Women in the News
Women’s Fund of Central Texas celebrates its 10th Anniversary
A dedicated group of Central Texas women is preparing to celebrate its $1 million milestone of grant giving to nonprofits that make life better for women and children in our community.
“The Women’s Fund of Central Texas started 10 years ago because the needs of women and children in our community are so great,” says MariBen Ramsey, vice president and chief philanthropy officer of the Austin Community Foundation.
During the past decade, more than 50 nonprofits have received grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000. Organizations receiving grants meet a variety of needs, including health, education, elder care, child care, nutrition, counseling, training and empowerment. The 2014 nonprofit grant winners will be announced and honored on Feb. 5 at the Power of the Purse Luncheon held at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin. The luncheon’s keynote speaker will be November 2011 AW cover woman, Lynn Meredith, a Women’s Fund member and president of the board of directors for the MFI Foundation.
2013 Banner Year for Kendra Scott Designs
Honestly, we at AW don’t know how she does it. Our October 2006 cover woman, super entrepreneur and fashion icon, Kendra Scott surpassed $24 million dollars in revenue in 2013; gave birth to her third son, Grey; co-hosted CNBC Prime’s Crowd Rules; made plans to open 10 new retail locations in addition to her existing nine locations and has hinted that she plans to expand her design empire to possibly include clothing and accessories. Whew! For a woman who started a small jewelry collection from her kitchen table with a $500 investment in materials and whose jewelry is carried today in Nordstrom’s, Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus as well as more than 1,000 specialty boutiques nationwide, we can only imagine what 2014 will bring.
Baked By Amy’s
Back in 2002, Publisher Melinda Garvey, looked for a subject who would epitomize the ideal Austin woman for the magazine’s first cover, and she found that woman in Amy (Miller) Simmons. In 2002, Simmons was juggling the responsibilities of nine Amy’s Ice Creams stores and raising her two young sons. Fast forward to December 2014, with 15 retail locations throughout Austin and in Houston as well as San Antonio, Simmons is also expanding her brand through Baked By Amy’s, a custom bakery located in the Austinville 78750 location. The bakery emphasizes creativity and flavor. Simmons tapped managing partner Erin Fellows to head the team of designers and bakers. Here is an AW insider’s best kept secret: Every year in mid-February, the Amy’s Ice Creams team shuts down ice cream production in Austin and Houston, and completely revamps their facility for 200 Amy’s folks to hand-dip strawberries. Using the best fresh strawberries completely smothered in Callebaut dark chocolate imported from Belgium and drizzled a white chocolate lattice makes for the ultimate chocolate-covered strawberries. Happy Valentine’s Day from Amy!
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