As both a woman and a woman business owner, I feel it would be remiss not to acknowledge the freedoms I enjoy today—freedoms that are directly shaped by the legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The ability to have a credit card in my own name or lease a place independently are just two examples of the rights she and other pioneering women fought for.
The profound and tangible impact of these trailblazing women was the central theme of a body of work I created in the fall of 2020. I completed each piece in the collection after RBG's passing, using my final brushstrokes as both a farewell and a tribute to her legacy. It was also a tribute to all the courageous women, both known and unknown, whose actions have paved the way for me.
The final strokes of red in each piece symbolize the mess, the chaos, and the layers of injustice these women confronted—an ongoing struggle to create a more beautiful, just world.
The empty space within each piece serves as an invitation to pause and reflect. It asks us: where do we, as a collective humanity, want to go from here? There is no neutral bystander on the road ahead. The “torch” has been passed to each of us, and it’s up to us to decide how we will carry it forward. I set it aside and after four years revisited it.
Becoming a mother prompted me to revisit this work, adding new layers to reflect the complexities women face, both personally and professionally. I want to leave a better world for my daughter—one that builds on the strength and resilience of the women who came before me.
When I was born, my mother, as a woman, was unable to even take out a business loan in her own name. How times have changed but knowing that now I am shocked that, that wasn't that long ago. Yet, she showed me how to be strong, how to take my place in the world, and how to see value in my seat at the table. She taught me that I, too, deserve to be here—just as my grandmothers taught her.
Now, as I run my own company, I can’t help but reflect on the roadblocks that women like my mother faced, and the enormous strides we've made. It’s hard to imagine that struggle now, but I carry their strength with me as I build the future for my daughter—and for the generations to come. I hope to leave this world a little better than I found it.