Latest news with #Esther&Elsa
Axios
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
10+ impressive women shaping Charlotte in 2025
Charlotte is full of women who shine in virtually every industry. So, for Women's History Month, we've compiled a list of women helping to shape our city today. Between the lines: This is not a comprehensive list of all the women shaping Charlotte. You can also check out our 2022, 2023 and 2024 lists. Carolina Ascent Charlotte's first top-tier professional women's soccer team is setting the standard for what professional women's sports can look like in Charlotte going forward. Caitlyn Sheff Caitlyn Sheff is making fitness more financially accessible for Charlotteans. Her Wesley Heights yoga studio, The Coterie, is well-known for its sliding scale membership and drop-in class pricing, so much so that the space recently added a second studio room due to its ever-growing waitlist. People love what Sheff's built — just take a look at the flood of support in the comments section on our recent post about the studio's expansion. Dena Diorio Retiring county manager Dena Diorio has led Mecklenburg County through nearly 11 years of explosive growth, navigating through a pandemic and working alongside county commissioners to improve Charlotte's economic mobility. Erinn Thames Founder of the popular pop-up party series 704 Party, Thames is on a mission to change Charlotte's nightlife scene through inclusivity and dancing. Profits from many of her events fund grants for other local creatives so they can jump-start their own projects and add to the city's culture. Festival Colombiano co-presidents Festival Colombiano is more than just a celebration of Colombia's culture — it's a grassroots movement that helped bring national attention to Charlotte. Its co-presidents, Natalia Silva and Karol Cortes, are among the dozens of local Colombian community leaders and business owners who petitioned to bring a Colombian Consulate to Charlotte, but it's their festival that brought then-Colombian ambassador Luis Gilberto Murillo to Charlotte so they could hand him the petition in-person. Last May, Chancellor Murillo announced that their petition was successful. Jordan Dollard Dollard's company, Esther & Elsa, puts on some of Charlotte's most popular vendor markets, the best-known being Front Porch Sundays. This open-air market draws shoulder-to-shoulder crowds along Atherton on the first Sunday of April through December. And in 2024, the small businesses of FPS generated over $1 million in sales — before the holiday shopping season even started. Katie Mitchell The Trope Bookshop owner has created a cult-like following for her popular romance bookstore. So popular that people lined up in droves on opening weekend; at times, that line wrapped around the building. Through Trope, Mitchell has also built a community that has connected people in Charlotte through literature. Kristi Coleman Coleman, the CEO of Tepper Sports & Entertainment and the president of the Carolina Panthers, is one of a few female executives in the NFL. She oversees business operations for the Panthers, Charlotte FC and Bank of America Stadium. Molly Grantham Following a successful 20-year run at WBTV, Grantham recently pivoted her career to empower women. At her inaugural Bet on Yourself Summit last year, she proudly announced to a crowd of 340 women: "I'm reinventing myself at 47 years old." Ziva Postpartum Retreat founders Selena Williams and Lauren Hall launched Charlotte's first postpartum retreat for new mothers. The retreat, which opened earlier this year, was designed to educate and support women with resources as they adjust to motherhood. A few notable reader submissions: "Monifa Drayton is a powerhouse, business owner and the former head of the Arts & Science Council — in addition, [she] currently holds the position as the first Black female board chair of the ABC Board. Through her leadership, she has expanded opportunities for others while also paving the way for herself." — Brittney B. "Kim Lanphear led Apparo to offer services at no cost to nonprofits in need by asking corporate partners to help fund the work. Leading the organization through the transition from a fee-based entity to a fundraising-based nonprofit." — Alyssa M.
Axios
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
This free festival will close down Camden Road for a day in celebration of women
No Man's Land, a street festival celebrating women and women-owned businesses, will take over Camden Road in South End Saturday, March 22. Why it matters: It's an all-day event for women to connect, support and celebrate with one another, fittingly during Women's History Month. What to expect: The free, outdoor festival will close Camden Road for the day and showcase over 80 women-owned businesses to shop from. It'll also host creative workshops like button-making, writing love letters to your future self and additional classes hosted by SkillPop. There'll be breakout sessions and networking opportunities. You can participate in activations like a digital scavenger hunt with prizes like Mood House massages. DJs will play all-women artists and there'll be a hip hop line dancing class. The vibe: It'll be a high-energy, judgement-free celebration that's open to all, says Jordan Dollard, founder of Esther & Elsa, the Charlotte event company behind No Man's Land. " If you love women and want a reason to celebrate them, this is the event for you," she says. Zoom in: At its core, No Man's Land is designed to support women entrepreneurs. Some of this year's retailers include Honeybear Bake Shop, Kicks & Fros, Two Chicks Candles, and charm bar 11 and Thoms. Food vendors will also be mostly women-owned, like A Shot of Flava, a dessert truck whose menu includes the viral Dubai Strawberry Cup. Between the lines: Esther & Elsa is also behind some of the city's most popular vendor markets, like Front Porch Sundays and Nebel's Alley Night Market. No Man's Land inaugural festival was last year inside the Ford Building at Camp North End. The big picture: Camden Road doesn't shut down often — typically only for Charlotte Center City Partners' Camden Commons and Shop Small Saturdays, which Esther & Elsa has also helped produce. If you go: No Man's Land will run 11am-5pm along the 1900 block of Camden Road in South End. General admission is free and ticketless. VIP tickets are available for $50. They include guaranteed access to activations before 2pm and a swag bag. What's next: Front Porch Sundays will return to Atherton Mill Sunday, April 6. Nebel's Alley Night Market will kick off Saturday, April 12.
