Over the years, we have celebrated and featured many people through our Life in the Spotlight series. With over 1,000 spotlights shared, it can be easy to miss a few here or there. As such, we want to bring a few special ones back to the forefront, this time focusing on businesswomen. Read on for snapshots of these truly amazing and inspirational Northwest Indiana businesswomen.
A Northwest Indiana Life in the Spotlight: Julie Trimble Hinchy
Taking it easy and enjoying life comes easily to Julie Trimble Hinchy. Over the years, she’s learned not to take life too seriously and to make the best out of every situation. From a young age, Hinchy knew that she wanted to be a hairstylist. After graduating, she trained at Excel Academies of Cosmetology and became a hairstylist.
“My career has kind of been a whirlwind. Since being licensed at 19, I’ve lived in 4 states. I took chances. Anytime I feel myself being stagnant in my life or career, I make a change,” Hinchy said.
Read the spotlight on Hinchy here.
A Northwest Indiana Life in the Spotlight: Hannah Greener
There are people who shine their light so bright that you can almost feel the warmth. Hannah Greener, a Hobart native, is one of those wonderful people. Greener began her own business about six years ago and is not simply a hair salon owner, but, in her words, a professional people pleaser.
“I ended up building a salon in my house, so that I can keep my clients. I mean - my clients are my friends. I don’t even like calling them clients because they are almost family to me. I just love them so much. They are there for me through everything.”
Read more from Greener's spotlight here.
A Northwest Indiana Life in the Spotlight: Lisa Beck
Lisa Beck is a strong woman. A lawyer, State Representative, advocate, wife, and mother, Beck uses her experiences and positions to help those around her.
“I’m so lucky to have this job. It’s an extension of everything that I’ve done, especially in the prosecutor’s office and with women’s health issues and economic development,” Beck said. “As a State Rep, it’s amazing how many people I can help.”
Read more of the spotlight on Beck here.
A Northwest Indiana Life in the Spotlight: Madisyn Wimple
When Madisyn Wimple was just 6 years old, she had an epiphany more fitting of a wise adult. The little girl took a good hard look at her playroom and realized she had a lot of toys she didn’t play with anymore. So she did something not many children would think to do; she donated them. But that's not all she did.
“During one of our garage sales, we set up a lemonade stand, and we raised money to get the fire department and the police department lunch. When I was little, I saw on the news that people don’t treat police and firefighters nicely, so I wanted to do something nice for them,” she said.
Read more about this amazing young woman here.
A Portage Life in the Spotlight: Marianne Juscik-Minier
Marianne Juscik-Minier of Portage has long embraced her creativity, which stems from a lineage of creative and artistic roots. Buying her own flower shop only helped her explore that creativity more.
“I love the beauty of flowers, plain and simple, but the real magic is watching people light up when you present them with a bouquet,” Juscik-Minier said.
Read more about Juscik-Minier here.
A Portage Life in the Spotlight: Sandy Oliver
Sandy Oliver is a Portage Economic Development Corporation (Portage EDC) board member and a physician recruiter for Porter Health Care System because she feels driven to make a difference.
"I am very fortunate,” she said. “My healthcare career has served me well. I've been in it for many years, served multiple roles, and am never bored because one thing automatically leads to another."
Read more from Oliver's spotlight here.
A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: Krista Taschler
Krista Taschler puts family, health, and community at the top of her priority list. As the co-owner of both Healthy Life in La Porte and Stay Healthy in Michigan City, Taschler is able to focus on all three of these things every day.
“I wake up every day knowing that I can change somebody else’s life for the better by helping them to become happier and healthier.”
Read Taschler's full spotlight here.
A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: Kyleen Fuller
Kyleen Fuller believes everyone can make a difference, which is why she created Helping Hands Daycare in La Porte to empower and inspire the next generation to give back.
“Part of our motto and philosophy is that little hands can make a big difference. We encourage and actively participate in community service projects through the daycare,” Fuller said.
Read more about Fuller here.
A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Candie Ryan
Candie Ryan began working for her mom’s café full time in 1998 after graduating high school, just two years after the café first opened its doors in the spring of 1996. She started off as a server and has since worked her way to Vice President, learning each step along the way.
“I loved being a server, but looking back, I can’t imagine doing anything other than what I do now,” Ryan said. “It’s never a chore to come to work; it’s my home away from home.”
Read the full spotlight on Ryan here.
A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Amelia Kowalisyn
Amelia Kowalisyn and her husband expected to live the most beautiful part of their lives when she gave birth to their twins. However, after complications arose, one of the twins passed away 23 days after her birth. At one of the darkest moments in their storm, the Kowalisyns started to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“Shortly after we lost Emma, we established Emma’s Footprints,” Kowalisyn said. “Then shortly thereafter, we decided that we wanted to help families who had been through what we had gone through as well. So we started providing bereavement packages for families.”
Read the full spotlight on Kowalisym here.