“Friends. Sisters. Mothers. Professors. When women affirm women, it unlocks our power. It gives us permission to shine brighter.”

Elaine Welteroth

Hello, friends! Stacee Gillelen, founder of Dragonfly Designs here to highlight a few of the women who inspire me, in honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day!

Margot

After spending 22 years in both sales and marketing and in the investment and travel industries, Margot’s dream of starting her own company, Journeys Unparalleled, came true in 2014. She’s shaken up the traditional travel agency model, and rather than just booking tickets, she and her team actually get to know you. They use their expertise to extensively research and curate your dream travel itinerary.

Margot currently lives in San Francisco with her husband and two daughters and loves being able to combine her passion for travel with time spent with her family. “These days, I get a kick out of experiencing new places through my children’s eyes and having them make new discoveries about themselves and about the world.”

Gianna

Raised in Oakland, Gianna’s early-born passion for dance carried her through a 16-year professional career where she worked with many companies, including Smuin Contemporary Ballet and Oakland Ballet, to name a couple. Teaching art, dance, and movement has also been a massive passion for her, and she has had the pleasure of sharing this joy with students for almost 25 years. Gianna’s first children’s book, No One Owns the Colors, “is a lively celebration of self-expression and a bolstering invitation to advocate for your special uniqueness.”

Gianna lives in Healdsburg with her husband, two sons, one beehive, three cats, six chickens, 24 trees, and thousands of flowers.

Debby

After two decades of building the botanical skincare brand Gaia Essentials, Debby Icide passed it on to Courtney in 2021. Along with her daughter Simone and partner Eric, Courtney brings her lifelong study of yoga and connection to nature to her line of small-batch, organic, and sustainably harvested soaps, skincare, and candles. Gaia Essentials will even create custom products and aromas upon request.

You can find Courtney tucked away in her Pescadero workshop, happily creating and perfecting her good-for-you potions that bring health and vitality to your self-care routine.

Lauren

After a decade of working in various parts of the financial industry, Lauren wanted to create a company that focused on people rather than just their money. She co-founded McKinley Financial Group in 2012, with the mission to help individuals and families realize their dreams of retiring comfortably. Lauren obtained her Certified Financial Planning degree in 2013 and applied her deep knowledge of investing, wealth strategy and retirement planning to cultivate personal solutions for her client’s unique challenges and goals.

Lauren lives in Woodside with her husband and their two children. In her free time, Lauren enjoys playing tennis for the USTA team, waterskiing and volunteering for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.