Still Feeling Grateful: Our 2026 Big Sis Award Celebration
2026 Big Sis Award Nominees
I was overwhelmed with gratitude at our Big Sis Award celebration on Thursday, November 5, 2026, and I’m still feeling grateful a few days later.
SheAchieves is becoming the organization and the community our founding members hoped it would be when we launched just a few short years ago. Thursday evening at The Boho Space, surrounded by our honorees, volunteers and supporters, I could see how far we’ve come.
I’m grateful to the people whose nominations helped us select our Top Ten Big Sis Award nominees. They put so much heart into explaining why each woman deserved recognition. Reading their nominations introduced us to businesses we might otherwise never have known and gave us a closer look at the women working to make them succeed. The celebration began with people taking the time to recognize someone else’s hard work.
I’m also grateful we could present monetary awards. Being able to give entrepreneurs money to put toward their businesses and their work is something I’m proud of. Providing useful, tangible support is an important part of why SheAchieves exists.
Celebrating our 2026 Top Ten Big Sis Award nominees
Getting to know our Top Ten nominees was a highlight of preparing for the celebration. Their businesses are different, but their stories include challenges familiar to many entrepreneurs: figuring out pricing, finding customers, balancing responsibilities and continuing to invest time in work they believe in.
Our 2026 Big Sis Award winner, Lorena Gallagher of Seeds and Good Deeds, received a $500 award. Lorena grows food in the Arizona desert and works to make fresh food accessible and reasonably priced. Her commitment extends beyond her business into community gardens, education and opportunities for others to learn practical skills.
Lorena’s work connects her livelihood with helping people in her community. I’m proud we could recognize her commitment and provide financial support for her work.
Our finalist Thomasa Semaan of Art by Masa received a $200 award.
Thomasa creates decorative finishes, murals and fine art while managing the responsibilities of running her business herself. She is working to make a living from her skills while staying true to her values. Helping talented women build viable businesses around their work is central to SheAchieves’ purpose.
Our finalist Gayla Kirkland of No Trace also received a $200 award. Gayla is building an environmentally focused business while working full time. She has sought out mentorship and support as she learns the business side of bringing her ideas to market. Her willingness to learn and keep working toward her goals stood out to me.
We also presented two special recognition awards.
Maribel Leon of We Give A Craft received $100 for the grit to keep going. Her recognition honored the determination required to continue building a business through difficult circumstances.
Nicole Mize of Cole Creative Marketing received $100 for the courage to take a risk. Taking a chance on your own abilities and pursuing a business deserves recognition, too.
Our Top Ten nominees also included:
Cassandra Jarosz, self-employed cosmetologist
Diane Palacios, Palacios Crew Counseling
Ilver Doster, Ilver Doster Consulting
Leslie Saldana, Saldana Nutrition
Shawna Westbrook, QUEST Physical Wellness
Congratulations to all ten women. I hope the introductions made during the celebration are only the beginning of our community getting to know you and your businesses.
An evening made possible by generosity
Our honorees deserved a celebration worthy of the hard work they put into their businesses. Hosting the evening took time, effort and generosity from many people.
Thank you to SupportU for sponsoring the Big Sis Award and making it possible to pair the recognition with financial support. Thank you also to Dr. Hui Wu-Curtis, our emcee and a founding board member, for her work in bringing the evening together.
Thank you to Melissa Hernandez and Janet Burks for volunteering their time to help plan, prepare for and host the celebration. I’m grateful for the hours they gave and the care they brought to welcoming our honorees and guests.
Thank you also to Janet Burks, Maribel Leon, Erica White and EEK Bakery, the Millican family, and the Hernandez family for their generous contributions. Their support helped make the evening special.
Thank you to our board members, donors and everyone who helped with preparation, setup, serving and cleanup. I appreciate the time and care you gave to welcoming our guests and giving our honorees a celebration to remember.
Honoring our intern and Board Member of the Year
It was also a pleasure to recognize Gavin Paisley, our STEM intern through our partnership with Paradise Valley High School’s CREST program. Our partnership offers students an opportunity to complete their required STEM internship while applying their skills to projects supporting SheAchieves. I’m grateful for Gavin’s contributions and for the opportunity to be part of his learning experience.
We also honored Carmen Campbell, our 2026 Board Member of the Year. Carmen leads our Board Consulting Program, helping connect entrepreneurs with practical business guidance. Her service deserves recognition, and I was glad we could celebrate her contributions alongside our Top Ten nominees.
Carrying our community’s support into next year
The women we celebrated are building businesses through their own talent, resourcefulness and determination. Getting to know them has given us relationships to nurture and a better understanding of how SheAchieves can support their goals.
As we plan for next year, the goal is to make the care people brought to the celebration part of the everyday experience of being involved with SheAchieves. We have an opportunity to bring capable, independent business owners together and offer a community they can draw on as they pursue their ambitions. Celebrating their hard-earned successes together belongs in our work, too.
The best way to honor the generosity behind Thursday evening is to put it to work in the year ahead. Our board members, volunteers and supporters have given SheAchieves so much to build on. I’m grateful for their belief in our work, proud of the women we celebrated and ready to see how much further we can go together.
Help Us Do More for Arizona Women Entrepreneurs
Our Big Sis Award celebration was possible because people chose to give. Your donation helps SheAchieves continue recognizing Arizona women entrepreneurs and providing practical support for their businesses. Help us build on the generosity of the evening and bring more women into our growing community.
Inside SheAchieves shares the people and stories behind our work, offering a closer look at the organization we’re becoming and the community we’re building with Arizona women entrepreneurs.
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