Daring Women
She Never Gave Up
Some of Alissa Leinonen’s biggest mistakes turned into her greatest successes
Alissa Leinonen launched her catering and box-lunched company, Gourmondo, as a simple, four-table lunch café in the Pike Place Market almost 30 years ago. Today, Gourmondo has become a turnkey catering company, offering full services for social and events catering, a successful corporate café division, a retail line of gourmet grab-and-go products, and an in-house…
A New Life in the Sea Suite
Kristi Schooley left a long career in hospitality to follow her passion
As a lifelong Seattleite, Kristi Schooley always loved being surrounded by water. She bought her first boat in her 20s. “After that, being on the water became a part of my life and a true passion,” says Schooley, who launched a second career as a senior captain at Argosy Cruises 20 years ago after spending…
Play’s the Thing
Kimberly Bartlett uses play therapy to help children deal with their problems
You can call it trauma therapy. Child mental health. Or even the more straightforward family or child therapy. Kimberly Bartlett prefers a more lighthearted term to tackle a serious subject: integrative play therapy. Bartlett launched Evergreen Play Therapy in Seattle two years ago to help children and families heal through play. She combines various therapeutic…
Left to Her Own Device
Monica Plath couldn't find a suitable tracker for her young kids, so she invented her own
Monica Plath wants her two young children to be safe. She feels the same way about yours. Plath created Seattle-based Littlebird Connected Care after a concerning care experience for her child. The wearable tracking device, called the Littlebird Toddler Care- Tracker, is a wristband for kids that helps parents ensure that their children are safe….
Lots of Joy, People and Pie
Lorrie Baldevia: 'If you can't change the environment, change the game & how you play'
As Lorrie Baldevia says, “It’s not who you know. It’s who remembers you.” Baldevia, a native of Guam, was recently promoted to platform president at insurance brokerage AssuredPartners, where she oversees Oregon, Washington, and Northern California. The company is closing in on $100 million in annual revenue, and the region includes about 350 employees. Baldevia,…
The Fixer: Alicia Crank
Seattle CityClub executive director Alicia Crank wants to inject respect into civic discourse, one conversation at a time
Alicia Crank wants you to know this: She’s on a mission to elevate civic discussion in Seattle and beyond. Crank, a long time fundraising executive who has worked at AtWork!, YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish, and CityYear Seattle, took the executive director role at Seattle CityClub 18 months ago. The nonprofit seeks to improve…
Community, Coffee, Culture
Darnesha Weary has big plans for Black Coffee Northwest. Many don’t even involve caffeine
DarNesha Weary first bonded with her husband, Erwin, over coffee. Their first date was in a coffee shop. It makes sense, then, that the couple — married for 25 years — now own Black Coffee Northwest. Caffeine, though, isn’t the most important part of the growing company. The Wearys launched Black Coffee Northwest in June…
Building a Better Nugget
Rebellyous Foods founder Christie Lagally is bringing plant-based chicken to the masses
As the name of her company implies, Christie Lagally believes that rules are meant to be broken. Lagally in 2017 founded Seattle-based Rebellyous Foods, a company whose proprietary technology allows it to produce plant-based chicken nuggets, tenders, and patties at a fraction of the cost of competitors. Lagally, a former mechanical engineer at The Boeing…
A Passion for Many Missions
KD Hall has racked up a long list of accomplishments. She’s not done yet
KD Hall launched her own eponymous communications firm. Two years later, she founded the KD Hall Foundation, a nonprofit that offers educations and workforce preparation and workshops for women and girls. She is also a four-time Emmy nominee who has produced several short films and a 10-episode television talk show series. She was recently appointed…
Radical Transparency
Leslie Miller says measurable progress happens when people question the status quo
Leslie “LAM” Miller is a true pioneer in the space of indie and hybrid publishing, where authors have more control over the process. In 2006, Miller left a successful career as a publishing industry executive and cofounded Girl Friday Productions, a women-owned and -led book production company. Miller, also an instructor at the University of…
A New Leaf
A trip to Asia sparks a business idea and career change for Rachel Barnecut
In 2019, Rachel Barnecut visited some of Asia’s historic tea plantations and discovered matcha — a specially grown, finely powered green tea rich in antioxidants that contains an amino acid that helps decrease stress levels. “I discovered a love for the taste, the benefits and how it made me feel,” she recalls. “I was focused…
Devoted to Art
Eli Cheatham is the artist formerly known as “Lizzie.” Cheatham, who calls herself a passionate art lover, learner and communicator, is the founder of Seattle’s EMC Spaces, an art acquisitions and design consulting firm committed to creating spaces that reflect the passions and values of the people who inhabit them. She is also the director…
Why Every Story Needs to Be Told
Audrey Cavenecia believes purposeful storytelling can be a powerful agent for change
Count Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll a huge fan of Audrey Cavenecia. “Audrey saw my passion for wanting to amplify other people and knew how to turn it into a company,” Carroll told Forbes magazine. It’s her expertise and vision that have made this possible. When I get around people with that kind of…