How we started…
We are mompreneurs, small business owners, and avid supporters of businesses in the Green Mountain State.
Mieko Ozeki is the owner of Radiance Studios, a content strategy and event production company, and organizer of Vermont Womenpreneurs. Bethany Andrews-Nichols owns Beenanza Design Co., a graphic design company specializing in block printing and pattern design. In 2017, we had a kismet encounter at a Ladies Get Paid coffee meetup for women professionals.
Mieko had left a toxic work environment for an organization and was taking a short gap time to recalibrate, learn new skills, and re-immerse into the business she founded in 2013. Bethany had just left her position at a local beverage company as their head graphic designer and was starting her new business. During fall 2017, Mieko had taken a workshop for solopreneurs at Center for Women & Enterprise and facilitated by Lisa Wood. At the end of the session, Lisa said to the group “being a solopreneur is tough and lonely; it is hard to be accountable when you are accountable to yourself. Perhaps you (the group) should meet up to keep each other accountable.” Thus, the idea for VTW was seeded.
Flyers and social posts went up for the first meetup at Fletcher Free Library in Burlington in January 2018. Mieko reached out to Bethany to attend and a dozen womenpreneurs showed up. The concept for these convenings became clear in the early months: create a safe, anti-networking network space for solopreneurs and small businesses.
Soon after, Bethany came up with the idea for a “science fair like” event for women business owners to showcase their businesses and our logo. June 2018 we launched our first sold out Showcase at Study Hall, a coworking space in Burlington, with 20 womenpreneurs sharing their business stories - the beginnings, challenges, and successes. Bethany helped create the first of many iterations of our VTW logo; referencing the flex, strength, boldness of small, women-led and owned businesses.
Fast forward to the present, we have convened, hosted, and collaborated on over 90 events including meetups, workshops, and our annual Summit. Our aspirations is to continue building community groups in all 14 Vermont counties, linking womenpreneurs to the resources they need to thrive and attracting new talent to work for these incredible businesses.
Video produced by Amanda Grant at North Road Productions.
Our Journey: 2018 to Present
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![Four women sitting at a conference table in a classroom or meeting room, with artwork on the walls and kitchen cabinets in the background.]()
January 2018
Vermont Womenpreneurs first meetups took place at Fletcher Free Library in Burlington. Starting small, we convened small business owners to create a supportive, accountability space.
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![Women entrepreneurs attending a conference in a brick-walled event space with a presentation screen, a woman speaking at the front, and an audience listening attentively.]()
June 2018
Our first VTW Showcase at the former Study Hall coworking space included 20 presenters and full house. The inspiration for this event from our cofounder Bethany to create a “science fair” like event where would womenpreneurs would share their business journeys.
Photo credit: Lauren Mazzotta
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![A large group of women attending a conference or seminar, some smiling and one woman taking a selfie.]()
November 2018
Our second VTW Showcase at Study Hall, in response to the enthusiasm from the first Showcase.
Photo credit: Brooke Stuart
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![Group of women standing on stage at a Vermont Womenpreneurs Showcase event, with a large screen displaying the event logo above them.]()
May 2019
Our spring showcase at Vermont Comedy Club, focused on the stories of mompreneurs and their journey of building a business while raising their families.
Photo credit: Lindsey Selin Photography
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![Group of people posing for a photo at an indoor event, with a logo in the background and a microphone on a stand in the foreground.]()
November 2019
At our last Showcase, we focused on the Power of Two with cofounders and partners in business. A wonderful packed showcase at womanpreneur owned Foam Brewers.
Photo credit: Moriah Hounsell Photography
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![Group of women in a coffee shop or café listening to two women speaking at the front.]()
March 2020
Our last in-person Biz Buzz coffee meetup took place at Scout & Co. the day before Governor Phil Scott’s stay at home order.
Photo credit: Lucky Strike Studio
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![Computer on white desk showing a Zoom video call with multiple participants, flanked by potted plants and a white desk lamp in a bright, modern room.]()
March 2020
As soon as the Governor’s shutdown orders went into effect, we switched our Biz Buzz in-person events to Biz Buzz Zooms. We continue these sessions once a month.
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![Friends in masks]()
October 2020
We had our first socially distanced Biz Buzz Meetup at Perkins Pier in Burlngton.
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![A computer desk setup showing a desktop monitor with a video conference call featuring six people, a smaller monitor displaying a woman, a keyboard, a mouse, and a ring light. Stacks of papers, a couple of cups, and various tech accessories are also on the desk.]()
November 2021
When the opportunity to hold an in-person event was no longer possible due to another COVID wave, we organized a multi-evening Summit aptly titled Navigating the Unexpected.
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![Group of people seated in a conference room watching a presentation on a large screen. There are chairs and sofas, with a floral arrangement on a wooden table in the foreground.]()
June 2022
Our first in-person VTW Summit took place at Hula in Burlington. With over 230 guests and the support of numerous sponsors including Mascoma Bank, we listened to the business stories of over a dozen womenpreneurs on the theme MotHER of Invention.
Photo credit: Isora Lithgow Creations
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![A woman giving a presentation to a large audience in a warmly-lit room with wooden walls and ceiling, decorated with string lights and chandeliers, and a stone fireplace with greenery and a sign that reads 'aspire' on top.]()
June 2023
We hosted our 2023 VTW Summit at The Ponds at Bolton Valley. The theme was ASPIRE and we had over a dozen presenters that evening.
Photo credit: Isora Lithgow Creations
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![A live performance with four women on stage singing into microphones, in a dimly lit venue with an audience watching. The stage has a backdrop of artwork and a bright light shines behind the performers.]()
January 2024
In collaboration with Foam Brewers’ Valkyrie Brewing Club, Mercy Connections, and VTW we brewed a special beer (Rise of the Valkyries) to raise money towards Mercy Connections’ Inclusive Entrepreneurship program scholarships. It was a unique partnership and fundraising event AND tons of fun from brewing to enjoying the community at the event.
Photo credit: Evan Loignon
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![January 2024]()
January 2024
We started to cohost and facilitate Biz Buzz meetups in Randolph with Cultivator.
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![A decorated event space with a stage, large screen, and seating for guests. People are mingling and eating, with a sign on the screen welcoming viewers and themed decor hanging from the ceiling.]()
March 2024
Hosted our first VTW Brattleboro Showcase at The Stone Church, in collaboration with Downtown Brattleboro Alliance. We enjoyed the presentations from 6 womenpreneurs based in Southern Vermont.
Photo credit: Jackie Alachnowicz
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![presenters on stage]()
June 2024
We hosted our 2024 VTW Summit at the Old Lantern Inn & Barn in Charlotte. The theme was RENEWAL and we celebrated the stories of a dozen womenpreneurs in our community.
Photo credit: Isora Lithgow Creations
