Category Archives: Entrepreneurial Women

The Saratoga Regional YMCA Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Allison D’Antonio as the organization’s new Chief Executive Officer. A seasoned YMCA leader with nearly 15 years of experience across multiple sectors of the organization, Ms. D’Antonio brings unmatched expertise and a proven record of impact at a critical time for the SRYMCA’s expansion. 

Since joining the Saratoga Regional YMCA in 2017, D’Antonio has served in several key leadership positions, including Vice President of Operations and, most recently, Interim CEO. In these roles, she has advanced major operational improvements, strengthened member and staff experiences, and guided the organization through a period of significant transition and growth.

“Allison’s deep understanding of the YMCA mission and her proven leadership across multiple areas of our organization make her the ideal person to lead us into the future,” said Scott M. Peterson, Chair of the Saratoga Regional YMCA Board of Directors. “This is an exciting time of growth for the SRYMCA, and we are confident in Allison’s ability to expand our reach and deepen our impact across the region.”

“It’s a tremendous honor to serve as CEO of the Saratoga Regional YMCA,” said Allison D’Antonio. “The Y has been at the center of my professional and personal life for many years, and I’ve seen firsthand the impact it makes in the lives of families across our region. Now, more than ever, we are working to ensure that the SRYMCA continues to serve as a bedrock of the community where people of all ages and backgrounds come together for connection and movement. I’m excited to lead our incredible team of dedicated employees and execute on our mission to grow our reach even further.” 

By Susan Elise Campbell

With a name like Consciously Curly Salon, there is little question which market Logan Spring is targeting for her new hair studio at 123 Dunning Street in Malta.

Not all curls are the same. Ninety-seven percent of people have some curl or wave in their hair, Spring said. She tells clients to respect their hair’s natural texture and not hide or change it using mainstreamed products, as the hair industry wants people to do.

“I am a rebel in the industry,” she said. “Most salons focus on short-term results with typical treatments, but hair becomes less healthy in the long term because of the toxic ingredients most manufacturers use.”

“My clients are people who want sustainable results and healthier hair,” she said. “People keep looking for a magic product, but what they need is a better way to hydrate their hair.”

So many health-conscious women are looking for solutions like these that Spring said that after only eight weeks her appointment book was already filled through November.

Spring offers much more than a hair cut. Every experience is an opportunity to educate how nat-ural products can make hair healthier. Her menu of services ranges from a 30-minute color consultation to wash and style with or without a haircut to a 12-week comprehensive master-course online. 

She is an MBA and industrial engineer by trade. Her career involved teaching students at nanotechnology schools how to read trade journals, a skill that helped her not only research brands of hair care products, but also teach her viewership how to read product labels.

Then last year, Spring realized that since she started her online business and was cutting her own hair that no one had yet stepped in to fill this niche. She went to cosmetology school and then right into salon ownership.

By Ann Donnelly

For many, math conjures images of rigid formulas and textbook exercises. Still, for Jacqueline O’Donnell, founder of Math Refresh, it’s a canvas for creativity, mentorship, and a bit of bright pink branding. O’Donnell, who holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations and marketing, is utilizing her unique background to “rebrand math”, making it relevant, engaging, and accessible to students statewide.

Math Refresh, which celebrates its third anniversary in October, is a math education company partnering with New York State-certified teachers to provide high-quality educational consulting, STEM programming, and private tutoring. Based in Saratoga, O’Donnell also resides in Glens Falls and is actively expanding her reach throughout the Adirondack region, recently joining the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce.

O’Donnell’s journey to entrepreneurship was sparked by the widespread disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. She obtained her degree and certification in 2020, and her first teaching assignment involved meeting students in person only twice before instruction moved entirely online.

After spending two years teaching geometry in the classroom, she observed significant academic fallout. “I could see a lot of the learning gaps popping up from the pandemic,” O’Donnell explained, noting that students were often missing foundational algebra skills required for higher-level courses.

Recognizing that she could better facilitate change through individualized support, O’Donnell decided to leave the classroom to pursue private tutoring full-time. She built Math Refresh on the foundation of blending her marketing acumen with her teaching expertise.

By Susan Elise Campbell

Remodeling and renovating a home personalizes spaces while making them more functional, according to Kim Hinman, co-owner of Hinman Construction with her husband Jami. 

No longer is remodeling only for those who want a kitchen or bathroom update. Even new construction can get a complete makeover.

“We’ve had the remodeling business for 30 years, but what people are screaming for today is to make rooms more functional,” Hinman said. “It becomes a game of inches to maximize the efficiency of the space so it works for them.”

“We have a client whose parents’ house we renovated and who wanted their brand new home totally renovated,” she said. “Everything was white and we changed every room to their taste and needs, even adding a library and storage space.”

Jami Hinman started in the construction field right out of college about 40 years ago. After starting their own construction business, they quickly found they could best use Jami’s building skills and Kim’s design talent by focusing on higher-end home renovations and additions.

Today the couple’s two children are part of the team: daughter Caroline as marketing manager and co-designer and son Jesse as project manager.

“There is a huge need for the kind of company that can handle everything from start to finish, which is what we do,” she said.

Clients first meet with Kim and Caroline to design and plan spaces, coordinate components, and set budgets. This team consults with the client throughout construction, installation, and completion, Hinman said.

By Jill Nagy

Heidi Owen West’s entrepreneurial spirit manifested itself early. 

At 16, she began working at concessions at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and “I loved it…loved working with people,” she said. 

She continued at SPAC through high school and college. Also, while still in high school, she worked at Filene’s department store in Albany. When she was in college, she worked with her mother,  Kay Owen, herself a serial entrepreneur, at her mother’s business, Indulgence Cafe and Bakery.

Owen West describes her mother as an “entrepreneur at heart” who left a state job to open the cafe and bakery. She sees a “lineage of entrepreneurial spirit” running through her family.

Mother and daughter abandoned the bakery and cafe in the late 1990s to open Lifestyles of Saratoga, a women’s apparel store at 436 Broadway. The store, according to Owen West, offers a “curated selection” of sustainable women’s brands, the best known of which is Eileen Fisher. The store carries several small batch brands and tries to meet the needs of women of all body types and sizes and offers a broad selection price-wise, Owen West noted.

As Lifestyles began bursting its seams, the space next door became available and Caroline and Main was born, a shop catering to a somewhat younger and more contemporary clientele. She begun designing some of her own products, working with local designers, and bringing in local bands of items like jewelry and candles. 

Meanwhile, a seating area at Lifestyles began filling up with men, West recalls. 

“They wanted their own space,” she said. 

By Christine Graf

After two decades of working in the non-profit sector, Schenectady native Sabrina Houser established Capital CFO+ in 2017. The Saratoga Springs-based company provides business management solutions to companies and non-profits of all sizes. 

“We focus on five key areas–accounting, marketing, administrative services, business management services, and non-profit management services,” said Houser. “Our services include human resources, payroll, recruitment, grant writing, and leadership training.” 

Prior to opening her own company, Houser was the CEO and CFO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region. It was while working there that she came up with the idea of opening her own business. 

During the past seven years, Capital CFO+ has experienced rapid growth. Houser now has 40 employees, all of whom work remotely as well as on-site with clients. Her staff includes five directors, each director responsible for one of the five services the company offers. 

According to Houser, Capital CFO+ has a diverse client base, one that is split equally between companies and non-profits.

“Our clients include doctors, lawyers, construction companies, and property management companies. On the non-profit side, we have youth organizations, historic organizations, and foundations. We also have a couple of universities that partner with us for their foundations.”

Each one of the company’s clients has unique needs, enlisting Capital CFO+ for as many or as few hours as necessary. 

By Ann Donnelly

Shipology, a woman-owned fulfillment center, is making waves in the e-commerce industry by providing essential logistics services to small businesses. 

Founded in 2020, Shipology offers a range of services, including warehousing, inventory management, and shipping, to help entrepreneurs streamline their operations and focus on growing their businesses.

The idea for Shipology was born from the founders’ own experiences running e-commerce businesses. Keri Wytrwal, who was working as a marketing professional, started Wetplants.com to sell high-quality aquatic plants online from her home. After encountering significant challenges with shipping time frames and costs, she reached out to friend Amanda Schermerhorn, who was working as a director of operations for an e-commerce company. According to Wytrwal, “I went to Amanda’s house in tears because over 40 percent of my orders one week arrived dead because they took over two weeks to ship to clients.”

By Ann Donnelly

Lourene Bouffard, the founder of Every Penny Bookkeeping & Business Services, is a passionate entrepreneur on a mission to empower business owners with financial clarity and confidence. With decades of experience, Bouffard offers a unique blend of expertise beyond traditional bookkeeping.

“I’ve found that bookkeeping is the starting point, but we do much more than bookkeeping. When you delve into the numbers, you gain a deeper understanding of the business,” Bouffard explained.

Bouffard’s journey began with a desire to become a CPA. However, after witnessing the struggles of small business owners firsthand, she made a bold decision. 

“After about 20 years or so working in different industries and having various roles in management, payroll, and business advising, I decided that I wanted to go off on my own and do more for businesses that are struggling.”

She realized many businesses lacked the foundational knowledge and systems to achieve financial stability and growth. Seeing this frustration fueled her desire to help bridge this gap and allow business owners to take control of their finances. 

“There are so many people who have great business ideas, but they are not sure how to run a business, don’t know how to watch their finances, don’t know what they’re looking for, don’t have the right processes, or the right people needed for their business to succeed financially,” she said.

Every Penny Bookkeeping provides a comprehensive suite of services to meet each client’s needs, including Bookkeeping & Accounting, Business Consulting & Coaching, Financial Analysis & Forecasting, Diagnostic Reviews, Software Training, Payroll Services, and Debt Counseling. 

By Christine Graf

When leaders of the Veterinary Services division of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) were tasked with improving the agency’s internal culture, they turned to CultureTalk for help.

CultureTalk, a Saratoga Springs-based company, was founded by sisters Theresa Agresta and Cynthia Forstmann. The USDA is among a long list of companies and agencies from around the world that have utilized the CultureTalk Platform to measure and define workplace culture.

Organizational culture refers to the values, beliefs, attitudes, systems, and rules that outline and influence employee behavior within an organization. 

“It’s common for people to talk about culture, but a lot of people don’t fully understand it,” said Agresta. “It is more often found in the ‘unwritten rules’ than the things that have been spelled out. CultureTalk can take something that is difficult to define and make it easy to talk about.”

The sisters came up with the idea for CultureTalk while working together on their first joint venture, brand development company Allegory Studios.

“Cynthia and I developed a niche and expertise in brand development,” said Agresta. “Very early on, we discovered the impact that measuring culture had on the development of an authentic brand. When we were working with a business to differentiate and brand them, the culture was the piece that really stood out to us.”

“If you are selling services, a lot of what you offer is similar to your competitors. It’s your people and your culture that really differentiate you, and that can be why a prospective client might choose your business.”

By Christine Graf

Thirty-year-old Broadalbin native Amanda Triolo was managing the accounting department at Chris’ Coffee Service when she started flipping houses in her free time. It was a risky proposition but one she thrived on.

“I realized I liked rolling the dice to see what I’m made of,” said Triolo. “So, when I got some money under my belt and got the opportunity to take over a commercial install only HVAC company, I decided to give it a shot.”

Triolo purchased PMA Mechanical LLC in 2016, relocating the business from Broadalbin to Albany. Almost immediately, she recognized the  company would have more growth opportunities if she expanded into the residential market.  

“From 2016 until COVID happened, I was trying to figure out how to go from the commercial industry to the residential industry,” she said. “I couldn’t figure out how to do it without going bankrupt. I didn’t have the cash flow to be able to hire residential employees and also pay for the commercial employees and wait for the money to come in from commercial jobs.”

In March 2020, while Triolo was still trying to come up with a plan, construction sites were shut down because of the COVID pandemic.

“In the snap of a finger, I had no business at all,” said Triolo. “I had 12 employees at the time, and I had to lay off all but 4.”

Triolo transitioned her remaining employees to residential work, relying on Google ads to market their services. As the phone started ringing, she was able to bring her laid off employees back to work.