Northern Virginia is home to countless women entrepreneurs, from restaurateurs and chefs to life coaches and artists. So during the month-long celebration of Women’s History Month, honor and support the women-owned businesses that are making waves in your community. Here are just a few of the many female-led NoVA businesses to choose from.
Bastille Brasserie & Bar
For the past 16 years, Michelle Poteaux and her husband, Christophe, have been serving some of the region’s best French-inspired food at Bastille in Old Town Alexandria. Chef Michelle’s desserts and Chef Christophe’s hors d’oeuvres and main plates are a unique blend of French flavors and techniques sprinkled with an American influence and using local, mid-Atlantic ingredients. Alexandria
House of Colour
Melany Carlos is a personal stylist that uses color to help clients look and feel their best every day. Each color analysis is designed to discover an individual’s personalized color palette — their “WOW colors” — based on their unique features like hair, skin, and eye color. Arlington
Rachel E.H. Photography
Rachel Hegarty is a natural light wedding and portrait photographer who helps people feel comfortable in front of the camera –snapping perfect natural, joyful images that celebrate their most precious milestones. Hegarty specializes in weddings, engagement shoots, proposals, graduation sessions, and professional headshots. Arlington
Carla Pressley Hair & Make Up
Carla Pressley has worked with Project Runway, Adidas, Ali Wong, RuPaul, and Marc Jacobs. Whether you’re looking for a natural or glam look for a wedding or professional headshot, Pressley provides on-location services and is passionate about working with all genders, skin tones, and hair textures. Fairfax
Sarah Akram Skincare
Sarah Akram is a master esthetician with a roster of A-list clients that include Kate Walsh, Billy Porter, Sienna Miller, Angela Basset, and Chelsea Handler. At her flagship boutique in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, Akram offers natural treatments and non-invasive therapies that leave her clients looking and feeling younger. Alexandria
RĀKO Coffee Roasters
Sisters Melissa and Lisa Gerben founded RĀKO as a wholesaler of single-origin coffee in 2019 and opened their first brick-and-mortar, day-to-night café in Arlington last fall. The café serves specialty coffee, cocktails, and wine, along with breakfast, brunch, small plates, and shareables. Arlington
Derm to Door
Dr. Lily Talakoub is a dermatologist and founder of a personalized skincare e-commerce platform called Derm to Door, which was named one of this year’s top-twenty DC tech companies to watch by Technical.lyDC. Derm to Door is an AI-based app that virtually diagnoses skin issues and sends you products that are handpicked by a dermatologist. McLean
Courtney Kolker Design
McLean-native Courtney Kolker is a local artist known for her vibrant abstract paintings. She’s exhibited throughout the U.S., including in the Longview Gallery in Washington, DC, and in galleries in New York City and California. Kolker’s international sales include Dubai, Spain, and Australia, and she’s also been featured in GQ. Arlington
Cameron’s Coffee & Chocolates
Ellen Graham is co-founder of Every1 Can Work, a nonprofit focused on employing people with intellectual disabilities. The organization’s first venture, Cameron’s Coffee & Chocolates, opened in Fairfax City in 2013 and serves everything from coffee and chocolate truffles to cookies, scones, and cupcakes. Fairfax City
Feature image, Misha Enriquez for Visit Alexandria
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