Meet our new publisher! Dawn Weston joins the Austin Woman team and shares her vision for the magazine and her favorite spots in Austin.

Photo and story by Courtney Runn

Austin Woman is excited to announce Dawn Weston is the magazine’s new publisher. With a career in media and advertising, most recently as associate publisher at Edible Austin, Weston will be an incredible asset to the magazine and we’re looking forward to continuing our mission of celebrating Austin women with her at our helm. 

An adopted Texan by way of Illinois, we asked her a few questions about what she’s looking forward to at Austin Woman and her favorite spots in Austin. 

Austin Woman: What drew you to Austin Woman

Dawn Weston: Melinda [Garvey] originally, I would say. She’s a powerhouse and it’s really inspiring. … I’m a print junkie; my background is print media. I started doing ad sales when I was in college in 2002. I’ve always had this love for print. I subscribe to tons of magazines and so I’ve always been a reader and a fan of Austin Woman so when the opportunity came to join the team, I was honored to say yeah this is something that seems like a great fit for me and be able to work with such an awesome, strong woman team. 

AW: What are you looking forward to in your new role?

DW: Just being part of the community overall. The community that the publication has built over 17 years and then being able to carry that forward and really work with the team to empower women and continue the mission. 

AW: What’s on your reading list? 

DW: I’m rereading one of my favorite books I’ve read like five times and it’s Basic Black: The Basic Guide for Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life). It’s by Cathie Black and she has a long history in media. … One that I just ordered is Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy. … I have two audio books I’m currently listening to. One is When Giants Walked the Earth and that is basically the story of Led Zeppelin and then the Mueller report. … And then anything Brené Brown. 

AW: What’s your go-to coffee order and your favorite Austin coffee shop? 

DW: My go-to coffee order right now is a decaf Americano but usually I would take it just straight black. … And I would say my favorite coffee shop just because it’s most frequented is Radio. My husband and I walk there on the weekends. 

AW: Who is your Austin woman crush? 

DW: Brooklyn Decker because she’s hilarious. I want her dry sense of humor. She’s just real; her mom life, her things that happen in general and she’s a tech entrepreneur with Finery and I think that Grace and Frankie is hilarious. 

AW: July is our philanthropy issue so what is your favorite Austin nonprofit? 

DW: Central Texas Food Bank because I love volunteering there and I think they do a great job getting out in the community and really educating, and of course every dollar that goes to the food bank goes back to the community and they’re very transparent about what’s happening. 

AW: Who has mentored you throughout your career? 

DW: The women in my family just overall. My mom [has] always taught me to be independent and [have a] fend-for-yourself mentality. … Marla [Camp] was also a huge mentor to me and really introduced me to the Austin community. 

AW: What does it mean to you to be an Austin woman?

DW: I’m honored to be part of the history Austin Woman is making and the example it’s setting for future generations of women because I think that so many times in my life, in history, there’s steps forward and steps backward, so I think documenting the steps forward and highlighting the people who are taking those steps is really important so there’s role models for future generations to be like, ‘I can do that.’ … When I was in college there were no female sportscasters. It didn’t even cross my mind to do that and looking now, there’s more but…I probably would have loved to do that but never thought it was something I could have done so I think having those role models is super important because you could miss out on your calling if you don’t even know it’s an opportunity for you. 

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