AUSTIN WOMAN MAGAZINE

Since 2002, Austin Woman magazine has been the leading magazine for women in Central Texas. Our mission is to inspire, celebrate and support the diverse community of women in Austin and its surrounding cities. We champion the movers and shakers, the artists, the philanthropists, the business leaders, entrepreneurs and those who believe that no dream is too big.

The Owners

The eight inspiring women of the Austin Woman ownership team are equally committed to expanding Austin Woman‘s outreach. These women are excited to represent and reestablish our publication to maintain its legacy. Read more about our ownership team in the September 2022 cover story. (l to r) Melinda Garvey, Shuronda Robinson, Terry Mitchell, Lana Macrum-Craig, Gretel Perera, Ana Ruelas, Neha Sampat (Lynelle Mckay not shown).

The Founder

Melinda Garvey became an Austinite in the spring of 2001, and after just a few short months, she knew she had a mission give a voice to the incredible women in Austin. Garvey decided to use her media background to empower, engage and inspire the women of Austin with the launch of Austin Woman magazine, now in its 20th year.

Then, in 2016 On The Dot was born so that women around the globe could have that same access to role models. And to expand her mission further, in 2019 Garvey developed and launched a software platform to bring employee communities and membership communities together in our ever-expanding virtual world with On The Dot Global. In 2020, with the pandemic bearing down and virtual events becoming the norm, Garvey expanded her software capabilities to become the most robust and interactive platform for both virtual events and virtual communities.

In Garvey’s words: “It’s really all about leveling the playing field for women and diverse individuals in companies and members of organizations by giving them access to mentors, peers, content and events within their organizations, creating opportunity for advancement, connection and ultimately equality.”
When not on her soapbox, you can find Garvey and her Kiwi husband and business partner, Kip, at a soccer or football game cheering on their 15 year-old son, Beckom. Other than that, you will find her surrounded by a gaggle of women drinking wine and dreaming up how to create change in the world!

Garvey recently received the prestigious Diversity First Certification from the National Diversity Council and is a frequent speaker on the topics of women’s advancement and diversity, equity and inclusion issues.

The CEO

Shuronda Robinson has stepped into the role of CEO of Austin Woman Magazine in January of 2023. In late 2022, she joined a team of eight other women owners that the magazine founder, Melinda Garvey, curated to lead the women’s empowerment platform. Robinson is honored to continue Austin Woman’s legacy of authentic storytelling and inclusion, as she and the new owners take the platform to the next level.

Robinson is a fourth-generation entrepreneur who currently serves as the President & CEO of Adisa Communications – a boutique PR firm based in Austin, TX. Robinson founded the firm in 1995 and has played an integral part in providing intuitive and creative public relations, training, and diverse communications solutions for clients ever since. Instead of “solving problems,” Robinson offers innovative solutions. She seeks creatively inspired ideas to solve challenging issues while leading with a heart for equity and fairness. Often called upon to work through difficult conversations, she is a master at facilitating and guiding others to greater clarity and productivity.

In addition to being an award-winning journalist, Robinson is also the proud recipient of the Austin Woman Magazine Woman of the Year Award (2020), Small Business of the Year Award from Greater Black Austin Chamber of Commerce (2015), Emerging Leader Award from the Black Austin Democrats (2014), Rosa Parks Diversity Award from Women in Transportation – Heart of Texas Chapter (2013), and Outstanding Volunteer Award from YMCA of Austin (2002).

Robinson lives in Austin, Texas and is the mother of three young men, two of whom proudly serve in the US Navy and US Army.

The COO

Kip Garvey hails from a lengthy background in hospitality and real estate, in both New Zealand and the U.S., until 2010, when his wife finally lured him full time into the family business of AW Media. Kip has been instrumental in growing AW Media’s events and was a key player in the launch and management of ATXMAN for nearly five years.

In recent years, Kip has served as the organization’s CEO and with the new ownership structure will now continue his role as COO, with focus on distribution, events, payroll and anything else that comes up.

Kip was born in New Zealand and moved to the States when he was 21. His family still resides in New Zealand. When not shepherding an AW event or distributing magazines all over town, you will find Kip cheering loudly at his 15-year-old son’s soccer games or relaxing at home with his wife, Melinda, and a fine glass of wine.

The Team

Cy White

Managing Editor

Role at AW: Edit every piece of literature that comes through Austin Woman, plan and build the print magazine every month with assistance from the small AW team (including editorial interns and a handful of freelance contributors), write articles in print and on atxwoman.com as necessary.

I’m a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, with a B.A. in English writing (poetry focus). I’ve been a music journalist for 15 years, and have worked in publishing for 10 years in various capacities. Music and writing are my absolute passions, and editing is a close second.

Nina Gloria

Production Coordinator

Role at AW: I keep things organized with all of our advertisers, subscriptions, and digital media/event planning.

I graduated in May 2022 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Digital Media Innovation and a minor in Media Studies from Texas State University. At Texas State, I was involved in Zeta Tau Alpha, where I held various leadership positions and organized activities to increase member involvement. Most of my experience comes from my time spent working for Nina Berenato Jewelry as a Social Media Intern here in Austin. As an intern, I was able to strengthen my digital skills and learn more about how to grow a small business by using social media. I feel very proud to work for a company with an amazing mission to empower women.

Michelle Bermea

Sales Executive

Role at AW: Advertising Sales and Sponsorship Closer for AW Media, Inc.

Michelle is the advertising sales executive for Austin Woman Magazine and has over 15 years experience in marketing and sales. Born and raised in South Texas she earned 2 degrees with a Business Foundation from the University of Texas at Austin. She began her advertising career at RIESTER Ad Agency in Phoenix, Arizona where she had the honor of being a part of a team that developed advertising and PR for organizations such as Arizona Travel & Tourism, Arizona Lottery, HERDEZ Salsa, NFL, MLB, and NBA. She is especially proud of having been an account manager for RIESTER Multicultural where she created Spanish advertising and had the incredible experience of being the Spanish PR Spokesperson for national accounts by appearing on Univision for brand promotions. Michelle returned to Central Texas and became an advertising sales executive for the Kerrville Daily Times: Southern Newspapers, and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. After Wyndham she joined the Marketing & PR team for the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, TX. Michelle feels truly honored to be part of Austin Woman Magazine and an exceptional group of women who are leading the way in their field while supporting other women. As the Advertising Sales Executive she hopes her extensive experience in marketing and ad sales will help empower women by developing strategies that will elevate their business and to ultimately reach their full potential.

Sonia Yazdi

Sales Executive

Role at AW: Advertising sales and media executive for AW Media, Inc.

Sonia is the advertising sales executive for Austin Woman Magazine and has over 5 years experience in marketing and sales. She was born in England with her mother’s side coming from Russia and her father’s side coming from Iran. Her family immigrated to the U.S. during her childhood and underwent many moves across the states. Her multicultural background paired with being thrown into new environments so many times helped mold the proud “people-person” Sonia is today, being fluent in Russian she can chat your ear off in two languages. Graduating from Michigan State University in 2021 with a Bachelor’s business degree in Marketing, Sonia honed in her extroverted personality and analytical thinking to be professional strengths and skillsets. Sonia genuinely appreciates being a part of Austin Woman Magazine and takes pride in knowing she contributes to a community of empowering women, for women.

Krisna Menier

Community & Events Manager

Role at AW: I create and cultivate a community of events around Austin Woman where you are safe, heard and appreciated.

I’m a Psychology graduate with degree’s from both the University of Nevada – Las Vegas as well as University of Southern California. I have almost decade of event experience ranging from small events to multi-day conferences to retreats. I have created events with and for many household names including Kobe Bryant, Teddi Mellencamp, Rob Dyrdek, Christopher King, Gary Veynerchuk and more. These experiences provided me with a great opportunity to learn and gain expertise in different aspects of a business and taught me how to work and perform well in a team. What’s more, I learned how to lead a group of individuals and successfully finish any assigned task or project. Aside from academia and employment, I also participated in multiple clubs and societies and served on the Fraternity and Sorority Judicial Board representing Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Claire Heleniak

Social Media Specialist

Role at AW: Helps plan, manage and organize social media content.

I am currently attending Texas State University as a Computer Information Systems (CIS) & Marketing major with a plan to graduate in May 2023. At Texas State, I’m the Co- President of the American Marketing Association where I conduct meetings with officer teams and conduct chapter planning. At Texas State, I also found my passion for social media marketing. I was Director of Digital Media at the American Marketing Association at Texas State then worked as the Social Media Manager of the American Marketing Association – Austin Chapter. At Austin Woman, I started in June 2022 as Marketing, Social Media, and Event Intern and gained hands-on experience on those fields. Then at the end of September 2022, I was promoted to Social Media Specialist.

And introducing our newest team member, Sonia Yazdi! Sonia is on our sales team as Sales Executive.