Last month, in the wake of George Floyd’s death and amidst nationwide protests, I asked what more we, as individuals and business owners, can and should do to better support our community of Black business owners and entrepreneurs. One of my suggestions, to “ask questions and be open to the answers, especially the ones that make you uncomfortable” stuck with me.
I, with my team of amazing women at Melnick & Melnick, S.C., started She Stands Tall to create a community of female business owners and entrepreneurs. This month She Stands Tall turns three. Looking back, we invited you to be inspired, motivated, and educated by almost 40 female business owners. These women worked in different industries and lived in different communities throughout the Milwaukee area. Some, but not enough, were women of color.
This month She Stands Tall, with help from BizStarts, will ask the tough questions and be open to the answers. On July 28 at 9:30 a.m., Emerald Mills will facilitate a virtual conversation about race and its effects on women, particularly women business owners. Emerald is the founder and lead facilitator of Diverse Dining. Diverse Dining cultivates communities that are courageous, compassionate, and connected through curated training programs and unique cultural dining experiences that dissect biases and develop diversity & inclusion solutions to impact change.
Morgan Phelps of Colorful Connections and Johonna Duckworth of Life Styled will join the conversation and share what they do, why they do it, and how their experience as Black women shaped their journeys. Morgan is the founder and CEO of Colorful Connections, a social enterprise that makes organizations better by helping employers build, retain, and grow inclusive teams that represent the communities they serve. Johonna owns Life Styled and helps women 40 and over get unstuck and reinvent themselves to gain clarity and build confidence.
I’m looking forward to listening to and learning from Emerald, Morgan, and Johonna with our She Stands Tall community. I hope you’ll join us to help find the answers and figure out next steps. RSVP for this important conversation and let’s stand tall together.
Stephanie L. Melnick
Attorney, Melnick & Melnick, S.C.
Stephanie has been practicing law in the Milwaukee area for over 20 years and currently owns Melnick & Melnick, S.C. – a law firm that caters to small and medium-sized businesses. Stephanie also started She Stands Tall to help female entrepreneurs and business owners network, learn, and grow.