South Sound magazine recently honored five influential Women to Watch in the greater South Sound area to highlight local women who are making a tangible impact on their communities.
Each of the women honored has made significant strides in their field, ranging from business, to healthcare, and even self-transformation.
Their unwavering commitment to their communities despite their hardships, not only illuminates their individual achievements but also represents how their leadership acts as pillars in our communities, serving as role-models for others.
Lori Barcenilla (and mother of senior Ariana Randquist)
Lori Barcenilla is the CEO of a Tacoma-based, people-inspired fitness program, MixxedFit, that focuses on explosive and fun choreography.
With the mission to bring people together through fitness, MixxedFit has grown since its founding in 2013, now present in over 1,500 gyms worldwide with more than 100,000 participants.
Barcenilla balances the demands of raising four children while also pursuing her Master’s degree in Business Administration.
She now has opened her flagship location in downtown Tacoma and is aspiring to expand MixxedFit’s presence all across the South Sound area, empowering more individuals to engage in community fitness.
Lauren Leinani
Lauren Leinani is a multi-faceted entrepreneur dabbling in a little bit of everything. However, Leinani excels in helping women cultivate self-love and improve their relationships with themselves and others.
As the host of her own podcast, a business owner, a published author, a transformation coach, and an online influencer, Leinani contributions to her community are profound.
Despite her personal struggles, she remains dedicated to raising her children and inspiring others through her work.
Her book, Rise + Shine, offers personal insights on starting each day with a focus on self-care and the emphasization of filling one’s own cup before pouring into others.
Dr. Karla Bloomquist
Dr. Karla Bloomquist is an expert at creating a “Plan B” after her successful battle with cancer and leaving her successful dental practice.
She is a strong believer in always having a backup, being a dentist by trade, Bloomquist reflects on how her backup sometimes needed a backup.
Bloomquist opened her practice, SoundBridge Center for Dental Arts, in 2005 with her husband who shortly passed after its opening. She took the time she needed, but enjoyed the stability that dentistry allowed for herself and her family.
She has handled all obstacles thrown her way, even battling her own personal cancer diagnosis.
Bloomquist is now free from cancer and has happily remarried, she reflects on her career as a dentist and how crucial it is to take things one day at a time, even when things become difficult.
Krista Linden
Krista Linden founded her organization Step by Step in 1997 and Farm 12 in 2019.
Linden’s organization spurred as a result of her desire to support young families after her own personal encounter with a young girl who had fetal alcohol syndrome during her time as a student-teacher.
She has impacted over 25,000 families all while raising her seven daughters.
Farm 12 was established to spur economic funding for her passion organization. With the goal of Step by Step to reduce infant mortality and to increase birth weight.
The organization has worked hand-in-hand with nurses, dietitians, and counselors where they are able to aide eligible patients through their partnership with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.
Mele Miller
Mele Miller has leveraged her background in the baking industry to draw her expertise on financial expertise, executive coaching, and leadership development to establish RiteSize Consulting LLC.
She is a self-described “builder, doer, seer, and feeler”. She has a goal of creating a more equitable future through the disruption of money culture in our nation.
Through her company, Miller provides a service to help organizations to empower clients to overcome financial challenges.
Her magnetic presence stems from her ability to draw audiences and her unwavering commitment to inspire change in her community.
Miller has done it all, as a mother, athlete, bank teller, leader— she now leads her own company, while embracing these multiple roles and even starting her own podcast.
Overview
The Women to Watch 2024 honorees exemplify what it means to be a leader despite the challenges life throws at them.
From fitness to financial consulting, family advocacy to self-love— each of these women are making profound impacts on their communities.
Their achievements are an exemplification of their resilience reminding us all the power of perseverance and the importance of leadership within our communities.
