Female Entrepreneurs to Watch

By Jennie Renner

This is our entrepreneurial issue. Each year we introduce you to some local up-and-coming female entrepreneurs. Join us as we get to know five local women and the businesses they have created. And if you find yourself in need of the products and services they offer, we encourage you to support their entrepreneurial passions.

Ideation Coaching and Consulting

Founded by Shelby Schuh in 2019, Ideation Coaching and Consulting applies cutting-edge neuroscience research to leadership development and consulting solutions for businesses and nonprofits. They also offer workshops on contemporary topics like neuroleadership, growth mindset, empowering creativity, understanding implicit bias, and managing burnout.

Schuh said her firm “helps clients create brain-friendly workplaces and leadership practices that build trust and improve psychological safety for healthier, happier, and more productive organizations.”

For individuals seeking clarity about their lives who want to improve focus and take their careers to the next level, Ideation Coaching and Consulting offers professional coaching solutions designed to enhance self-awareness and generate positive change. Highly motivated professionals who want to see if an “Idea Coach” might be right for them, can schedule a free consultation by visiting ideacoach.org.

Ideation Coaching and Consulting

Shelby Schuh, MSLOD, ACC | ideacoach.org |

Inspirations By Rochelle

Like many of us at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rochelle Joseph-Ulanowicz found herself with extra time on her hands. She used this time to reflect on where she was in her life and realized that she wasn’t where she wanted to be.

Joseph-Ulanowicz said that she has always enjoyed helping people, but no matter where she was employed, or how much she loved what she did, she always felt like there was something missing.

“I would become stressed and overwhelmed,” she said. “I became severely overweight, unhappy, and depressed. I became someone I didn’t recognize anymore.”

She decided to do something about her unhappiness and began a journey of self-discovery and healing. During this time, she realized that what she had been craving all these years was freedom to live an authentic life and she decided the way to do that was to start her own business.

Inspirations By Rochelle opened on September 18, 2020. With her business, she aims to encourage healing and transformation through holistic health and wellness. She also offers business mentoring and makes custom gemstone and crystal jewelry. She helps individuals figure out where to start on their own healing and transformation journeys, whether that is through weight loss, learning to be more self-confident, or recovering from abuse.

“My customers are beautiful souls who are ready for a lifestyle change that will open them up to who they truly are,” she said.

Inspirations

By Rochelle

Petra Soutions Pop Pop Balloon

Following a 20-year career with nonprofit organizations, most recently as CEO at Amani Family Services, Irene Paxia launched Petra Solutions, LLC in 2022.

Paxia is intentional about the social impact of her work. Her interest in cross-cultural communications began in Italy where she studied international diplomacy. Once in the United States, she studied international relations and business at Indiana University in Bloomington.

Petra Solutions is a consulting company whose vision is “to connect people from diverse backgrounds and make the world a better place. One where access is possible, minorities are empowered, and communities show mutual appreciation.” Their mission is “to share inclusion and development tools to help customers connect across cultures and achieve greater common impacts.”

The name “Petra” comes from an indoor-outdoor plant. “Just like companies, Petra plants adapt to the environment as long as they receive understanding and care,” said Paxia. “They are beautiful, and no two plants are alike.”

Petra Solutions’ staff includes Paxia, her husband Andrew Applegate, and a team of five contractors. They consult with companies to improve cross-cultural, fundraising, and business strategies.

“We can all do better to include multicultural audiences,” said Paxia. “Companies need to know how.” Petra Solutions, LLC

Sprout Speech Therapy

Sprout Speech Therapy is a pediatric speech therapy clinic owned and operated by speech therapist, Mary Richardson. The company began in 2016 and specializes in motor speech sound disorders, such as childhood apraxia of speech, dysarthria, articulation delays, and phonological impairments.

Along with evaluations and one-on-one therapy sessions, Sprout Speech Therapy also offers Individualized Education Plan (IEP) consultations to help parents understand the special education process and learn how to best advocate for their child while in school.

Richardson holds a masters degree in speechlanguage pathology from Ball State University and is licensed to practice speech therapy in the state of Indiana. She maintains a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) as a nationally certified

“Starting a business has always been a thought of mine, but in reality, it also felt like a scary thing to do,” said Kalie Amber. “The pandemic sort of overshadowed that fear and made starting a business seem doable compared to everything else that was happening in the world.”

In 2021, Amber and her husband Brad Boling overcame their fears and started Pop Pop Balloon. Their business specializes in creating unique, eye-popping balloon decorations for all sorts of occasions, including weddings, birthday parties, and corporate events. They also offer do-ityourself kits for those who want to try their hand at creating their own balloon designs.

As someone who has always been passionate about creating beautiful and memorable experiences, Amber says she loves what she does. She offers this advice to others who are thinking about starting their own businesses:

• No one knows what they’re doing in the beginning; you will figure it out as you go along. There are so many things that only experience can teach you.

• Things can and will go wrong. A lot of running a business is creative problem solving. Just show up and deal with obstacles as they come.

• Give back to the community when you can. There is something special about knowing that you created a business that helps others, even if it’s only a few balloons to brighten someone’s day. It will give you the drive to keep going even when challenges arise.

On this point, Amber follows her own advice supporting local organizations like Down Syndrome Association of Northeast Indiana (DSANI), Humane Fort Wayne, and others.

“The Fort Wayne community inspires us, and we believe in doing our part to make our city a better place,” she said. “Or you could say — a more poppin’ place!”

Pop Pop Balloon LLC

Kalie Amber | poppopballoonfw.com

Events@PopPopBalloonFW.com | 260.580.8209 speech-language pathologist through the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA.)

Sprout Speech Therapy was started because Richardson was passionate about motor speech sound disorders and wanted to specialize in them.

“Before taking my practice full-time, I was in the school system and sometimes felt like a ‘jack-of-all-trades, master of none’,” she said. “So having my own practice has been great in helping me find a purpose.

Sprout Speech Therapy, LLC

Mary Richardson M.A., CCC-SLP | sproutspeechtherapyfw.com sproutspeechtherapy@gmail.com | 260.267.5388 a