MEET THESE TRAILBLAZING WOMEN SHAPING ARKANSAS. THEY ARE LEADING THE CHARGE FOR A BETTER FUTURE FOR ARKANSANS EVERYWHERE. JOIN US AS WE SHINE THE LIGHT ON THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THESE WOMEN IN CHARGE, WHO MAKE THE WHEELS TURN AND THE LIGHTS COME ON.
The Women’s Foundation of Arkansas recently appointed Marc Haynes of CTEH to its Board of Directors. Haynes serves as Senior Vice President of Business Transformation & Human Resources at the North Little Rock-based scientific consulting firm, where he leads organizational development and workforce strategy. He brings both professional and personal perspectives to the role, having become a father through surrogacy and navigating parenthood as a single dad. Haynes is a proud advocate for women’s initiatives, especially expanding accessibility and opportunities for women in STEAM.
“We need more women in leadership — and that requires men to move beyond passive support and into intentional action,” Haynes said. “Allyship isn’t a side conversation; it’s a leadership responsibility.”
HEATHER BOTTEICHER
OWNER ARKANSAS OSTOMY INC.
When Heather Botteicher returned to Little Rock after six years as an ICU nurse, she didn’t plan to take over the family business. Nursing, not entrepreneurship, was her calling until legacy, loss and love quietly redirected her path.
Today, Botteicher is the third-generation owner of Arkansas Ostomy Inc., a woman-owned durable medical equipment supplier that has served more than 30,000 Arkansans since 1985. With credentials that include a Bachelor of Science in nursing, registered nurse licensure and certification as an ostomy management specialist, she leads the company with both clinical expertise and a deeply personal understanding of care.
“It’s an immense privilege,” Botteicher said. “It kind of fell into my lap because of my family, but I also worked really hard to get here.”
Arkansas Ostomy Inc. was founded by Botteicher’s grandmother, Jerry Chandler, a vivacious, self-taught entrepreneur who saw an unmet need while working at a pharmacy in the early 1980s. Patients came in asking for ostomy supplies, products few pharmacists understood. Chandler traveled to a conference in Nashville to learn everything she could, returned to Little Rock, secured a business loan and launched the company from her home. She was in her early 40s at the time.
“That was not something women were doing in the ’80s,” Botteicher said. “She didn’t care about her age or the odds.”
The business later passed to Chandler’s only daughter, Jane English, who recognized that deeper medical knowledge would set the company apart. English went to nursing school specifically to better serve patients and build trust, an approach that helped Arkansas Ostomy grow into the only DME supplier in the state specializing exclusively in ostomy care. She then spent 35 years leading Arkansas Ostomy Inc., helping the company acquire the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s 2021 Community Impact Award. That philosophy of specialization continues under Botteicher’s leadership. While many suppliers diversify into multiple product lines, Arkansas Ostomy has stayed firmly in its lane.
“This is sensitive, personal care,” she said. “People are trusting us with something most don’t want to talk about. That trust matters.”
It’s also why the company’s response during crises stands out. After a devastating tornado hit central Arkansas in 2023, Arkansas Ostomy opened its doors to anyone in need of suppliesclient or not. The company maintains a donation closet, regularly providing supplies to uninsured patients, people experiencing homelessness and those facing overwhelming deductibles.
Now marking 40 years in business, Arkansas Ostomy ships nationwide and is in network with most insurers. Botteicher is focused on expanding awareness beyond central Arkansas, building relationships in northwest Arkansas through support groups, awareness events and face-to-face connection.
For her, leadership is less about growth for growth’s sake and more about stewardship: of a business, a profession and a family legacy shaped entirely by women who trusted their instincts.
“Never say never,” Botteicher said. “My grandmother started this later in life and changed our family’s trajectory. I never planned to come back, but I listened to that little voice, and I’m so glad I did.”
Heather with her mother, Jane English, and photo of the late Jerry Chandler.
STACEY REYNOLDS
“ADeeper Shade of Blue” is more than a tagline—it’s a reflection of where Blue Yoga Nyla finds itself today. After sixteen years rooted in the heart of Park Hill, the studio is entering a season of meaningful growth and expansion, guided by the same values that have shaped it from the beginning.
Blue Yoga Nyla has opened the doors to its fourth location, all within a half-block radius of where it first began. In a rare and intentional continuity, every studio has remained deeply embedded in the same neighborhood. The newest space, designed for expansion, will face both the original first and second locations—a physical representation of honoring the past while stepping confidently into the future.
One of the most exciting additions to this next chapter is the opening of a dedicated children’s yoga studio, developed in conjunction with Blue Yoga Nyla’s Soul Child program. Officially launched in 2025, Soul Child is a therapeutic yoga model developed from owner and founder Stacey Reynolds’ years of work in a children’s therapy clinic. Drawing from her experience supporting children and teens with generalized anxiety and those on the autism spectrum, the program integrates the eight limbs of yoga to help children regulate emotions, build connection, and feel safe in their bodies. The response from both parents and children has been deeply affirming, reinforcing the need for spaces that prioritize emotional well-being from an early age.
At the heart of Blue Yoga Nyla is Stacey herself. The studio’s mission and spirit were born from her own lived experience with chronic illness and a profound desire to share what yoga has offered her over nearly three decades. What began as a personal healing journey became a calling to create a space where others could also find healing, respite, and community. In January 2026, Stacey began her 25th year of teaching
yoga—an anniversary that still feels surreal. As she often shares, there are moments when she wakes up and has to pinch herself that this work of purpose and passion is what she gets to do for a living.
Over the years, Blue Yoga Nyla has grown far beyond a traditional yoga studio. Yoga therapy has become a cornerstone of its offerings, reflecting Stacey’s “day job” addressing trauma, grief, and addiction. In addition, 200- and 500-hour yoga certifications are offered through an in-person, intensive training experience for teacher credentialing or advanced personal study. In the studio, students range from those newly discovering yoga to senior adults who began practicing with Stacey 25 years ago and still attend classes multiple times a week. This speaks to the studio’s deep relational roots and its commitment to meeting people wherever they are.
Accessibility has always been non-negotiable. Every class offered Monday through Friday before noon operates on a “pay what you can” model, with approximately one-third of all classes available this way—something the studio has consistently upheld. The belief is simple and unwavering: all people deserve access to yoga, regardless of their financial situation.
Blue Yoga Nyla is intentionally referred to as a sanctuary, and for many, it truly is. It serves as a safe haven for the walking wounded—a place where people can arrive exactly as they are and feel held. None of this would be possible without its extraordinary staff, dedicated students, and the broader Park Hill community that has supported the studio from the beginning. It is this collective heartbeat that continues to carry Blue forward.
As new doors open and new offerings emerge, the purpose remains unchanged. Blue Yoga Nyla is, and always has been, about healing, connection, and creating a space for people to come home to themselves.
CLAY K. CARSON
CHRISTIN HULA BRYANT
CO-OWNER
HILL STATION
For Christin Hula Bryant, hospitality is more than good food and a welcoming atmosphere: it is about creating a place where people feel they belong.
As co-owner of Hill Station, a neighborhood restaurant and gathering spot in Little Rock’s Hillcrest area, Bryant has helped shape a business that functions as much as a community hub as it does a dining destination. Alongside her husband, Tim Bryant, and brother-in-law Daniel Bryant, she has played an essential role in building Hill Station’s reputation as a welcoming, family-friendly space for longtime locals and first-time visitors alike.
Hill Station is housed in a historic former Magnolia gas station built in 1955, and the restaurant embraces that legacy. The building’s original cinder block structure remains, complemented by photographs that highlight Hillcrest’s past, an intentional reminder of the neighborhood’s history and the people who have shaped it.
Bryant says Hill Station was designed to feel comfortable for everyone - friends catching up after work, families celebrating milestones and even guests arriving with their four-legged companions. That inclusiveness has helped the restaurant become a gathering place where customers return not only for the menu but also for the sense of connection.
“We serve as a hub for community meetings, big games, family celebrations, community give-back events, and simply a place for our neighbors to gather together,” Bryant said.
The restaurant has also become known for its involvement in local outreach and neighborhood-centered events, reinforcing its role as a place where community happens naturally. Whether hosting gatherings or supporting those in need, Hill Station’s mission extends beyond its walls.
Food remains central to that mission, and Bryant points to the partnership with H.A.M. Butcher as a defining part of the restaurant’s identity.
H.A.M. prepares and provides all the meat served at Hill Station, including hand-stuffed sausages for charcuterie, house-cured bacon and freshly ground burger meat. The butcher shop has also become a destination itself, known for quality cuts of meat. Bryant encourages guests not only to enjoy the Hill Station experience, but also to explore what the neighborhood offers, including stopping by H.A.M. Butcher to bring something home.
As a woman in business, Bryant’s leadership is rooted in consistency, relationship-building and an understanding of what people want most: a place to feel welcome. With her leadership, and dedicated key team members that help her run the busy restaurant, she is able to make this happen. In a world that often feels hurried and disconnected, Hill Station offers something increasingly rare: a familiar spot where neighbors gather, stories are shared and community is strengthened one meal at a time.
For Bryant, that is the real reward: helping create a space where people don’t just come to eat but come to belong.
SARA BRYANT
CO-OWNER THE HILLCREST FOUNTAIN
SaraBryant doesn’t seek the spotlight, but for 21 years, she has helped create one of Little Rock’s most beloved gathering places: The Hillcrest Fountain.
Bryant is co-owner of the neighborhood bar alongside her family, including her husband and a cousin, who is also named Sara. The Fountain, tucked into the heart of Hillcrest, has become a second home for generations of regulars, a place where relationships begin, celebrations unfold and friendships deepen.
“My goal was always just to have a place where people felt comfortable coming by themselves if they wanted to,” Bryant said. “And where they felt welcomed and knew the bartenders and other customers.”
That sense of belonging is intentional. Bryant wanted a bar where people could stop after work, meet friends before dinner or simply decompress after a long day. She’s watched customers move through life’s milestones, from first dates to weddings and even engagement photo shoots inside the bar where couples first met.
“We have tons of regulars who have been here from day one,” she said. “People have met their significant others in here.”
Bryant’s path to ownership began long before Hillcrest. She worked in a bar called Tables and Ale from age 21 to 30, even after earning a degree in social work. When she and her husband moved to Little Rock, they saw an opportunity in Hillcrest: a walkable neighborhood with a strong community feel, and they decided to create something familiar.
Now, Bryant balances business ownership with raising three children – all of whom are teenagers. Her days include payroll, inventory, ordering and the
never-ending demands that come with running a bar.
“It’s not as easy as everybody thinks,” she said. “If the internet goes down, I’m getting a call at midnight. The responsibility is a lot.”
As a woman in charge of a business centered around alcohol, Bryant leads with firmness and fairness. She believes accountability matters, for customers and staff alike.
“You’re going to behave well in here,” she said. “You don’t get to ruin other people’s time.”
Still, her approach is rooted in kindness, a lesson passed down from her grandmother.
“It’s so much easier to be nice to people,” Bryant said. “You can do everything with a smile on your face and with respect.”
She credits the service industry with teaching resilience and emotional intelligence, skills she believes are essential, especially for young workers.
“Service work forces you into uncomfortable conversations that I think everyone should have,” she said.
Bryant is also quick to acknowledge she can’t do it alone. She praises her longtime employees and the team that helps keep The Fountain running, especially when family responsibilities pull her away.
“You can’t do it by yourself,” she said. “And I don’t like to pretend I can. I feel like women tend to think that they should, and they shouldn’t.”
After two decades, Bryant’s message is simple: show up, work hard and learn to see beyond your own perspective, a lesson she hopes readers will carry long after the last drink is poured.
SUITE 443 THE GRASS STATION
HOT SPRINGS
(FROM LEFT TO RIGHT)
BRADIE JOHNS ASSISTANT MANAGER
SHANNON FINLEY ASSISTANT MANAGER
ROCHELLE MCLEMORE CO-MANAGER
APIFFANY WILLS SUPERVISOR
ARKADELPHIA
BUFFY MONTGOMERY GENERAL MANAGER
Across Arkansas’s growing medical marijuana industry, women are stepping confidently into leadership, and at Suite 443 and its sister dispensaries, they are helping shape the culture, compliance and community impact of cannabis retail.
Suite 443 Dispensary in Hot Springs continues to set the pace. The state revenue agency reported Garland County’s lone dispensary led Arkansas in sales by weight for the third year in a row in 2025. As Sonny Albarado of the Arkansas Advocate reported, “A total of $1.5 billion has been spent on medical marijuana since the state’s first dispensary opened in May 2019.” Suite 443 sold 1,419.6 pounds in July and August 2025 alone, leading the state during that period.
Behind those numbers is a team of women guiding daily operations, patient care and long-term strategy.
“At Suite 443, I pride myself on my customer service,” said Bradie Johns, assistant manager, who has worked at the dispensary for more than two years. “I
care deeply about how I interact with every single patient that walks through the door. I want them to know that their medical needs matter to me, and they are in the best hands.”
Co-manager Rochelle McLemore, who has been with Suite 443 for more than five years, brings institutional knowledge to the leadership team. “As one of the longest serving members of the Suite 443 team, I bring a wealth of institutional knowledge and experience in the industry and culture, specifically that of Suite 443,” she said.
Assistant Manager Shannon Finley, with more than three years at Suite 443, focuses on operational efficiency without sacrificing compassion. “I have a knack for finding ways to make processes more efficient, without removing the very human element of what we do,” Finley said. “Caring for people, both patients and members of my team, is always at the forefront of my mind.”
Supervisor Apiffany Wills, who will mark one year with the dispensary this
HIGH BANK CANNABIS CO. BOLD DISPENSARY
spring, emphasizes team morale. “My ability to connect with all employees and hype them up for the day while also being an effective leader defines my approach,” she said. “I try to help make sure that everyone feels seen while simultaneously lightening the mood when necessary.”
That same blend of compliance and compassion extends across the family of dispensaries. At The Grass Station, General Manager Buffy Montgomery, who has worked in the industry since 2019, leads with both regulatory precision and heart.
“Our team is compassionate, empathetic and has a deep knowledge of cannabis and its medical use,” Montgomery said. “We are able to guide our patients safely and responsibly.”
She noted that everything is tracked “from seed to sell,” and the dispensary also supports the community through food drives and donations to local food banks and nursing homes.
At High Bank Cannabis Co., General Manager Summer Wrinkle, who began
as a budtender in 2020, believes culture drives outcomes. “With help from my co-manager, Akima Germany, we strive to create an environment that is positive and uplifting for all of our employees,” Wrinkle said. “Offering structure and positivity to your employees creates a better environment for your patients.”
Germany, co-manager of inventory and purchasing, agrees. “My outgoing personality allows me to connect easily with both budtenders and patients,” she said. “I’m not afraid to step outside the box, try new products or explore fresh ideas that could benefit the team and our patients.”
At Bold Dispensary in Heber Springs, General Manager Danielle Van Don, a six-year veteran, keeps patient needs front and center. “I run a dispensary that caters to people, not numbers,” she said. “We run on Southern hospitality and want everyone to feel at home.”
Together, these women are not just managing dispensaries: they are redefining leadership in one of Arkansas’ fastest-growing industries.
DANIELLE VAN DON GENERAL MANAGER
MAYGIE STALLINGS
FOUNDER & OWNER BLOOM SALON
Maygie
Stallings believes a salon can be more than a place for great hair.
It can be a force for good.
As founder and owner of Bloom Salon in Little Rock, Stallings set out to create what she calls “a positive and creative space focused on uniting and supporting all things good.” Since opening the salon in 2021, she has paired beauty services with a strong commitment to community outreach.
A stylist and colorist with 14 years of experience, Stallings specializes in balayage and lived-in color, techniques designed to enhance natural beauty and boost confidence. But when the idea for Bloom took shape during the COVID-19 pandemic, she envisioned something deeper than excellent hair.
“I’ve worked in amazing salons, but I always felt like something was missing,” Stallings said. That missing piece was consistent, meaningful community involvement.
Under her leadership, Bloom Salon has hosted fundraisers and drives benefiting organizations such as the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and the Arkansas Period Poverty Project. The team has organized events for local nonprofits and, in less than five years, raised more than $20,000 for community causes.
Stallings, who has lived in Arkansas for more than 16 years, says the Natural State feels like home. She and her family spend their free time camping and kayaking, embracing the outdoors, which inspires her daughter’s interest in environmental preservation.
She is also intentional about supporting women-owned businesses, believing strongly in empowerment through community connection.
For Stallings, being in charge means lifting others up - in her chair and far beyond it.
MEG GREEN, MS, RDN, LD, IFNCP
For over 20 years as a Dietitian — and as the only Integrative and Functional Nutrition Certified Practitioner in Arkansas — I’ve helped women who look like they “have it all together” finally feel as strong, clear, and energized as they appear. I specialize in thyroid health, hormone support, gut healing, and burnout recovery, with a deep focus on perimenopause and postmenopause — where so many women begin to feel dismissed, unheard, and told “everything looks normal.”
Brain fog. Stubborn weight gain. Afternoon crashes. Anxiety out of nowhere. Poor sleep. These are not character flaws — and they are not something you just have to accept.
My mission is to uncover the root cause and create a precise, personalized plan that works with your physiology, not against it. I combine advanced testing, strategic nutrition, and targeted treatment with realistic systems that support full calendars and big responsibilities.
You deserve more than rushed appointments and surface answers. When we work together, you receive clarity, strategy, and concierge-level support — so you can lead, build, love, and live with the energy and confidence you were meant to have.
DR. SUZANNE YEE
OWNER
DR. SUZANNE YEE COSMETIC & LASER SURGERY CENTER
Women account for nearly 87 percent of all cosmetic surgery patients in the United States.¹ Yet only 14 percent of practicing plastic surgeons are women.² Dr. Suzanne Yee has spent more than twenty years proving why closing that gap matters — and what changes when a woman is the one leading the practice.
“I never set out to be a trailblazer,” Dr. Yee says. “I set out to be excellent. But being a woman in this specialty gave me something my training alone couldn’t: the ability to understand my patients’ experiences from the inside out.”
That understanding is more than anecdotal. Studies consistently show that women’s health concerns are more likely to be dismissed or attributed to emotional causes rather than physical ones.³ Research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that female patients have measurably better outcomes when treated by female physicians.⁴ In a field where the overwhelming majority of patients are women, those findings carry weight.
Dr. Yee has built her entire practice around the gap that research describes. After graduating first in her class from UAMS medical school, she pursued the rare distinction of triple board certification — through the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, the American Board of Otolaryngology, and the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Each certification was a deliberate choice to deepen her expertise across facial and body aesthetics, building layers of knowledge that allow her to see the whole patient, not just the procedure. But credentials alone don’t explain why patients drive from across the state to see her. What draws them is the experience of being heard.
“Most of my patients are women coming to me during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives — after pregnancy, after weight loss, after years of putting everyone else first,” she explains. “They don’t just want a skilled surgeon. They want someone who’s navigated those same chapters. I have. I’m a mother of two. I know what it feels like when your body tells a story that doesn’t match who you are anymore.”
“People often mistakenly equate cosmetic surgery with vanity. But there is nothing vain about wanting to feel like yourself again — or maybe for the first time. It takes courage to voice that desire, and even more courage to act on it.”
That philosophy — listen first, then lead — has shaped a practice culture where every team member understands that the emotional experience matters as much as the clinical outcome. The practice offers facial plastic surgery, body contouring, physician-guided weight loss, injectables, and advanced laser treatments. But the real transformation often begins before any procedure is scheduled, in a consultation room where a woman finally feels like what she’s saying actually matters.
For more than two decades, that approach has sustained one of Little Rock’s most established cosmetic surgery practices — built not on the loudest marketing, but on a reputation passed between women who finally felt seen by the person trusted with their care.
“I’ve spent twenty years proving what the research now confirms,” Dr. Yee says. “When women lead in this field, women get better care. It’s that simple.”
Dr. Suzanne Yee Cosmetic & Laser Surgery Center | drsuzanneyee.com
https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/articles/achieving-gender-parity-womens-role-in-plastic-surgery https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10732547/ https://www.uclahealth.org/news/release/treatment-female-doctors-leads-lower-mortality-and-hospital SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
WRIGHT LINDSEY JENNINGS
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
JENNIFER SMITH, ADRIENNE BAKER, MEREDITH LOWRY, JANE KIM WLJ.COM
WLJ LAUNCHES WOMAN-RUN PODCAST
WLJ has long served as advisor, ally and advocate for woman- and minority-owned businesses. We are proud to have strong female leadership and attorneys who can relate to the challenges woman business leaders face. We created our Woman-Run initiative in 2019 to build connections through networking, mentorship, education and resources. Woman-Run aims to overcome historical challenges faced by women leaders – lack of mentors and social capital, a financing gap, and the tendency to be more self-critical and risk-averse.
The Woman-Run podcast launched in 2025 to expand our community in a more accessible way and to continue to share the stories of those who inspire us. We highlight women who start businesses, women who lead businesses
WEEKDAYS with Nichole Niemann
CACHE RESTAURANT
COURTNEY WELLBORN GENERAL MANAGER
JOJO SIMS SERVER SERVER EXTRAORDINAIRE
BONNA SANATHONG EVENTS MANAGER, EVENT COORDINATOR AND FLOOR MANAGER
In downtown Little Rock’s River Market District, Cache Restaurant has long been synonymous with fine dining, sleek style and unforgettable experiences. Whether guests arrive for a romantic dinner on the patio, an elegant upstairs meal with skyline views, or a private celebration, Cache delivers more than a meal: it delivers an atmosphere.
Behind that atmosphere is a powerhouse team of women who keep the restaurant running with equal parts precision, passion and personality.
At the helm is Courtney Wellborn, Cache’s general manager, who began her journey with the restaurant a decade ago as a bartender. Today, she oversees the daily operations of one of Little Rock’s most iconic dining venues, but her management style remains rooted in the people-first mindset that hospitality requires.
“I’m in love with people,” Wellborn said. “Hospitality keeps my heart happy and my emotional bank full.”
Wellborn entered the restaurant world at 18 and quickly learned that leadership doesn’t have to come with intimidation. Instead, she prioritizes trust, communication and the kind of workplace culture that feels like community.
“My approach is a trust relationship more than fear,” she said. “We try to make sure our employees know this is your job, but we care about you outside of work, too. If outside of work isn’t good, inside of work is not good.”
Supporting Wellborn is Bonna Sanathong, Cache’s events manager, event coordinator and floor manager, a role that requires juggling the moving pieces of private dinners, holiday parties, wedding functions and corporate
gatherings, all while maintaining Cache’s signature polish.
Sanathong thrives on the energy of the team, especially when the restaurant is operating at full capacity.
“We’re a mini family away from home by the way we support each other,” Sanathong said. “You tend to understand what everybody is going through, and we don’t take things personally. Everyone understands the dynamics of the service industry. It creates unity.”
From table settings to timing, Sanathong helps ensure that each private event feels seamless, customized and elevated, matching Cache’s refined menu and luxury dining spaces.
Then there’s JoAnn “JoJo” Sims, known affectionately as Mama JoJo, a server extraordinaire and one of the most recognizable faces in Little Rock’s restaurant community. Sims has built a reputation not only for impeccable service, but for creating an experience guests talk about long after dessert.
“The secret to surviving in this business is having fun doing it,” Sims said. “I look at it as a stage; once I walk into that door, it is my stage right there.”
With her warmth, charisma and quick wit, Sims has turned hospitality into an art form.
“I’m part entertainer also,” she said. “I tell everybody, ‘You’re not only getting dinner, but you’re also getting a little show here with JoJo.’”
Together, Wellborn, Sanathong and Sims represent the driving force behind Cache’s enduring success, proving that in one of Arkansas’s most stylish dining rooms, women are not just part of the story. They’re leading it.
