Here at The Scout Guide Northwest Arkansas, we’re dedicated to celebrating and empowering women-owned businesses through story telling and connection. As the backbone of our communities, these businesses offer something truly unique. Our mission? To help you uncover the remarkable women behind the businesses, hear their inspiring stories, and support their ventures.

Welcome to The Scout Guide of Northwest Arkansas—where we champion both exceptional businesses and the incredible women who run them.

Schedule of Events + Panelist Info

Opening Meditation + Intention Setting
To set our intentions, Tara Loop of Sunny’s will guide us through a thoughtful meditation session. Tara Loop is the wellness director for Kelly Green, a female founded wellness company and the parent company of Sunny’s and SunnyDays.

Scout Guide Insider Chat
Participants: Jennifer Esty, Lauren Chesney Anderson, Tess Labeth Bleich, Flannery Wilson, Lyndsey Huddleston

Advocating for Yourself + Trusting Your Intuition 
Panelists: Meg Green, Amy Reeves Robinson, Gloria Vazquez, Caroline Jones

Vision Casting + Carving Your Own Path 
Panelists: Anna Cottrell, Andrea Allen, Danielle Ribaudo, Carson Roncketto

Meet the women you’ll hear from today:

Jennifer Esty, The Scout Guide Northwest Arkansas Owner & Editor
@tsgnwarkansas @Jennesty
Jenn is the Editor and Owner of The Scout Guide Northwest Arkansas. Born and raised in Plano, Texas, Jenn’s been a resident of Arkansas longer than she hasn’t now calling The Natural State home. After graduating from Texas Tech University, Jenn and her husband, Wade, moved to New Mexico before making their journey east to Fayetteville. Jenn has an extensive history in retail and customer service, working for both very large and very small businesses, giving her a keen understanding of the value that small businesses contribute to their communities. She spent many years working and branding for local businesses in Northwest Arkansas including the business that she and her husband started in 2011. Wherever she resides or visits, she is sure to shop, eat, and scout local and has loved using The Scout Guide to learn how to live like a local in other “scouted” cities. She joined The Scout Guide Northwest Arkansas as Associate Editor in 2019 before taking over as Editor in April 2021. Jenn’s background in retail, small business, social media, and branding made her transition to Editor a natural fit. In 2022 she started the first and only Scout Guide Podcast, The Scoutcast featuring local makers, owners, and advocates.

Lauren Chesney Anderson, Contributing Editor + Mindset Coach
@LAOpenRecord 
“You can have, do or be anything you want. It’s all available.”
Our host of the panel, Lauren Chesney Anderson has spent 15 years of her career scaling media businesses with and for the world’s largest retailers and brands. Currently, her focus lies with helping women step into their purpose and create expansion in all areas of their lives by rewiring limiting beliefs and collapsing time. Her coaching practice is a balance of her pedigree as an ad-tech executive with her natural gifts and years of study in spirituality, teaching and healing. Lauren lives in Fayetteville with her daughter Stella. 

Tara Loop, Wellness Director of Sunny’s & SunnyDays
@sunnysonsecond
@taraloop_
In addition to being the Wellness Director of Sunny’s, she is also a Kundalini Yoga and Meditation instructor who has worked for over a decade as a nutritionist and wellness developer for hotels. Sunny’s is a fast, casual, health-forward cafe and retail space that offers locally sourced, made from scratch food in downtown Bentonville. SunnyDays, an extension of the health-forward eatery, hosting wellness leaders from around the globe for weekend events and experiences. Tara and her team believe that a healthy, mindful, and active lifestyle contributes to a clear and positive state that radiates to all areas of life; we couldn’t agree more! 

Advocating for Yourself + Trusting Your Intuition Panelists

Meg Green, Dietitian, MS, RDN, LD, IFNCP
@MegGreenRD
Meg is a southern girl from Wynne, Arkansas with a love for feeding the mind, body, and soul using food as medicine. Following graduating from The University of Arkansas, she moved to Memphis to complete her Dietetic Internship and Master’s program. While in Tennessee, she worked as a graduate assistantship with the Bone Marrow Transplant team at St. Jude Children’s Hospital. After meeting her husband, they decided to call Little Rock home, where she worked at Arkansas Children’s Hospital for 12 years while starting a family of their own. After her husband was diagnosed with a congenital heart condition and through functional medicine, Meg realized she had a misdiagnosed autoimmune disease, where she learned the importance of stress management and nutrition. Switching gears to focus on women’s health and wellness, Meg became the first Integrative and Functional Nutrition Certified Practitioner in the state. When she’s not with clients, Meg likes to spend time with her family, creating new wholesome recipes, yoga, paddle boarding, and reading a good book.

Amy Reeves Robinson, NEXXT Women
@NexxtWomen 
Amy has worked and advocated for women around the globe for over 20 years as a strategy consultant for entrepreneurs as well as a consensus and change facilitator. She founded NEXXT Women after her organization Tribe of Women, listened to thousands of women and affirmed that when women support women, women thrive. Now, she’s putting her research to work by partnering with groups, companies, and organizations to provide meaningful and powerful programs for women that ground us individually and make a difference for us collectively. 

Gloria Vazquez, Rejuvenated Medical Spa Founder
@RejuvenatedMedSpa
Gloria’s vision for Rejuvenated Medical Spa was to create a unique facility that provides a beautiful, positive environment for guests to rediscover inner balance through functional medicine with a focus on internal hormone optimized wellness, regenerative medicine, as well as enjoying outer beauty through innovative aesthetic services. She loves to be on the forefront of the safest offerings and most advanced technologies to provide Rejuvenated guests with elevated service and experiences. Gloria oversees all aspects of clinic operations; focused on education, business, and marketing. She and her husband, Elmer, love to enjoy their family, travel, and helping their community.

Caroline Jones, Owner of McClure Fitness and The Brushed Home
@CarolineGibsonJones @McClure_Fitness_Bentonville
Born and raised in Arkansas, Caroline is a proud mother of five daughters, who embarked on an unexpected journey to entrepreneurship. Despite facing obstacles such as undiagnosed ADHD and navigating multiple career shifts, she found her true calling through teaching fitness and discovering a hidden talent for watercolor. Now, as the owner of McClure Fitness Bentonville and The Brushed Home, she is living her dream while balancing family commitments.

Vision Casting + Carving Your Own Path 

Anna Cottrell, Creative Director at MIXD Gallery
@AnnaECottrell @MIXD.Gallery
Named as“One of the most stylish entrepreneurs living in the South” by Southern Living Magazine, Anna is a multi-industry creative director, visual storyteller, and brand builder with over 15 years of professional experience. She covered New York Fashion Week for many years backstage for Revlon shows (Oscar de la Renta, Marchesa, etc.) as well as attending Sydney Fashion Week. With a refined perspective and keen editorial eye, she helps brands establish their identity, driven by a purpose to inspire and captivate consumers. Anna’s passions lie in creative design collaboration, intersected luxury branding, and innovative campaign development. Cottrell’s most notable NWA projects include MIXD Gallery, Aisle 9, Lola Boutique, and The Blakeman’s Pop Up (coming soon). In her free time she enjoys all things travel, thrifting, florals, interior design, pizza, and spending quality time with loved ones — pets included. 

Andrea Allen, Co-Founder of Onyx Coffee Lab
@AndreaArkansPro @OnyxCoffeeLab
Andrea Allen is the co-founder of Onyx Coffee Lab, the 2020 US Barista Champion, and the 2021 World Barista Champion Runner up. She believes that coffee is what brings us together, uniting every person along the supply chain, bridging gaps between generations, and creating the space where all great conversations happen. Outside of coffee, she enjoys running, riding horses, and spending time with her husband and two daughters.

Danielle Ribaudo, Co-Owner of Heirloom at The 1907 and Pinky Swear
@DanielleRibaudo @Heirloom1907 @PinkySwear1907
Danielle is an entrepreneur and hospitality professional with over 24 years of experience in the service industry, bringing a wealth of knowledge and a touch of finesse to every aspect of her work. She’s the co-owner of Heirloom at The 1907, a hyper-seasonal, intimate tasting menu restaurant, and Pinky Swear, a hi-fi record bar and cocktail lounge. Danielle’s journey in hospitality has been impassioned by her unwavering commitment to carving her own path and inspiring others to do the same. As a yoga teacher for over 15 years, she brings a holistic approach to her work, emphasizing the importance of mental well-being and self-care within the fast-paced hospitality industry. Currently pursuing her WSET Level 3 certification, she is passionate about wine and its ability to enhance the dining experience. Danielle oversees all aspects of front-of-house operations, excelling in guest relations and curating bespoke wine lists tailored to the season and each concept’s unique ambiance and cuisine. With a commitment to excellence and a keen understanding of hospitality dynamics, Danielle. Her visionary outlook inspires entrepreneurs and industry professionals, demonstrating the power of passion, perseverance, and mindfulness in achieving one’s dreams. 

Carson Roncketto, Partner and COO at Creative Promo/We Are Super Deluxe
@WeAreSuperDeluxeMerch @CRoncketto
Carson Roncketto is Partner and COO at SuperDeluxe, a trend-forward, women-powered, branded merchandise agency serving clients from multi-billion dollar retail giants to franchised organizations, tech start-ups, and ad agencies across North America. Formerly Chief Learning Officer at a national non-profit, Carson brings her experience and passion for values-driven work to SuperDeluxe, helping clients tell their brand story through product with purpose. She volunteers her time leading an international mentoring program for executives and professionals in the $26 billion branded merch industry.

The Scout Guide of Northwest Arkansas Team

Tess Labeth Bleich – Associate Editor
@WellandWear @tess.bleich 
Tess serves as an Associate Editor for The Scout Guide Northwest Arkansas, reflecting her deep connection to the region and her passion for its local culture. A Northwest Arkansas native, Tess has a keen eye for detail and a genuine appreciation for all things local. After graduating from the University of Arkansas in 2007, Tess embraced entrepreneurship, and founded her own women’s retail establishment in 2011, Savoir-Faire, in Downtown Fayetteville. Since then, Tess has obtained a certification in Integrative Health from The Institute of Integrative Nutrition in 2021 and launched an online wellness platform, WELL + WEAR. Her transition to Associate Editor of The Scout Guide NWA feels like a natural progression, given her diverse experiences and roles as a small business owner. Living in Benton County with her husband and two children, Tess is an active member of her community. Often found in local coffee shops, she balances work and family life while exploring the latest family-friendly dining spots. Tess has a wealth of knowledge about local parks, kid-friendly trails, and a deep appreciation for uncovering hidden gems within the community. Her passion for style is evident in her commitment to supporting local shops and discovering the untold stories that make each community unique. Tess Bleich’s genuine love for Northwest Arkansas is reflected in her work and daily life, making her a valuable asset to The Scout Guide and the local community.

Flannery Lyle Wilson – Associate Editor
@flancake 
Flannery is the Associate Editor at The Scout Guide Northwest Arkansas. She is both a south-Arkansas native and University of Arkansas graduate, and recently moved back to the Fayetteville area after living in NYC for the last 7 years with her husband, Alex. Flannery has experience spanning across several creative industries – fashion, marketing, retail and sales, to name a few. While in school, she was a visual merchandiser and stylist for local shop Lola Boutique, introducing her to Fayetteville’s vibrant community of creatives, makers, owners and advocates. Most recently she was assisting in marketing efforts for Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, and Men’s Health magazines. Her work as a stylist assistant also found her on the set of other publications like British and German Vogue, along with the WSJ. Flannery also has a creative consulting business, Flancake, where she provides creative solutions for client’s custom projects and ideas, travel itineraries that are small business minded, along with wardrobe and styling services. When she isn’t shopping locally or looking to support NWA’s newest small business, she can be found roller skating, mountain biking, or in the outdoors enjoying Fayetteville’s many trails.

Lyndsey Huddleston – Associate Editor
@TSGlittlerock 
Lyndsey is the Associate Editor for The Scout Guide Little Rock. A native to Arkansas, she graduated in 2014 with a B.F.A from The University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She has an extensive background in marketing working in branding, digital media, design, photography, and public relations, working for a variety of global retail brands, advertising agencies, local, in-house marketing teams, and corporate organizations. When she’s not snapping photos or designing creative assets, she spends her time reading, crocheting, and playing board games with her husband and friends. 

Thank you for joining us this morning for the 2024 Women for Women Brunch! Proceeds from our panel will go directly to supporting the NWA Women’s Shelter. Should you wish to contribute, their donation list can be found here. At the top of their priority list is the Wondercart, a vital resource in furthering their mission of creating a secure environment where women can thrive and excel in every aspect of their lives.

This event wouldn’t be possible without our Sponsors and Participants, we’d like to extend a huge THANK YOU to these businesses.

If you’re interested in becoming a member of The Scout Guide Northwest Arkansas, please get in touch here. Stay connected by following us on Instagram, Facebook, subscribing to our newsletter here, and tuning into our podcast The ScoutCast.