When entrepreneur Sherry Norris founded Alala, a South Carolina-based boutique serving women after breast cancer, she never imagined her journey would begin selling sex toys. What started as an unconventional path to empowerment became a mission to restore confidence and dignity for thousands of cancer warriors. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Sherry shares how curiosity, compassion, and courage built a million-dollar business that helps women feel whole again.

Two friends from Wisconsin turned their love of local food and fermentation into a growing beverage brand that celebrates inclusion and community. Siren Shrub, founded by Mindy McCord and Layne Cozzolino, crafts vinegar-based drinks that offer sophistication and flexibility for drinkers and non-drinkers alike.

Jenn Harris has reinvented herself more times than most people change careers. From aspiring golf pro to entrepreneur to CEO, her journey has been driven by curiosity, courage, and a relentless desire to solve problems. In this Badass Women in Business feature, Jenn shares how she built confidence through golf, created spaces for women to connect, and learned to lead through uncertainty, pregnancy, and company transformation. Her story is about resilience, reinvention, and redefining success on her own terms.

Dr. Angela Zeng’s journey from pathology labs to founding Karviva is a story of resilience, vision, and cultural pride. Rooted in her belief that food is better medicine, she built her own factory when no co-packer would take on her unique formulations and has since led her St. Louis–based wellness brand to national recognition. Recently featured in Bon Appétit, Karviva is gaining attention for its balance of science and ancient wisdom, offering restorative beverages that challenge the extremes of today’s wellness industry. Angela’s story is a reminder that staying true to your values can create impact far beyond profit.

At just 27 years old, Julie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded company when she took over Lifeway Foods after her father’s sudden passing. Two decades later, she has grown the company into a $185M global brand while bringing kefir and gut health into the American mainstream. In this episode of Badass Women in Business, Julie shares her journey from Soviet refugee to resilient leader, how wellness and mindfulness fuel her success, and why innovation and self-care are non-negotiables in business and life.

Jennifer Dulski went from high school teacher to leading teams at Yahoo, Google, Facebook, and Change.org, and now runs Rising Team, a platform helping managers build connection and trust. In this episode, she shares candid lessons on resilience, leadership, and starting movements that matter, offering practical frameworks like the Three Cs of clarify, coach, and connect for leaders navigating today’s changing workplace.

Anne Marie Dougherty grew the Bob Woodruff Foundation from $4.3 million to nearly $40 million by applying a business lens to nonprofit work. In this episode, she shares how data, strategy, and personal connection drive her approach to funding veteran support programs, forging long-term corporate partnerships, and preparing for the evolving mental health needs of military families.

Kate Wolff left big agency life to build something different. She went on to launch four companies rooted in creativity, equity, and bold leadership. In this episode, she shares the unfiltered truth about failure, fundraising, and what it really takes to build a business that lasts.

Christina Lenkowski, founder of Publicity by Christina, shares how she built a boutique podcast PR agency by doing things differently. From guaranteeing client results to treating visibility as a measurable business strategy, she breaks down the power of podcast guesting, what most people get wrong about publicity, and why relationships are the real return on investment.