Photos and thanks from the #WomenOfUpshur event

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In the company of legends at the Women of Upshur event.

An amazing evening with a phenomenal bunch of entrepreneurs and a crowd of great people — that’s a long and accurate description of the event on March 8th celebrating the woman business owners along the Upshur Street corridor.

It truly was a spectacular evening, as women from all walks of life, races, products they sell and more came together to talk about their experiences owning a business in Petworth or being one of the few female Councilmembers in the District of Columbia.

Speaking at the event, we had:

  • Holley Simmons (She Loves Me, Lemon Collective)

  • Anna Bran-Leis (Taqueria del Barrio, DC Empanadas)

  • Dani Moreira (Timber Pizza, Call Your Mother)

  • Hannah Oliver Depp (Loyalty Books)

  • Fia Thomas (Fia’s Fabulous Finds)

  • Julie Wineinger (Willow, Lulabelle’s Sweet Shop)

  • Carlie Steiner (Himitsu)

  • Elissa Silverman (At-Large DC Councilmember)

  • Director Kristi Whitfield (DC Department of Small and Local Business Development)

The consistent themes: hard work, passion, risk and more hard work. The idea that a woman standing behind the counter, or speaking with a chef, isn’t the owner was a common theme as well. That a woman who cares deeply can risk her financial security to run for — and win — a seat on the DC Council.

We should have recorded the night — thought of that halfway through. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Enjoy the pictures below and remember that these businesses are successful also because you visit them, eat at the restaurants, buy from the hardware store, shop for flowers or clothes. They’ll continue to work hard for themselves and the community, just be sure you shop local. ;)

It truly takes a village to put on a community event, and this one was a team effort.

My thanks to Yuliya Panfil, who came up with the idea for this series and wrote a bulk of the interviews and did a wonderful job moderating the event. Thanks also to Wanda Lucas for her article, and thanks to the sponsors who brought food, plates, napkins, drinks and more. And we so appreciate everyone who read, shared and liked the articles and came out to the event!

Shout outs to my wife Heather Schneider and Jennifer Kuiper from District Bridges for volunteering last minute at the event. Thanks to Dani Moreira and Timber for bringing 9 pizzas! Big thanks to Anna Bran-Leis and Taqueria Del Barrio for the huge platter of empanadas and Julie Wineinger and Lulabelle’s Sweet Shop for the yummy rice crispy treats. Thanks to Christine Lilya and Slash Run for wine, and Sofia Thomas and Fia’s Fabulous Finds for the really yummy margaritas. Thanks to Matt Krim from Cinder BBQ for the bar stools and to Taylor Ferrell from the Treads for the sound system. And thanks to Kimberly Goldwein for the amazing photography. (Check her business out if you need family portraits and the like!)

And special, huge thanks to Holley Simmons from She Loves Me & The Lemon Collective for allowing us to use their space and being so incredibly helpful All. The. Time.

You all rock.

A list of the articles is below the photo gallery.

Here is the series, in case you missed any of the articles:

Featured
Photos and thanks from the #WomenOfUpshur event
Photos and thanks from the #WomenOfUpshur event

An amazing evening with a phenomenal bunch of entrepreneurs and a crowd of great people — that’s a long but accurate description of the event on March 8th celebrating the woman business owners along the Upshur Street corridor. See a large photo gallery!

Read More →
Christine Lilyea finds her dream job and an unexpected treasure at Slash Run
Christine Lilyea finds her dream job and an unexpected treasure at Slash Run

With years of experience managing restaurants and music venues, Christine Lilyea realized what started out as just a job became a career. When she took over Slash Run in 2018 after managing it for two years, she knew she found her dream job. She manages both the kitchen and the front of the house, it’s lot work.

"But I'm up for it," she says. "I didn't know this was going to be as difficult as it is, but I just don't stop. I keep going. As long as I keep pushing, it works."

Read More →
Anna Bran-Leis starts a second act and finds culinary and personal success
Anna Bran-Leis starts a second act and finds culinary and personal success

“There are so many challenges to being a woman in the culinary industry,” Anna said. “You don’t know how many times we go to events and set up tasting stations, and my sous chef is a guy, and they come up and say, "‘Hey chef,” talking to him. You’re automatically, as a woman, not given the same respect and the same recognition.”

Anna appreciates where she is now and what the future holds. She believes in helping others, like younger female entrepreneurs. “You have to reach back,” she said. “Whether she’s an immigrant or she’s not. The next generation of women that are coming up behind us, it’s our job as women, that they’re better than we are. That they surpass anything that we’ve done. We reach back and we help them.”

Read More →
Hannah Oliver Depp shows how passion becomes a happy livelihood
Hannah Oliver Depp shows how passion becomes a happy livelihood

Raised to focus on hard work by self-described hippie parents, home schooled, with a large extended family, Hannah was taught the benefit of the do-it-yourself mantra and being immersed in being busy. Self-determination and "anything is possible if you work hard enough" mixes with a strong inner (and outwardly focused) passion.

“I can make something out of nothing,” she laughs. “You give me a hot glue gun… we’re going to have a store.”

Read More →
Holley Simmons, Petworth's 'Petal Pusher,' doubles down on Upshur Street
Holley Simmons, Petworth's 'Petal Pusher,' doubles down on Upshur Street

It had been six days since the blockbuster opening of her flower shop, She Loves Me, and Holley Simmons was freaking out a little. The Upshur block felt sleepy that Friday under a coat of fresh snow, and Simmons had decided to let her employees stay home. Then, suddenly, the delivery and Valentines Day flower orders started pouring in.

“Shit.”

Read More →
Upshur's 'veteran,' Julie Wineinger, is learning to juggle everything on the road to success
Upshur's 'veteran,' Julie Wineinger, is learning to juggle everything on the road to success

I walked into Lulabelle’s Sweet Shop on a sunny Friday afternoon to interview owner Julie Wineinger about what it’s like to be a woman business owner. Before I could even sit down, the scene before me spoke volumes: there was Julie, one hand on her laptop, fielding questions from her staff behind the counter while discreetly nursing her five-week-old son inside a cloth carrier.

It was the epitome of the juggling act that every working mom performs, and is even more acute when that new mom is a business owner.

Read More →
Dani Moreira accidentally starts a business and becomes Petworth's 'Carb Queen'
Dani Moreira accidentally starts a business and becomes Petworth's 'Carb Queen'

Now that she’s broken through, Dani Moreira gets a sense of satisfaction working alongside other immigrants and showing them that there is a way up the ladder.

“I enjoy seeing all these women next to me and showing them there is a future,” Moreira says. “As an immigrant, showing other immigrants that they don’t have to be stuck washing dishes.”

Read More →
Ouley Beye came to America and found her place on Upshur Street
Ouley Beye came to America and found her place on Upshur Street

What appears to drive Ouley Beye as a business owner is greater than just being profitable. She loves to empower others to fulfill their dreams. “It’s still going to be a dream until you make it happen,” she said.

Ouley proudly states, “If I can make it, anyone can.”

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‘Thrifty Fia’ Thomas sounds off on having it all
‘Thrifty Fia’ Thomas sounds off on having it all

Fia Thomas runs her successful vintage and used clothing shop, Fia’s Fabulous Finds, while working a full-time government job and raising two daughters. But she says the hard work is worth it.

“I’m really a business owner who has it all,” she says. “I’m married with kids, and I have a passion that I’m pursuing.”

Read More →
Carlie Steiner: The cocktail maven of Petworth's Himitsu
Carlie Steiner: The cocktail maven of Petworth's Himitsu

Of the women I interviewed for these series, Steiner is the most outspoken and unapologetic feminist. Her wines are female, her staff is free to kick sleazy men out of the restaurant at will, and she doesn’t care if you don’t like it.

“You can be hospitable and still stand up for yourself,” she says.

Read More →
Anne Stom: Petworth’s 'Miss Fix-It' makes it happen
Anne Stom: Petworth’s 'Miss Fix-It' makes it happen

 The story of Annie’s Ace Hardware is the classic tale of “build it and they will come.” Stom noticed that more and more people are moving to the neighborhood, most of the houses need renovation, and there’s no hardware store nearby.

So, Stom decided to open one.

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The Women of Upshur: Celebrating Petworth’s female business owners
The Women of Upshur: Celebrating Petworth’s female business owners

The last two years have brought a flurry of openings to Upshur Street. As the Petworth News team covered these openings, we noticed a pattern. We did a back-of-the-envelope count and there are upwards of 11 female-owned businesses on Upshur Street alone! That’s the vast majority of the street’s retail and restaurants.

To celebrate this awesome fact, and because March is International Women’s Month, we’ll be profiling each of these boss ladies in a series of articles, starting March 1st, and hosting a free community discussion and party on March 8th!

Read More →