Saturday, November 7, 2020 | Remarkable Women 2020 The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com 6
FINALISTS | ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADER AWARD
Stephanie Bonin
Jennifer Jacobs
Ali West
Stephanie is a successful entrepreneur, owning three restaurants on similar neighborhood main streets but in Denver, Colo. For the past five and a half years, she has owned duo Restaurant in Brattleboro, Vt. Stephanie is a graduate of the Women’s Leadership Circle of Windham County, Green Corps — a field school for environmental organizing — and a former advocate and lobbyist for COPIRG (Colorado Public Interest Research Group), Environment Colorado and NARAL Colorado, advocating for change and supporting small businesses is in her past, her present, and her future. Stephanie’s childhood was supported by The Book Cellar, which operated for 52 years on Main St. in Brattleboro.
Jennifer Jacobs owns and leads Adaptiva HR, providing support to small and medium-sized businesses with a team of Employee Counseling, Human Resource, and Training & Development professionals.Until becoming a business owner, her career journey was in the nonprofit sector and included roles as a clinical mental health counselor, an administrator, a program developer and an experiential educator. Jennifer believes that healthy workplaces are vital for individuals and communities to also be healthy. The team at Adaptiva HR brings a holistic approach to helping businesses take care of the ‘people needs’ at work. Leading a small business has been an immersion into the necessity, and power, of resilience. These lessons and skills are inextricably woven into how Jennifer and the whole team support their clients. When the company rebranded, Adaptiva was intentionally chosen. This spin on the word ‘adaptive’ represents the creativity, flexibility, and resilience of Jennifer and everyone at Adaptiva HR. Jennifer has a deep connection to her community and has volunteered for key roles with Tiny House Fest Vermont, Brattleboro Area Human Resources Network, Brattleboro Area Mutual Aid and coordinating meal deliveries for Everyone Eats. Daily, she is grateful to be raising a family in the Brattleboro area, with all of its gifts and beauty.
Ali West is a Brattleboro native with a passion for food, gardening, nutrition, and children’s health. Ali joined the USAF right out of high school; after leaving the military, she went to Johnson & Wales University and received degrees in Pastry Art & Design and Food Service Management. Ali worked for 25 years as a professional chef across the country before joining the Fresh Picks Cafe as the Food Service Director for the Brattleboro Area School District. She was recently honored as a food service hero by Food Management Inc. She has been featured on the national Farm to School platform and was scheduled to do a copresentation on Trauma Informed Cafeterias in April, which was canceled due to COVID-19. Ali is considered a leader and champion of Farm to School in her district.
Entrepreneurial Leader Award Nominee Sarah Vangel
About the Awards: Nominees were nominated by one or more community members via online submission. Finalists were determined by an online, public vote. Winners will be chosen by the panel of judges, listed on page 3, and awards will be presented November 12, 2020, at a special event at the American Legion in Brattleboro. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s awards ceremony will be invitation-only.