was honored to be a candidate for the organization’s Woman of the Year.

Jessica J. Watts; Winner Capital, Financial and Insurance Services

Per her AU40 bio, “Since 2016, Jessica Watts has been the Texas statewide compliance consultant for the employee benefits practice of Frost Insurance. [She] regularly consults on employee benefits matters, including health care reform compliance, for Frost Insurance clients across Texas. [Watts] was born and raised just an hour north of Austin, in Temple. She has a Bachelor of Business Administration in financial services and planning from Baylor University and a Master of Science in human resources management from Tarleton State University. [She] is active in the local Austin and Texas state chapters of the National Association of Benefits & Insurance Professionals.”

Jessica D. Weaver; Winner Mentor of the Year

With more than 25 years of consulting and nonprofit work, Jessica Weaver has established herself as a powerhouse of Austin philanthropy. She earned her Masters in philanthropic studies from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University; she was built for the type of work that has made her a mentor to many young local philanthropists. Per her AU40 bio, “Weaver is the owner and principal consultant of Weaver Philanthropic Strategies. [She] enjoys her role as faculty at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. [Weaver] has a personal and significant commitment to civic engagement. She is a current member of the Women’s Fund and The New Philanthropists Legacy Leadership Council, and serves on the Board of Governors of the Austin Community Foundation, Leadership Austin and ZACH Theatre.”

The Art of Self

The Girls’ School of Austin gives young girls a space to freely express their true selves.

BY CY WHITE

In 1996, Amy Lowrey and a group of concerned parents in the Austin community came together under a common goal: give elementary school-aged girls a real-world education. Lowrey and these parents formally united in 1999 to put their vision into action, and in 2002, The Girls’ School of Austin opened its doors. Though “door” is probably a better word. The school itself was a group of teachers educating five girls in someone’s West Austin home. These humble origins were the precursor to something remarkable. In its 20-year existence, The Girls’ School of Austin has educated 150 girls grades K through 8, with 18 students per class and the help of over 10 local organizations and charities.

On May 6, the school held its 20th annual Self-Portrait Show, a culmination of the work the students have done throughout the year. The theme of this year’s show is “Taking Flight,” a sentiment gleaned from the

iconic surrealist painter Frida Kahlo: “Nothing is absolute. Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves, everything flies and goes away.” Thus, each student’s selfportrait expresses their connection to the idea of flight, influenced by important eras of art history. “Over a threemonth period, we learned, we drew and painted our selfportraits,” says art instructor Nancy Hoover

This year’s art show is also a moment to celebrate Hoover’s last year as an instructor, as she intends to retire after a 20-year career. “It’s been a blessing to give a path, a purpose and journey for young people to follow who didn’t previously have one,” she says. “This is a bittersweet moment. It’s been my life for 20 years.”

Photos by Cy White.

Walking around the studio, set up in rows of corkboard and canvas, one senses they’re experiencing something truly profound. At no older than 15 years old, all of these girls have found their inner voices through Hoover’s guidance and their own sense of wonder and curiosity. Along the walls is the 8th Grade Retrospective, where attendees are able to see the progression of artwork from the school’s graduating class, most of whom have been at Girls’ School since kindergarten.

Hoover introduces some of the show’s amazing artists: Circe, Dede and Elsa. While each young lady certainly speaks with pride about their work, there’s an undeniable brightness to their tones when they delve into what the school has done to shape them. “You can speak for yourself,” Circe says. “Nobody else can speak for you, and you decide what you want to be.”

Elsa, who’s been at the Girls’ School since kindergarten and is now in the sixth grade, found a deeper appreciation for others. “This school has helped me learn about the importance of others’ values,” she says. “I would always play with the older kids in my class, and that helped me learn that everyone is equal. It helped me to learn that there are other people than me.”

Two graduating students, Dede and Delilah, have wisdom beyond their years. Before her short tenure at the Girls’ School (having entered in seventh grade, she’s one of the rare cases of a student joining later in their education), Dede was self-conscious about her natural hair. The love and support of her parents, as well as her ability to fully express herself in the art program, broke her out of that insecurity, inspiring her intriguing piece Sunflower Euphoria and allowing her to look toward the future. Her advice to those following in her footsteps rings true to her experience. “Just keep going,” she says. “Just keep moving forward. You’re gonna get to a point where you probably shift focus, and that’s fine for a period of time. But I really think that you should stick with something that you’re passionate about.”

Delilah, a young artist whose time at the Girls’ School has allowed her to bloom into her true artistry, knows what it means to be constantly on a journey of evolution. Working with everything from acrylics to fabrics, she found her voice in her darkest period, resulting in the piece Under The Surface. From darkness to unparalleled effervescence, she also showcases her seventh grade piece, Without a Net. Delilah’s work really leans into small moments of purity (whether pure sadness or pure elation) that inspire her to put brush to canvas. “Find the things that bring you joy and get inspiration from it, so that you enjoy everything that you do.”

Each young lady is articulate, passionate and has a sense of self that many adults still have a hard time defining. Nancy Hoover’s remarkable art program has allowed every student to find focus, and most importantly, in this era of their lives, their most authentic selves.

There’s a brilliant fearlessness in each young lady. It’s a snapshot (or portrait) of what young people can become and accomplish in this “post”-COVID world. These kids had to navigate their futures in a world that’s on fire. With Mrs. Hoover’s guidance, they’ve been able to imagine a future that’s full of promise.

To find out more about each artist’s individual pieces, read the full article at atxwoman.com.

Dede, 8th Grade Retrospective

Elsa, Flight Patterns

The Camp of Rock

Girls Rock Austin has given hundreds of young girls, nonbinary and trans youths a place to rock.

BY KAITLYN WILKES

Program Director Imani Glasco drifted about the Girls Rock Austin (GRA) day camp as she waited to teach her workshop. As she made her rounds, what stuck out to her was how passionate the campers were at such a young age.

“It was so awesome just seeing them with their giant instruments that were so big compared to how small they were,” Glasco laughs. “But they were just killing it! They’re practicing, and they were all focused in a way that you very rarely see young children focus.”

Founded in 2007, GRA and its Camp Rock-A-Rama summer camp now serve over 1,000 young women, trans and nonbinary youth of Austin, ages 8 to 17, every year. The program and camp’s goal is to give participants a space to learn about and practice music without judgment. Sixteen years after its founding, GRA went from hosting a weeklong summer camp for fewer than 100 girls to more than 1,200 people yearly, awarding 72% of their attendees with scholarships and tuition assistance in 2022. In all, GRA has educated more than 100,000 girls, gender fluid/nonbinary and trans children.

“There’s lots of camps and availability for boys, and especially in the music industry there are a lot of male artists, and there are a lot less female artists,” Glasco says. “It’s a lot harder for those who are women, or presenting as nonbinary or trans, to feel like they have a voice in the industry and feel heard and to feel like they can say something and be respected.

“It is changing. It’s definitely getting better,” she continues. “But I think it’s important to prove it’s not just women and girls; it’s also nonbinary people and trans people, who are maybe seen as others and outsiders in the industry. So, I think it’s really important to provide them a space where they probably wouldn’t have had one before.”

Glasco was introduced to GRA when she met the former program director, Madison “Mad” Whitaker, at a show for Whitaker’s band, Sailor Poon. After volunteering at GRA events and joining the board, when Whitaker stepped down, Glasco presented herself and her background in music business as a potential replacement.

“I [had] been kind of all over the place,” she recalls. “So it just was like, ‘Hey, I can help out and would love to if you need that.’”

Photos courtesy of Girls Rock Austin.

Despite the organization’s efforts to spread awareness about their work, the decreases in events they have been able to hold in the wake of the pandemic and in grant funding they have received from the city have made it hard to show that they are still active in the community. Despite this challenge, they were still able to hold 14 events from March 2022 to March 2023.

“It’s been a weird kind of flux situation where I know that there is a lot of help and resources, but people are having to do other things because there’s just not the money there,” Glasco says.

Part of her job as the program director includes trying to share the efforts of GRA with the community, even with the funding decrease, because of the support locals have shown to musicians and musical organizations in the past.

“Getting back into the industry and reminding people that we’re still here is something that we are trying to do more and more,” she says. “It’s definitely something that needs to happen.”

The importance of reacquainting the community with GRA’s mission cannot be understated. Just as Austin’s music scene has been fostered by Austinites, GRA has fostered artistic inspiration for Austin’s musical future.

“It’s such an important thing to be able to [express yourself artistically] in an environment [where] it is safe to make mistakes and kind of figure it out,” Glasco says. “You can feel the sense of community there, and it’s just so great to feel.”

OPERATION LUNCH BOX

In June 2020, Girls Rock Austin partnered with Keep Austin Together, a Travis Countysupported emergency food access network, to start the Operation Lunch Box Initiative. The program provided folks in the Austin community who were affected by the pandemic by preparing nutritious meals that can be easily frozen or microwaved. At first focusing on Austin artists, musicians and their families affected by COVID-19, the program expanded after the winter disaster in February 2021 to include anyone in Austin affected by food insecurity. Halloween 2022, GRA’s Operation Lunch Box Initiative surpassed the milestone of providing 100,000 prepared meals to Austinites.

You Don’t Have to Do it All Yourself

Emily Franco believes in the power of support and asking for help.

BY CY WHITE

McGinnis Lochridge estate planning and probate attorney

Emily Franco always had a love for law, but after graduating from Rice University with a B.A. in psychology, she decided to take a different path altogether. “After college, I actually did Teach for America, and I taught middle school for three years in the Rio Grande Valley,” she reveals. “Then I went back to law school and became a lawyer.” Since graduating with her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 2013, she’s followed her original passion and has been practicing law for nine years.

A younger lawyer at 38 years old, Franco has already made a name for herself as one of the top litigators in the state. In April of this year, she was one of six McGinnis Lochridge attorneys selected as part of the Super Lawyers 2022-2023 class of Rising Stars. In 2022, she was recognized by Austin Monthly as one of their Top Attorneys of the year. This was a particularly personal distinction, as it was a list of peer nominations from Austin-area lawyers, and the top lawyer in each practice area made the final cut. Again, she was one of five McGinnis Lochridge attorneys (four of whom were women) to be honored. Unsurprisingly, she’s a prolific speaker and presenter in her area of law, and she has co-authored various articles for the Tax Management Estates, Gifts and Trusts Journal.

Between getting her J.D., publishing articles and being recognized for her stellar work, Franco also became a mother. “It has been a learning experience to figure out how to balance being a mother and

a lawyer, and doing as well as I can at both of them at the same time,” she says. “Law is a field where we write down all of our time. So when you leave the office for a kid’s doctor appointment or a school performance, there’s a tangible impact on what you’re getting done at work. Sometimes we work weekends and work at night after kids’ bedtimes to make sure it happens.”

Perhaps her dedication as a mother has informed or further driven her instinct to mentor and build up those who are following in her footsteps. “I’ve had a lot of great mentors and colleagues who have supported me along the way,” she says. “I would encourage more women to go into law. There are incredible opportunities across every field you could imagine, so there’s a way for everyone to find a type of law that is interesting and fulfilling.”

This, of course, leans into her looking back on her journey from middle school teacher to one of Austin’s top litigators. “I would tell my younger self it is okay to not always have the answers,” she says. “And asking questions is not a sign of weakness. Asking for help is important and necessary to get everything done and make sure that you have the knowledge and support that you need.”

Find out more about Emily Franco and more of the women at McGinnis Lochridge at their website (mcginnislaw.com/attorneys).

Photo courtesy of McGinnis Lochridge

Making All the Pieces Work

Alejandra Salas recounts her less than conventional road to becoming one of Austin’s brightest young lawyers.

BY CY WHITE

Alejandra Salas didn’t always have dreams of practicing law. Growing up in Grand Prairie, Texas, the daughter of an immigrant single mother and a tight-knit family, the idea seemed a bit out of reach for her. “I grew up with a single mom and two siblings. I’m the middle child, and I have five wonderful nieces and one nephew,” she says, warmth coloring her tone when she speaks of her family. “I didn’t always know that I wanted [to practice law],” she reveals. “But in college, I kind of realized that I wanted to pursue law. I interned at a clinic at the UT Law Center, and that’s kind of when I figured out that’s something that I wanted to do.”

After completing her UT Law Center internship, the spark bloomed into a burning love of law. But for Salas, the road to achieving her dream of becoming a lawyer was a bit complicated. “It was incredibly difficult to kind of figure out, first college, then law school and what I actually wanted to do without having someone to provide that guidance,” she says. “I certainly didn’t know how to guide myself through that, so I really had to reach out and do as best as I could to kind of fit everything in place and make all the pieces work together to get through college, and then I decided to do law school. I worked in college, and I worked some in law school, to the extent that I was allowed.”

In the end, all her hard work, grit and dedication paid off when in 2018 she graduated magna cum laude from St. Mary’s University School of Law with her J.D. “The moment that was most significant for me was being sworn in as an attorney,” she reveals. “Seeing my mom at my graduation and knowing that she did that. She did that all by herself.”

Salas has made her J.D. count in more ways than one. Prior to her current tenure as an associate attorney at McGinnis Lochridge, she served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable David Counts of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Midland/ Odessa and Pecos divisions. Under Counts’ tutelage, she had the immense responsibility of managing half of the civil and criminal dockets. Now as a general business litigator, she focuses on the oil and gas industries and continues to build her strength as an attorney. Her own experience with a formidable mother and a strong family unit allows her to encourage other young lawyer hopefuls to lean on and reach out to those women who have been through everything they’ll no doubt encounter on their own journeys. “Having a mentor and someone who can help you understand the profession and where it is and what they’ve been through is a very helpful perspective to have,” Salas says. “Especially for first-generation students, there are first-generation lawyers and maybe women who don’t have that sort of support and guidance within their family. It might seem like a daunting task, but I think finding a mentor will be incredibly beneficial in the long run.

“I truly believe that things happen for a reason,” she continues. “You are in the spaces you are for a reason, and while you’re in them, take advantage of them and make the most of them.”

Photo courtesy of McGinnis Lochridge.

Find out more about Alejandra Salas and more of the women at McGinnis Lochridge at their website (mcginnislaw.com/attorneys).

I Don’t Need to Second-guess Myself

Tattooist Karina Gonzalez showcases her delicate work, joining a rising tide of upcoming women tattoo artists.

BY KAITLYN WILKES

Karina Gonzalez fell into her career as a tattoo artist by accident. What started as a side hustle to supplement her hospital job became the catalyst of her life as an artist. When a client who owned a tattoo shop asked her to design a logo, she was surprised to be offered an apprenticeship at their studio.

“My automatic thought was, ‘This is not how it works,’” Gonzalez says. “‘I should not be getting offered this; I should be working for it.’ So I definitely felt a little bit guilty at first where I was like, I don’t feel like I really deserve this because I don’t think I do art professionally. I doodle every now and then; I scribble here and there.”

Despite her lack of professional artistic training, and a bit of impostor syndrome, Gonzalez was a tattoo apprentice for only two months before she was allowed to start practicing on real skin. Now, Gonzalez works as a full-time tattoo artist at the woman-owned Moon Tattoo.

“I love the dynamic of a woman taking control,” she says. “It’s not even control. I feel like they just make the space so much brighter and happier, and it [shows that] tattoos don’t need to be hardcore.”

“You go to a walk-in shop and all you hear is heavy metal, everyone’s got shaved heads. I like women doing tattoos because I feel like they can bring the element of being dainty and elegant without making [the tattoo] too hardcore,” Gonzalez says.

“[The tattoo] doesn’t look like it adorns your skin,” she says. “It looks like that is the main thing about your skin. I’m super big on loving your body, being happy with who you are, and the tattoos make you feel that way. I mean, they’re beautiful; they’re art.”

Gonzalez’ unique style of art takes inspiration from the nature in her backyard, more traditional art found in museums and other tattoo artists.

“Most ideas are just given to me, and most people are pretty cool. They just say, ‘This is the idea; I want whatever your creative take on it is; run free. Don’t ask me; just let me know when you’re ready,’” Gonzalez says.

In her experience, she has found that female tattoo artists listen to their clients more, treating tattoos like commissioned works of art. They imagine how the art will look on the client, how it will flow on their skin.

When Gonzalez first joined the tattoo community, she did not expect the openness that lives within other Austinite tattoo artists.

“All of the tattoo artists here in Austin, we all know each other. We’ve all heard of each other. Especially [those of] us who work at women-owned shops, female-led organizations. It’s just really nice to see that,” she reflects. “You know, it doesn’t matter who

Meet the women of Moon Tattoo:

Tina Poe (she/they), owner

Amanda Rae (she/her)

Karina Gonzalez (she/her)

you are or what you look like or what gender you are. We all just understand we’re all doing the same thing.”

Despite the community and creativity, despite her success, Gonzalez often falls victim to perfectionism. “It’s such a good quality to have when this is your job,” she says. “But it can also not be the best quality because you’re constantly second-guessing everything you just did, and you’re like, ‘I could have done this better.’”

To combat her need for perfection, Gonzalez reminds herself that she and her client liked the original design, so there is no need to question her work. “I think that’s the hardest part, just being confident in what you do,” she says. “When you do it, [don’t] feel like you always need to go back and redo it. That’s definitely something I could apply in my day to day life. I don’t need to second-guess myself.”

ATX WOMAN to WATCH

TWIN LIQUORS STACEY DANNENBRINK | CONTROLLER; SANDRA SPALDING | DIRECTOR OF MARKETING; ASENETTE RIOS | DIRECTOR OF HR

At the helm of Twin Liquors is Margaret Jabour, co-owner, and executive vice president. Jabour has always been a role model for women and has nurtured a caring growth environment for female leadership. With dozens of women in leadership positions throughout the company, Twin celebrates and appreciates all its female team members. Introducing the dynamic Twin leadership team: Stacey Dannenbrink, controller; Sandra Spalding, director of marketing; and Asenette Rios, director of HR. As all passionate women leaders do, they work hard to provide a nurturing work environment. While Spalding heads up the Twin Hearts program—Twin’s community outreach program established by the Jabour family—the entire company participates, from supporting the arts to a newly launched mental health awareness campaign. In this instance, Dannenbrink, Spalding and Rios are pictured supporting the Umlauf Garden at their annual fundraiser. Here’s to doing good in the community. twinliquors.com •

@twinliquors

Movement

for Every Body

Natalie Sanders, founder of Body Positive Barre, places accessibility, inclusion and joy at the heart of each practice.

BY STACEY INGRAM KALEH

PHOTOS BY ANNIE RAY

STYLED BY THEDIES BROUSSARD.

MAKEUP BY COURTNEY GRAHAM (@TOURISSTRAPPE).

SHOT ON LOCATION AT BALLET AUSTIN.

Warm and energetic, Natalie Sanders is one of those Austinites who feels like a neighbor you’ve known for years. With gracious confidence and seriously positive energy, she exudes the passion of someone who leads with mindfulness and intention.

“I want to be myself and feel confident and secure,” Sanders says. “Trying to make that accessible to everyone is hard, and I like to think I’m doing a little tiny bit of the puzzle to invite people in to see the benefits of movement. I just want people to move a little bit and feel a little bit better every day. I want to help everyone feel good about themselves.”

Founder of Body Positive Barre, often called “Body Posi Barre,” which she describes as a low-impact, high-intensity strength training practice that merges yoga and pilates, Sanders manifests her vision of community while also working a full-time job at a multinational corporation. A self-described fat-bodied woman and advocate for fat liberation, she breaks down barriers and challenges misconceptions by leading accessible, inclusive and fun barre classes. She also creates body positive social media content to empower “women, men and nonbinary folx in bigger bodies” to get moving and take charge of their lives and health.

Motivated to Live Generously and Authentically

“I have the Type A, responsible oldest sister personality,” Sanders says with a smile. She grew up in Chicago, the oldest of four girls in a close-knit family she said embraces a “girl power, women to the front” attitude.

One of her sisters, Monica Sanders, describes her as “genuine, hardworking and strong.” Maggie Marek, Natalie’s friend since high school and former college roommate, describes her as a lover of life. “[She’s] driven and high energy,” Marek shares. “From her rad style, including lots of tattoos and fashionable workout gear, to her fun and welcoming personality, Natalie is unapologetically herself.”

Both women are also clients of Natalie and are more than happy to champion her, which speaks to her dedication to both surround herself with supportive women and in turn support other women as friend, sister, advocate and teacher. “Natalie is the kind of friend and instructor you want in your corner,” Monica shares, “She really is a fierce advocate for loving all that you are and being proud of the space you take up. Her confidence is contagious!”

When recounting her personal journey, Natalie focuses on volunteer experiences that shaped her worldview. “I grew up with my family thinking about how we could help folks with less access get better access to things,” she says. As a student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign studying food science and human nutrition, she prioritized volunteerism and oversaw a program called Best Buddies, which focused on pairing students at the university with those in the community with varying disabilities. Her volunteer experiences helped her understand that interacting with people and communities different from you, bridging divides between those with greater access to resources and those without, helps everyone grow. She also saw firsthand how everyday acts of generosity create meaningful change. “That experience encouraged me to be an activist after college, too, when I realized that little interactions can make a big difference in folks’ lives and my own.”

Natalie is also open about her relationship with her mind and body, past and present. “I definitely have carried myself very confidently as a fat kid, a fat teen and then a fat young woman, and now, into my 30s. If people are bullying and making comments about [my] appearance, I don’t allow it to bog me down but instead understand that most of the time that’s a projection or that’s someone else’s belief because they haven’t been able to do any internal work. I’ve been able to change the narrative.” She confides that it’s been a decade of work, really looking internally and going to therapy. Today, she seems secure in her own views, stating her own truth and her core mission to help others.

After graduating from college, Natalie began a career in sales for a multinational corporation. She still works for the same company, and although it is evident she enjoys her full-time job, she shares, “I think I always knew I wanted to work for myself in some way, shape or form.” From her perspective, experience in sales has equipped her with the skills to start and develop her personal business plan with lofty, yet realistic goals.

Body Posi Barre Breaks Down Barriers

About 10 years ago, Natalie moved to Austin, a place she’s proud to call home. She credits the support of the Austin community in helping her take the leap to pursue her passion. “A lot of people in Austin are here because they choose to be here,” she says. “I see a lot of other women doing what fuels their soul, and being surrounded by that is really incredible.” She shares that there’s something about the open-minded, laid-back attitude that Austinites embrace that helps her feel comfortable moving and being seen. She also appreciates that advocating for yourself is accepted in our community—it’s part of keeping Austin weird. In her decade here, she’s built a local support system by surrounding herself with “strong women who also own or are starting businesses.”

Natalie’s childhood career dreams included working in a field that involved movement, such as lifeguarding or athletics. During the pandemic, she spent time self-reflecting, then seized the moment to start an online business to revisit those dreams. Now, a few years into leading Body Positive Barre, she’s confident she’s doing something that both fuels her and helps others.

“I wanted to combine fitness and movement into something fun that could bring others along with me,” Natalie says. “I’ve been able to do that by teaching Body Positive Barre classes on the side.” She teaches live virtual classes via Zoom on Mondays and Thursdays and distributes recordings that reach people all over the world, from London and Paris to all over Canada and the U.S. Natalie has recently started to lead a few inperson classes and host meetups around Austin at venues like Waterloo Greenway and Barton Springs.

Along her journey, Natalie has become very attuned to the language she uses to empower herself and those around her. “I very much use the word ‘fat’ as a regular descriptor of body type these days, realizing that a lot of folks still equate fatness to something bad or as an insult,” she says. “But I’ve been part of the fat liberation movement that reclaims that word and makes it our own.” In fact, she prefers using the term “fat-bodied” instead of body-neutral language now because it carries a sense of radical acceptance. “Body positivity has been co-opted by people in thin bodies,” Natalie says. Though she’s received some resistance and pushback about her branding, she’s intent on reclaiming the movement. “The body positive movement has moved a little bit away from fat liberation—which is focused on making sure there’s access to health care, chairs and equipment and clothing that fits fat people—and the activist side.”

In light of the movement to reclaim and repurpose the derogatory connotations surrounding the word “fat,” the question becomes what does “body positivity” mean? Natalie defines it as “actually feeling positive about being in your own body and interacting with the world.” She incorporated the concept into her brand name to signal that she was creating a safe space for people in bigger bodies. “I want to invite more people into the conversation and into the fold.”

“

I see a lot of other women doing what fuels their soul, and being surrounded by that is really incredible.

Natalie Sanders

In many ways, barre could be considered exclusionary. Derived from ballet, there are some who consider it exclusive to a “certain” body type. However, Natalie sees barre as a great way to change perception and help people incorporate movement into their lives in a meaningful way. “Barre classes are notoriously challenging,” she says. “You see a lot of thin, specifically white women in those spaces and studios. Sometimes, just being a person in a bigger body walking into that class is a barrier to entry.

“I don’t know how many stories I’ve heard, myself included, of going to a fitness class and getting called out by the instructor, feeling like shit leaving the class instead of feeling, ‘I did all of those really hard things in the class. I couldn’t do this one thing, but I could do everything else.’ All you’re focused on is that negative thing you couldn’t do instead of celebrating all the movement that you did. I tell people to just explore how movement feels in their bodies. Rest when you need to. Feel good about what you’ve done. Great job, and let’s do it again tomorrow.”

She recalls steep class prices, spaces that feel like they require “cute new workout outfits” or where instructors call you out. “By breaking down some of that—you don’t have to go to the gym, you don’t have to even be dressed, you don’t have to have your camera on when you’re taking an online fitness class—it allows folks to just show up as they are from where they want to be.

“When I think about how I’m going to teach a class, choreograph the class, the music I’m going to add, I want it to all be from a lens of ‘fat people are at the front,’” says Natalie. “So I’ll show a modification of a move first, and I’ll think through how I talk about a move from the perspective of the person in the room who might be the most intimidated.”

Uniquely Suited to Share Her Expertise

Natalie’s passion and innovation in her accessible approach to barre is backed by her credentials. She’s certified by the International Ballet Barre Fitness Association, is pursuing her certified personal trainer certificate and is currently in the process of completing a 200-hour yoga instructor training that incorporates both movement and meditation. All of this training, paired with her bachelor’s degree in food science, gives her an edge in providing a well-informed and mindful experience for her clients in a generally unregulated field.

Body Positive Barre classes typically range from 30 minutes to one hour, and each class has a curated playlist. For example in one recorded session, the music was sunshine-themed. She played Smash Mouth’s “Walking on the Sun,” Weezer’s “Island in the Sun,” Madonna’s “Ray of Light,” and many other similarly themed tunes, setting a bright and welcoming tone.

Natalie designs her classes so people can choose to use the equipment available to them, and teaches at least one fully seated class each month. At the top of each class, she announces that it’s okay to drop in and out as needed, to pause to get water, and she models taking breaks. She also focuses on allowing the joy of movement to shine through. By doing so, she helps people adopt a rhythm of movement that works for them and is sustainable, as opposed to an “all or nothing” approach to fitness.

At the end of the class, she closes by encouraging participants to give themselves a hug and say, “Thank you, body.”

Natalie takes pride in ensuring her clients feel safe and aren’t discouraged by any negative messaging or rigid techniques. “Just because a class is body positive does not mean it will be easy, but it is doable!” Marek shares. “Natalie encourages participants in her classes to push their limits in a safe and encouraging environment by offering lots of modifications.”

Prioritizing Advocacy

Natalie paints a clear and disheartening picture: With deeply entrenched biases in our society, from gyms and barre studios to the workplace and doctor’s office, people in bigger bodies often aren’t supported in their journeys to meaningful movement. “We get constant messages about how we should feel, what we should wear, how we should be eating, what we should be drinking, what music we should be listening to and which movies we should be watching,” she says. “Reclaiming and being with yourself through your own practice of movement, whatever you choose to do, is a radical form of ‘F the System!’” Sanders is eager to help people take control of the narrative by becoming self-advocates.

While the beauty aspect of the fat liberation movement piqued her interest, Natalie’s eyes were soon opened to the many layers of fat activism: calls for more inclusive clothing, workplace hiring and promotion practices, work to reduce biases in the health care system and more. She’s learned a great deal by listening to people who have long been in the arena. “Black women have led the fat liberation movement for a long time,” she says. “Really making sure that I’m listening to the right people and making sure I’m learning from the people who have been doing this a long time first is something I’m passionate about.

“What’s even more important than the beauty aspects is understanding the lack of access to health care and preventative care. We use terms like ‘obese’ and ‘BMI,’ all of these different terms that are barriers to folks to getting care that would extend their life,” she continues. “You can be denied certain medical procedures; you can be denied a doctor who respects you if you’re a person who can’t get pregnant and wants to get pregnant. You might just be met with, ‘You need to lose weight before then,’ and then the doctor walks out of the room. There’s no ‘how to lose weight’ or asking if you already diet or if you already work out.”

LOCATION: BALLET AUSTIN

Ballet Austin welcomes audiences near and far to participate in its “classically innovative” vision for the democratization of dance. Established in 1956, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization has a rich history, featuring original, acclaimed productions and a commitment to creating access to programs. Ballet Austin owns and operates a combined training facility located in the heart of downtown Austin and is among the 15 largest classical ballet companies in the country. 501 W. 3rd St. | balletaustin.org

Calling Us to Leave Our Comfort Zones Behind and Live Freely

Ever the optimist, Natalie believes that society will continue to make positive strides in increasing fat representation and encourages us to do what we can to support. “Tackle what you can, that little bit,” she says. Our small actions work together to create a larger, collective impact, and “help[s] some of the other puzzle pieces find their way. Seek out different opinions and experiences from people who are living that experience. Lead with empathy and also take advantage of the amazing resources we have here in Austin. Try taking a class from someone who looks different than you, something you haven’t done before, like a yoga class or pilates class or a dance class, to really get outside of your box and see and experience new and different things.”

This is advice she follows herself, constantly expanding the boundaries of her comfort zone. For example, she’s recently tried a Splash Dance water aerobics class with Erika Nix, who explores movement as a form of political activism. Natalie is starting to insert herself into more visible spaces by getting more involved in the community and offering in-person classes in public spaces Waterloo Greenway and participating in events like the Future Front Texas Plus-size Clothing Swap.

Natalie hopes we can get away from a diet culture lens for everyone’s sake, curate our experiences and social media feeds to be more diverse and inclusive of fat-bodied women and to do the self-work to mitigate biases. “I think if we can truly divest from a belief that thin is best, thin bodies are best, if we can really understand as a group that health looks so different for different types of people and get away from just the outside of the body experience versus what’s actually going on the inside, that will be so much better.” That means creating access to health care and mental health care that allows each person to receive a unique, data-based diagnosis and individualized care.

“If we can get away from more of these beauty ideals and get more into being ourselves, get to a place of peace with ourselves, we might interact with the world around us a bit nicer and gentler too.”

Living Life Right Now

All the work Natalie does paints a vision of moving through life with radical acceptance and confidence. “I want people to know that they can start living their lives right now. You don’t have to change your body and wait to travel, to find love or to find community. You can do that right now, no matter how you look. You don’t have to wait to start.”

To learn more about Natalie Sanders’ inspirations and how she uses social media in her advocacy, read the full story at atxwoman.com.

“

If we can get away from more of these beauty ideals and get more into being ourselves, get to a place of peace with ourselves, we might interact with the world around us a bit nicer and gentler too.

Natalie Sanders

Fat Liberation

“Representation is what got me into feeling like a fat activist,” Natalie reveals. While she demonstrates what she’d like to see more of through her classes, she also speaks to her personal experiences and the fat liberation causes close to her heart via her Instagram profile @bodyposibarre, which boasts upward of 12,000 followers. She also practices what she preaches on her TikTok @bodyposibarre, which so far has a tightknit community of over 300 followers.

Passing the Torch

Young women in Austin have taken the reins on fighting for change while engineering new forms of activism and demanding action across multiple issues.

BY TESS HARMON

About two weeks before Paxton Smith was set to give her 2021 high school valedictorian graduation speech, Gov. Greg Abbott signed the Texas six-week abortion ban into law. When preparing what to say to her graduating class, Smith knew she had a platform to make her voice heard. After a powerful demand for action, Smith’s speech reached not only her fellow graduates and their families, but international headlines.

Now a sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin, Smith is one of many young women in Austin who are fighting for change and speaking out about a variety of issues, such as women’s rights, voting rights and gun control.

A few of the Gen Z and millennial women who are taking up the torch in Austin activism share their stories.

Meghan Ross, a comedian and filmmaker, says she became involved in activism when she moved to Austin a couple of weeks before the 2016 election. At the time, she was hosting an all-women-and-non-binary late night show, That Time of the Month. Originally, Ross designed the show to create more gender equity in comedy, but after moving to Austin, she started including activism into the show.

In 2018, Ross started volunteering for Beto O’Rourke’s senatorial campaign and joined the Austin Chapter of the National Organization for Women and the Women’s Racket Club. Through these groups, Ross learned how to blockwalk and phone bank, skills she would use when she became a lead organizer for Swing Left Austin in 2020. As part of Swing Left, Ross aimed to help increase voter turnout through virtual letter writing campaigns. Recently, Ross is focused on incorporating activism into her comedy work.

“What I try to do is find the humor in the hard stuff and then find a way to make these kinds of non-issues through my comedy,” Ross says. “In other projects, what I’ll do is I apply inclusion riders so all of my crews and main cast will be all women, BIPOC and queer people. In doing that, I’m trying to create more opportunities for not just cishet white men to get opportunities in the film scene. I’m trying to have my projects incorporate more diverse crew hiring. Even if the project isn’t necessarily about a social issue, it could just be a fun comedy short.”

In her comedy and activism work, Ross, a millennial, has worked with many other young women while fighting for social change, and she sees how these young activists—particularly Gen Zers—create space for action.

“I see, going to protests, Gen Z leading the charge. Millennials are right alongside them, but I think what differentiates Gen Z is that they’ve had it way harder. I would say between climate change and gun control, they’re most impacted by these two big issues that have yet to be resolved or addressed efficiently,” Ross says. “I know there are people in Austin who are boomers and above who have learned a lot from the younger generations about how there are new issues, how we need to continue pushing for progressive values. So, I think that Gen Z is sort of leading the way and that we need to take note from them more than other generations.”

GEN Z LEADING THE CHARGE

In response to the string of school shootings in 2022 and 2023, high schoolers staged multiple school walkouts across the nation in April. At Round Rock High School, then-junior Sarah Collier joined forces with freshman Berkley McConnell, herself a survivor of a shooting in which she saw her doctor gunned down, and the pair organized a walkout of their own on Wednesday, April 5. The young ladies’ bold activism was one of the more than 200 high school walkouts across the nation. “I was thinking there has to be something I can do,” Collier told CBS Austin. McConnell reveals, “I can't go to school without thinking that I'm going to die that day. You need to have less condolences and prayers and actually start to work on more action.”

Meghan Ross

Photo by Shelly Simon.

Andrea Elizondo, the co-founder and lead organizer of the Texas Menstrual Equity Coalition, echoed Ross’ sentiments about the drive younger generations have to pursue change. As part of the coalition, Elizondo trains the coalition members in how to do grassroots lobbying, is behind the scenes on social media and led the effort with Austin City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes to provide free menstrual products in all city-owned and public restrooms in Austin.

Elizondo became a part of the menstrual equity movement in 2019, when she and other young advocates throughout Texas noticed there was no designated space for organizing activists around menstrual equity in the state. In the summer of 2020, they

formed the Texas Menstrual Equity Coalition as a voice for change in women’s reproductive rights. Elizondo sees the success that collaboration among young activists can have.

“I’m one of the only millennials in the coalition,” she says. “Most of the other co-founders are Gen Z, whether they’re in college or finishing high school, which is a great multi-generational coalition to have. I love working with them. I think that Gen Z and millennials have this belief that change is possible, but we know it’s a long-term strategy. It’s a marathon. It’s not something that can be accomplished overnight.”

Smith certainly represents the drive and motivation of Gen Z activists that Elizondo speaks about. As she pursues her undergrad

Andrea Elizondo

Photo courtesy of Andrea Elizondo.

degree at UT, she also serves on the board of directors for the Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project, the largest national independent abortion fund in the United States, where she helps to fundraise and guide the nonprofit. Like many other Gen Z activists, Smith does this work while also balancing school and extracurriculars. After graduation, she hopes to continue pushing for women’s reproductive rights while getting more involved.

These young activists also point out the importance of social media in Gen Z and millennial spaces as a means to spread information and create change. Elizondo notes the Texas Menstrual Equity Coalition’s use of Twitter to engage with Texas

legislators, and Ross points out how she has learned from Gen Z activists across the country through Instagram.

“They use social media to disseminate as much information as possible that otherwise would be swept under the rug in traditional media,” Ross says. “I feel like they’re leveraging the channels they know other Gen Z and millennial people are on. They’re rallying together through these channels that some of the older generations wouldn’t necessarily think to use for organizing. I’ve noticed that a lot of campaigns that are incorporating TikTok are the ones getting more attention, because you need those younger activists.”

Smith, Ross and Elizondo all agree that entering into activism

Paxton Smith

Photo courtesy of Paxton Smith.

can be intimidating for young people who have not done it before, but offer advice for those who want to get involved. Elizondo advises starting at the local level and being clear with your expectations.

“Everything that has to do with activism and advocacy is a marathon,” she says. “You really have to pace yourself and celebrate the small wins.”

Ross suggests tackling issues with friends. To avoid getting overwhelmed, she offers that you find a group and a single issue that you are really passionate about.

“It’s scary,” she confesses. “I think it’s harder to do it alone than it is to do it alongside people. I used to not like blockwalking by myself. So I would always go with a friend from the Women’s Racquet Club, and it just made me feel better.”

Smith similarly acknowledges how starting activism can be scary, but offers a few key questions to ask yourself before jumping in.

“It can feel very big at first, and it’s very easy to feel lost and hopeless when you’re getting started, and that’s okay,” Smith says. “But whenever you do want to get started, pick an issue, one that you really want to focus on, and then decide how you want to make an impact with that issue…and if you don’t know where to start on that, that’s okay. Find a nonprofit in the area or maybe a nonprofit where you can learn about how to get more involved. They will have programs that will help guide you and get you started.”

Everything that has to do with activism and advocacy is a marathon. You really have to pace yourself and celebrate the small wins.

“Andrea Elizondo

How to Dodge a Lifestyle Creep

Supercharge your savings.

BY JENNY HOFF

You’re young, ambitious and earning more money than ever before. But before you let “lifestyle creep” eat away at your hard-earned cash, let’s talk about ways you can upgrade your lifestyle while still saving for future goals.

CREATE A BUDGET BATTLE PLAN.

Budgeting might sound boring, but it’s a must-do no matter how much you’re making. Sit down and map out your income, expenses and savings goals. As a young woman, it’s crucial to understand where your money is going and what you can afford. Prioritize your essentials like rent, utilities and student loan payments. Allocate a portion of your income for guiltfree spending, but be sure to set aside a healthy chunk for savings. This budget will be your roadmap to financial success.

EMBRACE THE “DELAYED GRATIFICATION” STRATEGY. Being young means having plenty of desires and dreams. While it’s tempting to indulge in instant gratification, practice the art of delayed gratification. If you’ve been eyeing that dream vacation or a new gadget, save up for it instead of relying on credit. Set milestones and reward yourself when you reach them. This way, you’ll appreciate your treats even more, and your savings will keep growing.

AUTOMATE YOUR

SAVINGS.

Let’s face it, life gets busy, and saving money might slip through the cracks. That’s why automating your savings is a game-changer. Set up automatic transfers from your paycheck to a dedicated savings account. This way, you won’t have to rely on willpower alone to save. It’ll happen effortlessly in the background, paving the way to financial freedom.

BEWARE THE TEMPTATION OF CREDIT CARDS.

Credit cards can be enticing, especially with those shiny rewards and cashback offers. To avoid falling into the debt trap, use credit cards responsibly. Pay your balance in full each month, and if you can’t afford it, don’t charge it. Overspending on credit cards only leads to highinterest charges and endless debt. Treat your credit card as a tool for convenience, not a ticket to a shopping spree.

HANG OUT WITH PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR GOALS.

You’re not alone on this financial journey. Surround yourself with like-minded friends who are also passionate about building their savings. Together, you can motivate each other to resist lifestyle creep. Organize budget-friendly outings, swap money-saving tips and cheer each other on during milestones. Find fun ways to hang out that don’t involve overspending. After all, it’s not the restaurant that makes the night; it’s the people you’re out with. With a supportive squad by your side, you’ll stay motivated and keep your financial goals intact.

Remember, you have the power to shape your financial future. With a solid budget, delayed gratification, automated savings, responsible credit card usage and a supportive group of friends, you’re on the path to becoming a financial rockstar. Embrace your financial prowess and watch your savings soar. Your future self will thank you.

Standing in Your Duality

Gen Z venture capitalist Sanika Bhave challenges the VC space by embracing every part of the journey.

BY SANIKA BHAVE

When I’m asked, “How did you get into venture capital?” I usually have to decide which of two stories to tell.

You see, I’m the daughter of two immigrants and since childhood, have been keenly aware of the privilege bestowed to me, through no endeavor of my own. Over the years, I thought being involved with policy at the governmental level could help me begin the process of giving back. I saw that political and social institutions held significant power, though access to it was severely limited by someone’s gender, race, background and other immutable pieces of identity. This outlook pushed me toward pursuing law school.

During my time at the University of Texas at Austin, I became interested in social entrepreneurship. I started building my own social venture aimed at reducing the amount of electronic waste we generate, and through that process, I realized that much of this work made environmental and economic sense. Yet there was a significant funding gap for ventures that could do good for the world and deliver good returns. The realization that I could achieve the same objectives I was chasing law school for (using institutions to drive meaningful social change) but maybe move a little faster through private markets spurred me to explore venture capital and understand the investor side of the table instead.

However, there’s another story threading through this narrative as well. I felt incredibly out of place during my first few years at the McCombs School of Business, and my introduction to venture capital happened during that period. My freshman year, I had a peer who spoke about VC in a way that felt completely unattainable for me. One night, in a moment of sheer frustration and anger over how I felt about myself, how I felt in my program, how I felt about my future, I thought to myself, “What the hell even is venture capital?” As I started to do my research, I realized, “Oh, this is really interesting. I think I’d like to do this. I know I’m just as smart as him. I think I could do this too.”

The second part of my story illustrates that oftentimes as women, we don’t even know what we don’t know simply because of the power structures at work to keep us out of certain spaces. A desire to challenge those power structures, to prove to yourself and others that you’re capable, too, is just as valid and just as part of your story as everything else.

Confidently stepping into the world of VC as a young woman means being comfortable existing in your duality. For me, that means recognizing my unique background and skills and learning to be proud of myself while also feeling real frustration, anger and sadness about the world around me.

It is because of both of these experiences that I’ve been able to approach my work as an investor in a unique way. I use my position to advocate for causes I care about, like environmental justice. I use my youth to connect with and uplift other Gen Z entrepreneurs, and I use my unique educational background (I didn’t even major in finance in college) to derive different insights and connect differently than others on my team. It is by standing comfortably through this dualism that I’ve found my way.

Photo by Tanya Atrvash.

The VORTEX

There’s always something happening at The VORTEX! From live music to burlesque, dance and theatre, we’ve got something for everyone. Check out our calendar to see what suits your fancy. Enjoy dinner, drinks and a show—all in one spot!

PRIDEINTHEPARK

JUNE 5 THROUGH 10, 2023

Waterloo Greenway

Waterloo Greenway is celebrating Pride Month at Waterloo Park with a variety of free, inclusive events that are open to all. Take part in Exercise Your Pride, an outdoor workout series; Tales on the Trail, a community-centered conversation discussing the intersectionality of LGBT and Black identities; Pride is for Families, a daytime festival with art and cultural learning activities including Drag Queen Storytime; and Rainbow on the Creek, a pride celebration featuring an Austin Drag Showcase hosted by Vylette Ward and Friends.

OFFICIAL EVENT PRODUCTION COMPANY OF AWMEDIA INC.

Young Girl Pit Bosses

Female-owned Barbs B Q paves the way for a new era of pitmasters in a maledominated industry.

BY GEORGIA VALLES

BARBS FUN

Conlin and Charnichart’s musical connection made its way into the naming of the restaurant. As fans of Nicki Minaj, it was only natural they’d name their space “Barbs.” Minaj’s fandom is known as the “Barbz.”

Barbecue is big business in Texas. Ask anyone, and they will direct you to their favorite spots or places to avoid, but it’s guaranteed fewer than half of those places are women owned and operated, and even fewer feature women in the pit. In fact, in Texas, there are fewer than 20 notable pitmasters who identify as women. That number becomes smaller when localized to Austin. The women behind Barbs B Q in Lockhart, Texas, plan to add their names to that list as one of the first all-woman pits in the country.

“Everywhere you go, there are women who are crucial to the success of these establishments,” Barbs B Q co-founder Haley Conlin says. “Not all of them have the name recognition of absolute legends like, say, Tootsie Tomanetz from Snow’s, but they’re no less important to the fabric of Texas barbecue.”

Established by three friends with extensive backgrounds in the industry, each having worked in various barbecue spots over Texas, Barbs B Q has taken hold of the male-dominated industry and paved the way for other women-identified pit masters. In 2017, Conlin, 30, Chuck Charnichart and Alexis Tovias, both 24, began working at

Franklin Barbecue. Charnicart and Tovias practically grew up together, having met in middle school. Conlin and Charnichart connected through music, but all three of them became close. Though they’d all eventually part ways between 2018 and 2022, they kept in contact. It wasn’t until late 2021, when Charnichart worked at Goldee’s Barbecue in Fort Worth, Texas, that the trio reunited for pop-ups organized by the popular barbecue restaurant.

Charnichart was a part of the Goldee’s team when the restaurant got their number one ranking on Texas Monthly’s best barbecue spots list. “Chuck ended up working at Goldee’s Barbecue, where she was given the opportunity to take over the restaurant for a weekend and serve her own menu,” Conlin says.

With the help of the Goldee’s team, Charnichart brought on her former co-workers and friends, Conlin and Tovias. Quickly the three friends gained a following, with their master pit work and unique menu items. For Conlin, “it feels natural” to be in a women-owned and -operated restaurant.

“After the success of the Goldee’s pop-up, we went on to do others

FACT:

Left: Chuck Charnichart Center: Haley Conlin Right: Alexis Tovias

in Fort Worth, Austin and Lockhart,” she says. “The pop-ups were a great representation of our food. These were successful as well, and we felt it was time for us to get our own spot.”

On May 27, they opened the Barbs B Q storefront, a building they remodeled themselves in downtown Lockhart, adding their own unique styles to the restaurant and website with a pink-andred logo adorned with hearts. As a business, they are changing the barbecue status quo of exhaustingly long employee hours by being open one day a week, on Saturdays. As people, they are bringing inclusivity to their home of Lockhart. They also offer classes on various types of meats, the first having taken place on May 28.

“We took over the space in January and have been working on it nonstop since then—and we are so excited to finally get started and share it with y’all!” Conlin says with bright enthusiasm. “I have just finished treatment for breast cancer, and our grand opening could not be a more wonderful, rewarding way to transition into this new chapter of my life.

“We all work together to share our knowledge with each other but are very strong in our individual roles,” Conlin explains. “I am a rib cook and cutter who has been in the barbecue business for almost 10 years.” With endorsements from their customers and her fellow co-owners, Charnichart is touted as the best brisket cook, and Tovias works front-of-house as the friendly, positive face customers first meet.

The women of Barbs B Q are making their mark on the industry in more ways than one. Not only are they elevating the pit for women, but also women of color and the LGBTQIA+ community; Charnichart is a first-generation U.S. citizen whose parents immigrated from Mexico, and Tovias is part of the trans community. “Inclusivity and female empowerment is part of who we are as people,” Colin explains. “So it’s natural that our restaurant and brand reflect this.

“As much as things have changed, barbecue still has a long way to go. Women in barbecue have to prove themselves and

GIRLS IN THE PIT

The list of Texas women taking the helm at barbecue restaurants as pitmaster is limited. Here’s a list of some of the most notable in the state:

• Norma Francis “Tootsie” Tomanetz (Snow BBQ, Lexington)

• Pat Mares (Ruby’s BBQ, Austin)

• LeAnn Mueller and Ali Clem (la Barbecue, Austin)

• Eliana Gutierrez (Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ, Austin)

• Kim Dunn (Pit Stop Bar-B-Q, Temple)

• Laura Loomis (Two Bros. BBQ, San Antonio)

• Sloan Rinaldi (Texas Q, Houston)

still do not get the same recognition and respect as men,” Conlin says. “All of the hate that we have gotten, just for opening a women-owned barbecue restaurant, proves how needed this is. We want to continue to pave the way for others and share our passion for food.”

To find out more about the Barbs B Q menu, read the full article at atxwoman.com.

Chuck Charnichart at a Barbs B Q pop-up.

Boosting Women’s Success by Addressing Deficits

Neuroscientist and success trainer

Shonté Jovan Taylor reveals the mental stress women face working from the deficit.

BY SHONTÉ JOVAN TAYLOR, MSC, PH.D.(c)

Our mothers and grandmothers showed us how to make a little go a long way by surviving on minimal resources. However, stretching limited resources often does not translate into sustainable growth or success in our professions and businesses, especially when internal and external barriers make these resources invisible or inaccessible.

THE SOLUTION?

Both internal and external processes and systems must be addressed to make women more likely to succeed at work and in business. Society thrives when women have a strong presence in the business world and in organizations. In nature, thriving ecosystems have a diversity of organisms. Human ecosystems are no different. Every area where women have been deliberately or unintentionally excluded needs to better represent women.

Having to work in deficit is a major challenge for women. One of the obvious deficits is financial capital. According to the Harvard Business Review, women receive less than 3% of all venture capital funding.

Furthermore, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, it will take 250 years for the economic gender gap to close. Considering that women still earn about 82 cents for every dollar men earn, and it’s even lower for Black women (65 cents) and Latina women (60 cents), we can see the financial deficit that women face in their professional and business lives.

Women may not consider intangible deficiencies that can hinder their success including motivation, mental energy and time. It’s easy for women to start their lives in the deficit mentally, physically and emotionally, because of traditional gender roles.

As a result of societal constructs, women tend to take care of their households; as a consequence, they work fewer hours in the workplace and within their businesses. The result is that women are unable to spend as much time as they need networking, finding capital, etc., in order to thrive.

Our professional or business potential is limited if we are constantly in the red. Is there anything that can be done to begin filling in the gaps (or deficits), especially considering that societal success is strongly correlated with women’s success?

YES!

#1There need to be systems and processes in place to minimize or remove the barriers discussed. Financial barriers can be overcome by increasing venture capital funding dedicated to women; for example, VC firms investing in women- or minority-owned businesses could benefit from governmental funding or tax incentives, creating a steady flow of capital and reducing mental load. Additionally, providing free education and mentorship via organizations like Girls in Tech and Amazon Web Services can help overcome the educational deficit women often suffer from.

#2There is a need for more awareness among women about what they need to succeed and thrive so they can engage in activities that will reduce their mental load and fuel their motivation to move up in their companies, start businesses or grow their current businesses.

Ultimately, women are going to have a greater chance of being success-FULL if they start with more resources that are on par with their male counterparts and tailored to meet their unique needs.

To find out more about the effects of mental strain on women, read the full article at atxwoman.com.

Shonté Jovan Taylor is a revolutionary neuroscientist, author and founder of OptiMind Institute, with a mission to unlock the potential of one billion minds. As a world-renowned coach and success trainer, her empowering message has been sought after around the world. She is an expert at inspiring others to optimize their brain power in life, business and profession to realize their potential.

ShonteJTaylor.com • OptiMindInstitute.com

ShonteJTaylor shontejtaylor

@shonte_taylor @neuroscientist_coach

@neuroscientist_coach

Photo courtesy Shonté Jovan Taylor.

The Pursuit of Something More

In this next part of her journey, Brown Girl in Recovery finds love but reveals that sometimes that’s not enough.

BY BROWN GIRL IN RECOVERY

Iam Brown Girl in Recovery, sharing my third column with you wonderful readers about my experiences with alcoholism, mental health and ultimately, sobriety.

In my last column, I explored the beginning of my law school journey, where my heavy drinking and bad coping mechanisms really began.

I did below average my first year of law school, but I kept going. I wanted to quit, but friends and family continued to encourage me. Of course it was going to be hard, but it would be worth it. So I listened. (I have always been pretty good at listening to others.) But I continued to party hard. I continued to binge and purge. Drugs were all around me, but I never took any—I prided myself on that. I didn’t see alcohol as a drug; it was legal, and everyone drank. It couldn’t be that bad for you, right?

By this point, I knew I was not going to be a lawyer. But life did start looking a little better during my last semester. I was almost at the end of it all, and I actually enjoyed my classes for those last few months. I was 24. I felt hopeful again.

I went back home to Texas and ended up not attending my law school graduation. This was the end of 2008, when the job market and economy were rocky, similar to how it is today. I worked odd jobs before eventually finding one in the field I wanted to be in: the nonprofit sector (to the dismay of my parents and my hefty law school loans).

My nonprofit work took me to Austin, a city I always wanted to live in. Again, I quickly found a group of friends who loved to party as much as I did. I was in a new city, trying to make friends, and we crossed paths through my work. I continued to drink heavily and struggle with bulimia. Just like in law school, I somehow convinced myself that how I was coping and behaving was normal, probably because I was working extremely hard and thought I was doing okay. The difference between my life at that point and my time in law school was that now, I felt like I had a purpose. So, one would think the unhealthy habits and coping mechanisms would cease. But that, my friends, is the power of addiction. You simply cannot stop just because it makes sense or because you want to. At the time, though, I didn’t think I had a problem.

I also began to entertain the idea of dating and finding “the one.” I always wanted to get married and have a family of my own. Eventually, I did end up meeting a guy. I was 25. He was part of the party circle I was involved with every weekend. I knew he was moving away, but I still got involved with him. When he eventually left, I was crushed. This was around the time my dad got really sick and was ultimately diagnosed with a progressive and degenerative brain disease. It was devastating for my entire family. I began drinking more to deal with everything, which, again, I thought was normal. When you’re going through something tough, it’s normal to unwind and even numb yourself by drinking, right? I moved back home to Dallas to help and support my parents—and to also get away from Austin. Moving back home in your mid-20s is an odd experience, to put it mildly. You’re no longer a kid, but you’re living under your parents’ roof. Dallas seemed to be the ultimate blessing. I didn’t abuse alcohol as much, and my eating disorder was less severe. It was still there, though, lingering and never dealt with. Did I still go out, binge drink and blackout? Yes. But I kept it mostly contained to Fridays and Saturdays, and I did not let it interfere with my work or family. Somehow that made it all okay. But I was starting to pick up yet another bad habit: hiding just how much I was drinking. I drank to stop feeling discomfort and to be (temporarily) happy. So I would drink on my own, or sometimes in secret, before meeting up with others, or while using the bathroom if I was already out.

I thought moving back to Austin would be exactly what I needed. That it would stop my bad habits and unhealthy coping skills from escalating. In my next article, I will start to share with you what ended up becoming my spiral down to rock bottom. Until then, I hope by sharing my journey that I am able to give other Brown women a space to reflect, perhaps nod along and feel less alone and realize life is going to eventually be okay.

To find out what ultimately led Brown Girl in Recovery back to Austin, read the full article at atxwoman.com.

Photo courtesy of Brown Girl in Recovery.

Reza Cristián: A Fashionably, Beautifully Sustainable Messenger

With SUSTAIN THE MAG, Reza Cristián has created a forum for young advocates in sustainability.

BY BRANDI CLARK BURTON

Tackling three problems at once is just how Reza Cristián rolls. With her innovative online publication, SUSTAIN THE MAG, she simultaneously brings attention to the perils of our current beauty, fashion and food systems, produces an attractive outlet for sustainability content and creates opportunities for passionate young writers to get their work published.

In a world continuously filled with the discards of fast fashion, single-use food packaging and nonbiodegradable plastics, Cristián is a catalyst for a thriving world where people can feel beautiful while being environmentally responsible.

This passion project, a sort of Elle Magazine meets Treehugger, started in 2017, while Cristián was a college student. “Media sites and blogs were becoming big and popular, but I didn’t feel like there were any true ones around sustainability that were…digestible for Gen Z and the younger generation,” she says. “I wanted to create the Vice Media of sustainability at that time.”

Cristián channels a portion of earnings from her day job to pay writers from around the world, ensuring their voices reach a broader audience on topics of style, culture, wellness and food. In doing so, she not only provides valuable opportunities for budding writers, but also fosters a global community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about effecting positive change. She aims to turn this project into a nonprofit, hoping to raise money to pay her writers more.

FINDING INSPIRATION

From film to social media, Reza Cristián finds inspiration from everywhere.

Atmos.earth

Climate Optimism: Celebrating Systemic Change

Around the World by Zahra

Biabani

Extrapolations, a new sci-fi series that explores a climate-changed future

Follow @remakeourworld, @environment and @impact

REZA’S SUSTAINABLE SHOPPING TIPS

1. Prioritize thrift stores and online marketplaces for unique and sustainable fashion finds.

2. Research brands committed to ethical and eco-friendly production practices.

3. Seek out companies that offer product take-back programs or use recyclable packaging.

4. Support local artisans and small businesses that prioritize sustainability and fair trade.

5. Embrace classic items and invest in quality items that stand the test of time.

While she is a bit skeptical about the altruism of companies to reevaluate their reliance on fast fashion, she does encourage people to explore the world of secondhand shopping. She, of course, appreciates the environmental benefits of reusing clothing and other goods. But Cristián implores consumers, especially younger buyers to whom thrifting holds great appeal, “Thrift responsibly. I think a lot of people don't realize that thrift stores are sometimes the only way people with lower income can purchase clothing.” She suggests a few ways to do just that:

1. Buy clothes that are the right size for you. Young people who buy baggy clothes to be fashionable could be reducing the choices for people who require larger sizes.

2. Buy only what you need, and preferably non-essentials, like jackets.

3. Do not buy nice clothes cheaply from thrift stores, then upsell them online.

Cristián delights in communities where people care about the same things, as they help dispel that feeling that we all need to fix the planet individually. “Find a community or something that you’re passionate about,” she says. “I’ve done that here in Austin, found an amazing friend group. We have a group chat [where we find] cool events happening around. If we see a protest or a petition going on, we’ll share it amongst ourselves. We can kind of become accountability buddies, but also have fun and also understand that it’s not all on our shoulders. It’s nice to have people to do things with when you want to make a difference.”

EcoBrandi has been a fixture of Austin’s environmental scene for over 20 years and loves connecting people, information and resources to advance sustainability and resilience. Her wardrobe is 80% clothing swap and thrift store finds and she checks out ewg.org before buying personal care products and produce.

Photos courtesy of Reza Cristián.

Banking that's built for everyone.

My job is to tell everyone about fee-free banking But as someone who’s struggled with bank fees in the past, I’d probably do it for free.

Studies show that Hispanic consumers like me pay $18.29 a month in bank fees. That’s almost four times as much as their white counterparts And it needs to be talked about.

I believe everyone deserves to bank without fees. Join me at Ampl ify and make checking and savings fees a thing of the past

Felicia Morales Director of Marketing With Amplify Since 2017 goamplify com/austinwoman

Grow Where You’re Transplanted

Brianna Caleri experiences authentic Austin through her curiosity.

BY BRIANNA CALERI

Ihave a confession to make, reader. Although my whole job as associate editor at CultureMap Austin is to love this city and know what’s going on within it, I’m not from here. I’m a transplant from that rare and wonderful East Coast state no one ever complains about around here, New York. (Another confession to make: I’m about to name drop a lot.)

As a newish Austinite, not to mention a young woman who is perhaps pleasantly weird, but not really breaking barriers, I feel self-conscious about taking up space in a city increasingly lacking it. I honestly don’t think much about being a woman, except to feel really grateful for all the women around me who mirror, amplify and even contrast my own experience. But I do think about what I can contribute, at only 27, with only five years of experience living here.

Fortunately, what I’ve been allowed to contribute is listening. When I sign into work every day, I’m both learning about the city and directing any attention I get, any time a reader will give me, to the parts of the community I’ve wiggled into that really feel important and unique.

Although I’m not actually from Austin, in many ways I’m from Austin Woman magazine. When Chantal Rice was the managing editor, I was an intern, and I would have followed her to the ends of the Earth. Or at least to the end of Menchaca Road. I had no official journalism experience, and I only had six months of Austin living under my belt, four years prior. And she had expectations of me.

From my Austin Woman assignments, I got something hardly anyone gets when arriving in a new community: a key to the city through its influential people. The first gatekeeper was Nagavalli Medicharla, a powerhouse “Eastern Soul” singer who combines Indian classical singing with Texas-inspired songwriting, and who, in 2023, is Chair of the Austin Music Commission and Mayor Watson’s appointee on the Arts Commission. I’d given interviews before, but never for a real, non-student magazine, and Valli gave me thoughtful answers and kept in touch.

My first gatekeepers in food were Austin Men (back when that blog used to exist), Chefs Daniel Brooks and Ryan Samson, who had just bought Vespaio and Enoteca on South Congress Avenue. They put a far-too-generous amount of food in front of me and left me to scribble notes, feeling like I was somehow pretending to be a restaurant reviewer, while actually doing it. In 2022, Enoteca closed and I may have shed a tear before I wrote the announcement that the same pair had opened Chapulín Cantina.

Miles Bloxson and Elizabeth McQueen were my gatekeepers in radio and being on the other side of the interview table, in a roundabout way. I first spoke to them as part of an Austin Woman story about their new podcast at KUT and KUTX, Pause/Play, and the next year, they had me on the show in my first-ever interview about my experience at South

by Southwest. I wasn’t sure if I could be entertaining or if I had the authority to be informative, but Miles was doubled over in laughter for half of it, so I went with the former.

Unrelated to any publications but still someone who invited me in, Diane Lee ushered me into the world of aerial performers. My instructor at Inner Diva Studios, she chatted with me every day after class while sweeping up, becoming one of my first good friends in Austin. When she opened Revolt, her own aerial studio on Burnet Road, she asked me to teach, and my past year there has blown open the boundaries on how much I realized a hobby could bring people together.

I sort of wondered why these important people kept taking me so seriously as a young woman with no experience. It’s not that they shouldn’t—I’d just internalized that it was likely that nobody would. But that’s what Austinites do, for better or worse: We take people seriously.

Chantal took me so seriously, she brought me to CultureMap almost the moment she started. After a year or so of freelancing, it became my full-time job to keep looking for keyholes, so to speak, those places where Austin’s cultural gatekeepers would unlock the city to me and, in turn, to readers or even just headline skimmers who don’t have time to do all this digging. As someone who assigns stories now, I have become a gatekeeper as well.

I do it because, paired with my allegiance to the weirdest, most hyperlocal stories I can find, it makes me feel like a good transplant. Because if anyone calls me a Young Woman to Watch, I want them to watch how authentically Austin a life can become through some earnest curiosity.

I don’t believe a perfect new Austinite exists. We all eat at chains sometimes. We all wear boring, non-weird outfits to H-E-B sometimes. We all take up space at Zilker. At some point, we surely all will attend a pre-nuptial celebration that annoys another local at a bar.

From an inhabitant of a few large cities to another (that’s you, Austinite), we can’t expect everyone who shows up to be engaged in the exact same things we are, that make us love this city. But we can curate lives full of the most important things we see around us, and keep inviting people in. Ladies first, of course.

Photo courtesy of Brianna Caleri.

Electrify your life with Volvo Recharge

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Learn more today at Volvo Cars of Austin.

For over 95 years, Volvoʼs research and innovations have saved over one million lives, and are working on a million more.

Focusing on innovations that understand whatʼs outside the car isnʼt enough. There also needs to be better understanding of you, the driver inside. So Volvo is stepping into a new era – for safety and for Volvo Cars – where the ambition isnʼt just to protect your life. It's to help you live your best life.