10 Women-Led Businesses in the Iowa City Area
Women continue to lead the way across from the University of Iowa president’s office to the basketball court and as owners and operators of hotels and shops in Iowa City, organic farms in Solon, restaurants in Coralville, and special event venues in Tiffin.
Whether you look to the past or the present, Iowa City and its surrounding cities are proudly populated by women who are creating, inspiring, and doing great things. This is no surprise if you know the history of Johnson County. Did you know the University was the first public university in the U.S. to admit both women and men on an equal basis and that Emma J. Harvat was Iowa City’s first female mayor? Pretty impressive.
Fast forward to today when hundreds of women are positively impacting the lives of those who live, work, or visit Johnson County. This includes Meghann Foster, who is the first female mayor in Coralville’s history, and Barb Wilson, Iowa’s third woman president.
We would love to highlight every woman-owned or women-led business in Johnson County, but in this blog, we’ll shine the spotlight on 10 women. This list is in no particular order.
Angela Harrington and Danise Petsel
Jamie Skinner and Kelly Elliot
Angela Harrington and Danise Petsel
Two female leaders in the hospitality industry have joined forces to elevate an iconic restaurant and hotel in Iowa City.
Who doesn’t love an independent hotel with a retro bar and supper club that serves up some of the best brunches and steaks and pasta anywhere?
For decades Iowans have celebrated special birthdays, anniversaries, family reunions, graduations, and so much more at The Highlander Hotel in Iowa City and Iowa River Power Restaurant in Coralville.
For more than 30 years, Danise Petsel owned and operated Iowa River Power, known as IRP locally. It was the ultimate brunch spot on the river, where on a typical Sunday morning the restaurant served as many as 800 people. The restaurant, which closed in 2023, was the go-to place for homecoming and prom dinners, parent’s weekend, and so much more. The prime rib, pasta, shrimp, and made-from-scratch desserts were favorites for all ages. Fortunately, when one restaurant door closed another opened.
That’s where Angela Harrington who owns the Highlander Hotel came into the picture. Five years earlier, in 2019, Angela bought The Highlander. The original Highlander opened in 1967 as a supper club and by 1974 grew to include a hotel, ballroom, and pool. For more than 30 years, it was the place to go. The hotel experienced extraordinary success playing host to celebrities like Mickey Mantle, Joan Baez, and Arnold Palmer, becoming one of the most popular entertainment, event, dining, and hotel destinations in Iowa history.
Just before the pandemic, Angela had an opportunity to purchase the then-aging site and breathe new life into it–continuing its legacy as an independent hotel. In the first three years, she focused on transforming it into a refreshed, boutique urban resort with a retro vibe, bringing the novelty of the early Highlander to life in a modern way.
She had reopened The Supper Club, which was shuttered for two decades, as a retro cocktail arcade (yes, the epic sunken bar has been restored) with a limited menu and drinks. Then Angela, who also owns Hotel Grinnell, and Danise realized they could bring their skills together to expand The Supper Club. The collaboration means Danise found a home for her delicious Iowa River Power menu and Angela had the chance to elevate the food and beverage offerings at the Highlander.
During the week, the Highlander will continue to offer a limited menu with drinks. But four days a week the Iowa River Power menu will be front and center at The Supper Club. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings you can find all the favorites from prime rib, seafood, pasta, filets, and appetizers to desserts.
If you love to support local, to support women, and to enjoy some great food and fun, check out the Highlander Hotel and Supper Club. Be sure to double-check restaurant hours, days, and menu features by visiting their site here. You can also make reservations by emailing [email protected] or by calling the hotel at 319-354-2000.
Kate Edwards
Farmer Kate is inspiring the next generation
Kate Edwards, known as Farmer Kate to all who know her, is not only one of a small number of women who own and operate a farm in Iowa, but she has also been at the forefront of the movement to grow fresh, organic, local foods for more than a decade.
And, few people know that Kate went from being an engineer to a farmer. She was born and raised in Iowa and earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering and a master’s in agriculture and biosystems engineering and biorenewable resources and technology from Iowa State University. Upon graduating, she took a job in engineering in the Twin Cities but her heart just wasn’t in it.
A generation removed from farming, Kate returned to Iowa City knowing she wanted to be on the land and not behind a desk. She started an organic farm in 2010 from scratch on rented ground with support from mentors. She named the operation Wild Wood Farms. In her first year, she grew vegetables, was mentored by Susan Jutz–one of the first CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) farmers in Iowa, and served 11 customers.
Kate farmed solo for eight years but five years in, in 2015, she moved her 150-person CSA operation to a 10-acre farm and started working as Iowa’s Farmland Access Navigator through Renewing the Countryside, an organization that helps new farmers in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin with land access challenges. In 2018, she got married and taught her husband to drive a tractor. He worked off-farm and helped out on weekends. In 2019, she and her husband bought their forever farm in rural Solon where they live with their two children.
Kate’s success has garnered her well-earned attention in many local and national publications, including U.S. News & World Report, Modern Farmer, Farm Aid, and Homegrown Iowa. Today, she runs a successful CSA that feeds many families within the Iowa City area with her vegetable subscription. She follows organic practices and enjoys growing a variety of vegetables. She also continues to help other women see that they, too, can become farmers and that it is a career option they can explore.
Above all, Kate loves that her farm is so close to Iowa City, allowing customers to get to know her and see where their food is grown. Her CSA, which serves about 300 families annually, has become so popular it typically has a waiting list.
To learn more or to join the waitlist for Farmer Kate’s vegetable subscription, sign up here: https://wildwoodscsa.com/2023waitlist or learn more at her website here: https://wildwoodscsa.com/
Jan Weissmiller and Jane Mead
Running a nationally recognized independent bookstore in the heart of a UNESCO City of Literature
To say Iowa City is a book lover’s paradise is an understatement. It’s known worldwide as home to the premier University of Iowa Writers Workshop and the first UNESCO City of Literature in America and the third in the world.
Sitting at the center of it all, in downtown Iowa City, is Prairie Lights, an independent bookstore that has been an icon since Jim Harris opened its doors in 1978. Today, the store is owned by Jan Weissmiller and it includes three and a half floors, with a coffee house located in the same space that the local literary society met throughout the 1930s. That society hosted authors such as Carl Sandburg, Robert Frost, Sherwood Anderson, Langston Hughes, e e cummings, and others.
The store has grown from 1,000 square feet to holding approximately 80,000 to 100,000 books. Harris sold the store to longtime employee and poet Jan Weissmiller and the poet Jane Mead in December 2008.
While they co-owned the local store, Jan spent most of her time interacting with customers and together they helped build the store into what it is today. In 2019, Jane passed away from cancer, but her memory is forever preserved at the bookstore with two poems that hang on the second floor between the staircase and the cafe.
For decades, with Jan at the helm, the bookstore has continued to play a role in Johnson County’s literary culture. Writers such as Susan Sontag, Gloria Steinem, and Annie Proulx have participated in events at the bookstore. Nobel prize winners have also had events at the store, including Seamus Heaney, Czesław Miłosz, Derek Walcott, Saul Bellow, Toni Morrison, Orhan Pamuk, and John M. Coetzee.
Other dignitaries that have visited include President Barack Obama who made a surprise visit to the store after a speech in Iowa City on March 25, 2010.
For decades, Prairie Lights has also hosted radio programs from the store. For 18 years, WSUI broadcast “Live from Prairie Lights,” a series of readings by authors appearing at the store. Among others, actor Mike Farrell, and authors Michael Chabon and Daniel Mason appeared on the program. The program stopped airing on Iowa Public Radio in December 2008. Two years later the University of Iowa college radio station KRUI-FM began broadcasting “Live from Prairie Lights,” where the readings continue to stream live.
Prairie Lights continues to be a must-see-stop literary destination for tourists the world over. And for Jan, she continues to be the heart of this popular bookstore that has beaten the odds by keeping its doors open as an independent bookstore and by becoming one of America’s greatest literary gems.
Stop in to peruse the first-floor staff book picks, and the Iowa Writers’ author section, or grab a cup of coffee and say hi to Jan and read Jane’s poems. Find out more at www.prairielights.com.
Jamie Skinner and Kelly Elliot
From cupcakes to coffee, these two entrepreneurs are making an impact in Iowa City.
In Iowa City and across Iowa, the name Jamie Skinner is often associated with the wildly popular Molly’s Cupcakes. Jamie is an Iowa native who worked at the flagship Molly’s Cupcakes in Chicago from 2010-2012. She then moved back to Iowa and opened Molly’s in downtown Iowa City, which became the brand’s first franchised location.
More than a decade later, Jamie was expanding her Molly’s Cupcake franchise to Des Moines and beyond when she randomly met Kelly Elliott at a children’s birthday party. It happened as their children were playing inside a bouncy house rented for a birthday party for one of Elliott’s children. The idea was born for the coffeehouse that today they co-own.
Dodge Street Coffeehouse is a family-friendly cafe that includes a play corner for kids, drive-thru coffee, and breakfast service. They also have food options from local businesses including Capanna Coffee of North Liberty and Caturra Coffee Roasting Company of Sioux City, The Dandy Lion, Oasis, Trumpet Blossom, and Molly’s Cupcakes (of course!). The place has a light and airy feel that incorporates wood and hanging plants and offers a wonderful place to have a conversation or work remotely. Located just off Interstate 80, in the same building as a BP gas station, the coffee shop took over the spot vacated by Subway.
As the two women noted at the time, they recognized there was a coffee desert on the north side of Iowa City. They started catering to the on-the-go workforce that drove by the location daily, including employees at Pearson and ACT. They also knew it would be a convenient location to serve any of the thousands of people driving past Iowa City on the interstate day after day.
The space is intimate and relaxed. You can stop in and visit this awesome spot for something delicious seven days a week or if you’re in a hurry, pick something up through the drive-through. Either way, you can find them at 2790 N Dodge St., Iowa City, IA, United States, Iowa
Alicia Valesquez
Indigenous artist honors Native American traditions as the owner of The House of DOTŁ’IZHI.
Born and raised in California, Alicia Valesquez is Apache, Yaqui, and Spanish. An artist and owner of The House of DOTŁ’IZHI, she draws inspiration not just from her ancestors but from all nations. Her passion is to connect women to culture in a respectful manner through cultural appreciation. And to remind women of their strength, beauty, and worth.
Alicia moved to Iowa City when her husband found work here and she decided to open her own shop, which sells beautiful rings, bracelets, and necklaces.
The jewelry is unlike anything else you find in the area. The pieces showcase beadwork, leatherwork, silversmithing, sewing, embroidery, and many other techniques that have been passed down from Alicia’s father and elders in the Native American community.
Her shop is named after the western Apache word, “Dotł’izhi” which means turquoise, and represents the three components turquoise and women share: strength, beauty, and worth. Alicia says her mission is to design pieces that carry a deeper meaning.
She is also known for creating bespoke jewelry, which means “spoken for”. Every piece is a limited edition or a one-of-a-kind piece made right in her studio in Iowa City. It is created to tell a story as unique as the customer. Stones used in the jewelry are responsibly sourced and handpicked by Alicia.
Alicia told the Daily Iowan that the support from the community has been amazing and that she is not only excited to be able to teach others about her culture but that everyone seems genuinely interested in learning about it.
If you want to learn more about the Native American culture from Alicia or you want to browse her beautiful pieces, stop into her shop at 327 Kirkwood Ave, Iowa City, IA 52240. Or visit her website here: https://dotlizhi.com/
Jacqueline Milian
A determined entrepreneur brings a Latin-inspired coffee and flower shop to the heart of Iowa City.
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of walking into Jacqueline Milian’s shop, Mammitas Coffee, you know it’s a local gem. Part coffee shop, part flower shop, part lunch destination, it’s simply unlike anything else.
Jacqueline told the Daily Iowan that she wanted to open up a welcoming shop that infused her Spanish culture into the menu and atmosphere. The name, Mammita, is an ode to Jacqueline’s grandmother and the childhood recipes she remembers and cherishes. At Mammitas Coffee signature drinks include Horchata and Dule de Leche lattes. They also have tres leche cake, flan, and conchas as well as a delicious breakfast and lunch menu you won’t want to miss.
You can also pick up a beautiful flower arrangement to take home. Or, if you need something larger, they create arrangements for events, weddings, and quinceaneras. While coffee and flowers might seem like a unique combination to some, the flowers remind Jacqueline of the flower shop her parents ran for 25 years back in California. So for her, the combination feels like home.
To get her dream shop off the ground, Jacqueline had help from friends and members of her church, Life Church in Coralville, who helped her by cleaning and donating time, equipment, and food to her shop.
Today you can stop in Monday-Saturday to see Jacqueline, her family, and the wonderful Latin flavors she’s bringing to the community one cup at a time and one bouquet at a time. Visit them at 224 S Linn St, Iowa City, IA, or visit their Facebook page here.
Melissa Fontanini
Part owner and manager of a premier wedding venue that helps couples have their dream wedding day.
Melissa Fontanini started Bella Sala Event Center in Tiffin, Iowa, in 2009 and is the largest locally owned venue in the area.
The idea for the event center emerged during a conversation with her best friend. The idea quickly moved from working on the blueprints for the building to hosting weddings, receptions, and special occasions.
Fifteen years later, what Melissa continues to enjoy is creating unforgettable moments. When you walk into Bella Sala you can see her and her team’s creativity come to life in the form of stunning table settings and eye-popping lighting. Originally from Marion, Iowa, Melissa has focused her career on providing exceptional service to Bella Sala’s customers and expanding the venue to become the complete hosting and entertainment package it is today.
Whether you want to hold a larger indoor or outdoor wedding, a banquet, a corporate event, or a fundraiser, or need a smaller space for baby showers, rehearsal dinners, gift openings, or a brunch, this beautiful space has it all. Bella Sala’s flexible hall space allows for up to 650 guests and includes the use of all of the grounds, including the waterfall terrace and deluxe suites. Or you can rent the Casata, which holds up to 330 people and also gives you exclusive use of the waterfall terrace, patio, and deluxe suites. Finally, the mini-monies room offers a smaller, more intimate space, for up to 75 people.
Oh, and did we mention that four-legged fur babies are definitely welcome to participate in your special day? Amazing. You’ll also be interested to know that if you are struggling with what else you need for decor, the team is here to help. They love to decorate! Whether it’s linens, place settings, candles, backdrops, or uplight, the team has you covered. Want to do something a little different and have a food truck? No problems. Bella Sala has a large covered awning that creates the perfect spot for one or more food trucks.
To learn more about Melissa and to see the gorgeous photos of the Bella Sala space yourself, make sure to visit their site at: https://bellasalaevents.com/
Inspiration, Creativity, and Ingenuity
These 10 women-led businesses are paving the way for a more inclusive, diverse, and prosperous future for the Iowa City area. We look forward to featuring more stories about women entrepreneurs in Johnson County. Have ideas? Share them with us!
