Woman Up! is the theme for First Fridays, Friday, March 6 in downtown Aurora. The Aurora Downtown event will celebrate Women’s History Month, along with the 100th anniversary of the woman’s suffrage movement.
As part of the upcoming celebration of women, Aurora Downtown invited women to be part of a photo shoot at Society 57, 100 S. River Street, Aurora, in January.
The morning was part of Boss Babes, a Wednesday morning networking event normally held at Wyckwood House, 14 W. Downer Place Suite 16, every week presented by the shop along with Aurora Downtown.
More than 70 women showed up.
Of those women, we photographed two dozen who own or manage businesses in downtown Aurora. Thanks to Bari Baskin, owner of Time Stops Photography, for capturing the women in groups, and to Latrice Murphy, owner of Latrice Murphy Design and Photography, for taking head shots of all of the women.
The photo is a small sampling of the many women-owned businesses in downtown, but because a picture is worth 1,000 words, it helps show the strong and supportive community of women who are helping downtown Aurora to grow.
Back row from left: Amy Morton, owner of Stolp Island Social; Mia Corriea, owner of Oxie Affordable Optical; Kristina Young, brand manager at All Spoked Up; Susan Guinnane, owner of Off Beat Thrift; Maria Angeles Saltijeral, owner of I of the Angeles; Debi Lerma, owner of Do or Dye Designs; Angela Fetterolf, owner of Sculpted Image; Fatimah Kahiga, owner of Pure Skin Solutions; Emily Beaupre, owner of Zen Loft Wellness Center; Esther Saltijeral, owner of Charlie’s Silver Spoon Creamery; Veronica Trujillo-Paiz, owner of Hairy Beast Dog Pawlour; Shannon Cameron, director of Paramount School of the Arts; Veronica De La Cruz, owner of De La Cruz Chiropractic; Tammy Helfrich, director of Society 57; Clara Diaz, owner of Balderas Beauty Salon.
Front row: Kim Granholm, owner of Aurora Fastprint; Amy Jackson, owner of The Perch; Rose Sommerville, retail manager at Wayside Cross Ministries; Miranda Rodriguez, owner of Marketing for the Uninhibited; Shannon Gutierrez, owner of Wyckwood House; Tara Young Ramos, manager at Stolp Island Social; Karina Garcia, director of Aurora Regional Hispanic Chamber; Guadalupe Torres, owner of Divas Hair Salon.
Sitting on floor: Kori Kasper, owner of Branch Gardens; Marissa Amoni, manager of Aurora Downtown.
Marissa Amoni is the manager of Aurora Downtown, a nonprofit organization of business and property owners in downtown Aurora. The organization assists in promoting and beautifying downtown as well as offering small business grants. For more information, visit www.auroradowntown.org.