20 impressive women helping to shape Charlotte

Our staff put together a list of women doing big work right now. It’s hardly a comprehensive list of women changing the city, but just a snapshot.

From restaurateurs to chief executives, here are 20 women who answer Beyonce’s age-old question — who run the world? 

Ariene Bethea 

One of the most trusted taste-makers in the South.

• Bethea is the founder of Dressing Rooms Interiors, a boutique vintage furniture shop and design studio in Oakhurst, explains Axios’ Bri Crane.
• The country’s glossiest design magazines come to Bethea for her one-of-a-kind expertise and to feature her beautiful finds. Veranda featured her for Women’s History Month; House Beautiful named DRI one of the most beautiful home stores in the country, and she won Charlotte Magazine’s BoB for her home store in 2021.

Jamie Brown

Brown is part of the restaurateur duo behind a growing list of popular Charlotte establishments, including Supperland, Haberdish, Growlers, Reigning Donuts and Ever Andalo, writes Axios’ Katie Peralta Soloff.

• Brown and her husband, Jeff Tonidandel, have become known for making big bets. They opened Crepe Cellar, which is now Ever Andalo, in 2009 during the recession. And they invest substantial time into rehabbing old buildings, as was the case with Supperland.
• In December, they purchased the old church that’s been home to Bonterra for two decades and promised to keep it a restaurant instead of tearing it down.

Dianne Chipps Bailey

If you want to list her official titles, you’ll need lots of words: She’s “managing director and national philanthropic strategy executive for Philanthropic Solutions at Bank of America Private Bank, and she’s the chair of The Women’s Philanthropy Institute Council.”

• But you can also describe her in two: unapologetic optimist, writes Axios’ Michael Graff.

Bailey has long been a force of nature, often working behind the scenes, in the local nonprofit scene.

• Countless organizations and philanthropists have had their future changed after just one meeting with her. And in recent years she’s taken that work to the national level through her new job at Bank of America.

Sherri Chisholm

Since becoming executive director of the Leading on Opportunity in 2020, Chisholm has been working across community groups on ways to improve economic mobility in Charlotte.

• That’s been a key area of focus for local leaders in the years following a study that ranked Charlotte last among major U.S. metros in economic mobility.
• One specific area of focus for Chisholm and her team: Engaging different institutions of higher education on college and career readiness.

Subrina Collier

Subrina Collier is co-owner of Uptown Yolk, Leah & Louise, and founder of the BayHaven Restaurant Group, along with her husband Greg.

• With projects like Soul Food Sessions and the BayHaven Food & Wine Festival, the Colliers’ mission is centered on uplifting, nurturing, and promoting Black culinary excellence.
• “Representation matters,” Subrina told Axios during an interview announcing four new concepts the couple is behind coming to Camp North End.
• Subrina explained that in the 10 years that she worked in the restaurant industry she never had a Black female general manager or owner, now she hopes to be someone Black women in the culinary industry look up to.

Dot Counts-Scoggins

The civil rights legend walked into Harding High School 65 years ago with her head held high while white students hollered at her and spit on her.

• The photos from that day stand as some of the most important images of the civil rights era in Charlotte, writes Axios’ Michael Graff.

Counts-Scoggins has devoted her life to making sure no child endures what she did, and she continues that work today as her 80th birthday approaches.

• In just the past few years, she’s been a mentor at Garinger, and an advocate for early-childhood reading and education, and a volunteer at Bruns Elementary in her neighborhood.
• Oh, and on top of that, she was one of the first Charlotteans to receive her COVID-19 vaccine, hoping to encourage people of color across Charlotte to do the same.

• The first person to congratulate her was Atrium Dr. Katie Passaretti, who helped guide our community through the pandemic by foretelling the future of every variant — and most certainly is a woman changing Charlotte, too.

Lisa Crawford

As director of Mothers of Murdered Offspring, Crawford leads one of the city’s most well-known grief support groups during some of Charlotte’s deadliest years, as the Observer recently wrote.

• As the organization approaches its 30th anniversary next year, Crawford is working on a strategy she’s calling MOM-O 2.0, which includes a focus on violence prevention among children and teens.

Dena Diorio

Diorio’s one of the two most powerful government officials you can’t vote for. She’s the top staff member for the county, overseeing the departments of social services, criminal justice, child support enforcement, and public health, among others.

• In other words, while county commissioners engage in political bickering and posturing, Diorio’s in charge of making sure things actually get done and systems don’t fall apart amid the rhetoric.

• She hasn’t done this without controversy, of course; in January, WBTV’s David Hodges uncovered text messages between her and city manager Marcus Jones showing tension between the two leaders over what to do with Tent City last year.

Amarra Ghani

Amarra Ghani started the nonprofit Welcome Home in 2017 to provide aid to refugees in the greater Charlotte area.

• Almost five years in, the grassroots organization has three core programs that help teach English, provide groceries, and aid with transportation to appointments (like the DMV or government offices).
• The organization currently supports refugees from Afghanistan, Syria and Myanmar.
• Welcome Home also opened a new community space earlier this month that will serve as a shopping experience for refugee families.

Molly Grantham

Molly Grantham is an EMMY-award-winning journalist who has earned accolades such as TV News Reporter of the Year, one of Mecklenburg County’s 50 most influential women, and a Charlotte magazine Charlottean of the Year in 2020.

• She’s more than just the face you see on TV though. She’s a mom, an author, a TED-talker, and a proud Charlottean.
• Each year, she helps raise money and coordinate an event for breast cancer awareness month. And through her WBTV segment, #MollysKids, she helps raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer research.

Melody Gross

Melody Gross is the CEO and founder of Courageous SHIFT. A domestic violence survivor, she established the Eva Lee Parker fund to empower women, particularly Black women, with the financial freedom to leave abusive relationships.

• The Eva Lee Parker Fund was named for Gross’ grandmother, who was also a domestic violence survivor.

Allison Latos

Allison Latos is an EMMY-award-winning journalist who anchors the evening newscasts on WSOC. She has a passion for investigative reporting and is an advocate for infertility awareness.

• As reported by Charlotte magazine, Latos is no stranger to tragedy but exhibits strength every day.
• Two months after she lost her newborn baby in 2020, Latos found out she had thyroid cancer. Shortly after that, cancer spread to her lungs.
• Latos helps raise money and awareness for infertility through Bundle of Joy, a nonprofit that gives grants to couples hoping to start a family.

Yes, but: Most recently, Latos announced a new reason to celebrate — a new baby girl.

Ashley Manning

Ashley Manning made national headlines this year because of a great idea that brought our community together.

• Manning, owner of Pretty Things by A.E. Manning, delivered her first bouquet in 2020 to her son’s preschool teacher. The teacher had lost her husband to cancer and Manning wanted to give something more than just a candy bar.

• Now, it’s become an annual tradition for her.
• This year she and more than 100 volunteers surprised 400 widows on Valentine’s Day. 

Antoinette Tan, MD

Dr. Tan is one of Charlotte’s top medical oncologists. She has expertise in the most challenging and rare forms of breast cancer, including triple-negative breast cancer.

• She’s also an expert in drug development and has extensive experience with early phase clinical trials and breast cancer studies.

• She’s worked at Atrium Health for seven years and enjoys playing tennis in her free time.

Photo: Courtesy of Atrium Health

Adrienne Threatt

Adrienne Threatt is a commander on the frontlines of Charlotte’s war against homelessness, writes Axios’ Ashley Mahoney.

• She’s executive director of Hope Vibes, a nonprofit serving Charlotte’s homeless, which she co-founded with her husband Emmanual Threatt in 2017.
• Hope Vibes provided solar sinks to those facing housing insecurity during the pandemic. They also launched the Hope Tank, a mobile shower and laundry center.

Valerie Mitchener 

One of the most powerful players in Charlotte residential real estate, Valerie Mitchener founded Corcoran HM Properties in 2006.

• Today, her company has 115 real estate agents — representing some of the city’s most exclusive properties — and 14 employees.

Hellen Moffitt

Hellen Moffitt is the founder of PonyBox, a local clothing rental and delivery service.

• The mission behind PonyBox is to slow down fast fashion but also appeal to people who want to wear fun and trendy clothes, writes Axios’ Symphony Webber.
• Most recently, PonyBox launched “Charlotte in the Wild” which is a series of mini clothing collections made up entirely of unique secondhand pieces sourced from the Charlotte community.
• Each collection drop will be inspired by different Charlotte neighborhoods.

Roxy Te Owens

Roxy Te Owens, the owner of Society Social, is a design powerhouse, writes Axios’ Bri Crane.

• Her family has produced furniture for decades, but she launched her own brand that uses traditional, high-quality materials like rattan, to create modern designs — made with apartment dwellers in mind.
• Big-name publications dub Owens as the leader of the grand millennial design trend.
• “There’s no more important furniture designer and entrepreneur pioneering this movement than Roxy Te Owens,” a Forbes article stated.

Cheryse Terry

Cheryse Terry is on a mission to preserve Black history and culture in Charlotte.

• She founded Archive, which is still currently in its fundraising stages, but the idea is for it to be a meeting place, coffee shop, book store and vintage store catered to the residents of Charlotte’s west side.
• Cheryse is efforting to create a space that preserves Black history and connects the community through events like book clubs and mentor-mentee programs.

Cristina Wilson

Cristina Wilson spent a decade building her career in media, which included a long run here at Axios Charlotte (back when we were the Agenda).

• As a busy professional, she wanted to find a place to recharge her mind and body for one hour, every month.
• She couldn’t find it, so she left and opened Mood House. A little over a year in, Mood House already has 700+ members.