She Overcomes is a local organization run by Jennifer Schillinger and Melanie Iverson that invests capital, training and business mentorship to accelerate the work of female founders and entrepreneurs. As part of their work, they formed a cohort consisting of eight entrepreneur women who will go through a nine-month customized curriculum that leads them to present their company growth and expansion to a panel of five local judges.
The winner will receive a financial grant funded by local founding partners, which include the Forum Communications, Gate City Bank and The Burgum Foundation. Let’s meet the contestents.
Katriana Mehlhaff
Katriana Mehlhaff is the Director of Operations at the Best Western Plus Superior Inn in Grand Marais Minnesota. She has lifelong hospitality experience as a fourth generation in her family business, Holland Hospitality. She is a life long entrepreneur and founded Katriana’s Vending Company at seven-years-old. Katriana graduated from Concordia College Moorhead with a Bachelors of Arts in Business Management and Marketing. Katriana is a member of Best Western’s Future Leaders Group. She has won the Guertin Award and the 2020 AAA Best of Housekeeping Award.
Dee Doboyou
Dee Doboyou, Mama Dee, is the Founder/CEO of Mama Dee Daycare. She loves investing time in kids and sharing her positive energy with them. Dee was born in Liberia, and came to the United States in 2004. She is a Fargo North High School graduate. She later attended MSUM for few years before becoming an entrepreneur. Dee has a passion for helping others which led her to opening Mama Dee Daycare, the only twenty-four hour daycare in the area. She recognizes that childcare is essential to our community and is passionate about creating home and acceptance for children while their parents work.
Ashley Sornsin
Ashley Sornsin is a Nutrition Coach that investigates the root cause of health and weight issues in men and women. Through her program, she creates a solution customized for her clients, to help reach their goals without restriction, using food as medicine to help clients fuel and feel their best. Ashely’s the Founder and creator of Buff Bites, which are sold locally at multiple health food stores. She’s a contributing author in Fargo’s Area Women, Sioux Falls Woman, and is consistently featured on North Dakota Today’s Morning Show with her unique take on fitness and food.
Melissa Miranda
Melissa Miranda is the owner of Step By Step Accounting, a service-oriented, teaching-based accounting and advisory company, primarily geared towards small businesses. She is a proud graduate of North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota, where she completed a double major, studying both accounting and business administration. Graduating magna cum laude in 2012, she quickly applied her knowledge and experience to both the public and private sectors. Melissa’s mission is to help small business owners understand their finances and achieve their goals as she knows the impact that strong businesses have on communities and families.
Gen Anagnost
Gen Anagnost is a Board-Certified Health Coach and Personal Trainer who helps women regain control of their health and stop living the burnout cycle. With 15 years of experience as a Physical Therapist Assistant, Gen understands and lived with the chronic burnout feeling. This experience and Gen’s skills to help women come up with strategies to improve their health and create a balanced life is why Gen is widely regarded by Medical and Administration Professionals. Women who have worked with Gen mentioned they have noticed they handle stress better, no longer feel guilty for having a cheat meal, feel confident they can reach their weight loss goals and overall feel they have a balanced life.
Sarah Stauner
Sarah is a Creative Designer and Co-Founder at Chipper Design Studio. She earned her BFA in Graphic Design and Marketing at the University of Minnesota Duluth. She has a wide background in publication and advertisement design. At Chipper, her main goal is to create clarity for clients with powerful designs and unique story telling.
Michelle Cody
Michelle Cody is the studio director at Fly: A Fitness Revolution, an elite class-based fitness studio in Downtown Fargo offering cycle, barre, HIIT and yoga classes. Fly opened on Roberts Street in October of 2019. Michelle has dozens of year’s experience in creating inclusive communities and is passionate about health and well-being.
(Not Pictured) Zainab Abdalla
Zainab Abdalla, chef and owner of Suna’s Egyptian Eatery and Suna’s Middle Eastern condiment line. Suna’s condiment line will debut end of January, 2021. She loves supporting local businesses and sources her products to local stores and will continue to be a vendor at the Red River Market downtown in the following years. She is so excited to bring Egyptian culture to the F-M area to cure culinary boredom.
