The Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative launches inaugural campaign to highlight female business leaders in Atlanta

By HYPE | December 18, 2020

It’s Her Turn Now ATL: More than 25 Atlanta Entrepreneurs Share Social Media Accounts on Women’s Entrepreneurship Day

ATLANTA (Nov. 18, 2020) – The Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI), a program of Invest Atlanta and the City of Atlanta, will launch a social media campaign featuring more than 25 women entrepreneurs called It’s Her Turn Now ATL on November 19, 2020, to commemorate Women’s Entrepreneurship Day.

The campaign pairs entrepreneurs from the 2020 Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative Cohort with other Atlanta-based as well as nationally recognized entrepreneurs for a social media takeover. On November 19, 2020, WEI cohort members will post throughout the day about their business offerings on the partner’s social media feeds to make connections and increase exposure of both leaders and brands.

“Female entrepreneurs, including women of color, continue to outpace their male counterparts in starting a business but face more challenges accessing resources to be successful,” said Dr. Eloisa Klementich, President and CEO of Invest Atlanta. “The Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative is another way we are working to make entrepreneurship equitable in Atlanta and open doors to a diverse small business community. I am proud to stand alongside the women of WEI and female business owners everywhere as we celebrate Women’s Entrepreneurship Day.”

The entrepreneurs participating in It’s Her Turn Now ATL include:

  • Jewel Burks Solomon, Head of Google for Startups, US & Managing Partner of Collab Capital, and Kristina Smith-Newton, Founder and CEO of HYPE
  • Dr. Roshawnna Novellus, Founder and CEO of EnrichHER, and Ariel Lopez, Founder and CEO of Knac
  • Jennifer Cooper, Chief Customer Officer of World 50, and Hanni Berger, Founder and CEO of JOYVIAL
  • Brittany Thoms, President and Cofounder of See.Spark.Go, and Sarah Marske, Founder and CEO of Saramar Group
  • Jody Stephenson, Founder and CEO of SitterTree, and Veronica Woodruff, Founder and CEO of Travelsist
  • Ifrah Khan, Founder and CEO of Usit, Inc., and Amanda Farahany and Tamara Lucas, Cofounders of My Panda, My Personal Assistant Next Door App
  • Sonia Booker, Chief Visionary Officer of Vault Industries, and Trish Miller, Founder of SwemKids 
  • Kitti Murray, founder and CEO of Refuge Coffee, and Akissi Y. Stokes, Founder of WUNDERgrubs
  • Jacquelyn Rodgers, Cofounder and CEO of Greentop Gifts, and Evana Oli, Cofounder and President of Beautiful Curly Me
  • Nancy Juneau, CEO of Juneau Construction Company, and Amber R. Lawson, Principal of Aspire Construction & Real Estate Consulting
  • Mandi Woodard, Founder and CEO of Sleepovers & Co, and Quyionah Wingfield, Founder and CEO of Cool Moms Dance Too
  • Raven Strode, Founder of Blacklanta, and Denise Alexis Watkins, Founder of DESIGN-1-1
  • Karissa Dean, Founder of Pretty Itty Bitties, and Jamia Ramsey, Founder and CEO of Blendz Apparel
  • Evonya Easley, Owner of Love E Image & Design Consulting, and Tanjuria A. Willis, Founder of eKlozet Luxury and Vintage Consignment

“Women entrepreneurs in Atlanta are lifting up other female leaders by saying, ‘It’s her turn now’,” said Monica Delores Hooks, Executive Director, Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative. “By sharing their platforms and giving each other a turn to shine, these 30 entrepreneurs are showing the power of women supporting other women. It’s Her Turn Now ATL shows the deep well of female entrepreneurship in our city.”

Atlanta is home to over 203,000 women led businesses and more than 1,500 women CEOs. WEI is an incubator, empowered by Invest Atlanta and the City of Atlanta, that strives to engage, elevate and empower women through entrepreneurship. Every 15 months, WEI names a new cohort of 15 early-stage, start-up businesses to foster business growth and sustainability.

“As entrepreneurs and business leaders, these women understand how important it is that entrepreneurs support each other,” continued Hooks. “Especially in 2020 with so much economic uncertainty, we need to maximize the potential of everyone–and in particular, women–pursuing business. This campaign is a great example of Atlanta’s culture of innovation and our city’s entrepreneurial spirit.”

It’s Her Turn Now ATL is a local adaptation of a national effort to amplify Black voices, Share the Mic Now, which partnered more than 40 pairs of women, reaching more than 300 million followers.

About Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative

The Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI) is a municipally funded program focused on women and entrepreneurship designed to foster business growth and sustainability. Empowered by Invest Atlanta, WEI names a new cohort of 15 early-stage, start-up businesses every 15 months to engage, elevate and empower women through entrepreneurship. An average of $50,968 in capital investment per business has been committed to each WEI business that has completed the incubator program.

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Media Contact

Chrissie Gallentine

HL Strategy | chrissie@hlstrategy.com

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