Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I’m an entrepreneur, a small business owner, a mother, and a sixth generation Nebraskan. I’ve been proud to call the Dundee neighborhood my home for over a decade. I’m raising my daughter here, where she attends Dundee Elementary School. I frequently say that I love living in Nebraska, and that loving where I live, I feel a responsibility to make this a place where everybody in our great state has the opportunity to start a business, have a great job, or pursue their passion in whatever way they choose, regardless of their background, income, or zip code. I’d like to tell you more about why that matters to me.

I started my first business while I was still in college, and by bootstrapping, I grew that company to a staff of nine designing dresses and accessories for more than three hundred brides a year. In 2010, when I founded Omaha’s first shared coworking space in North Downtown, I was able to join forces with many local startups and be a part of the growing tech entrepreneurship community here in the Silicon Prairie. As social media became increasingly important, I concentrated my business efforts online, where I created a shared community space for women and developed a strong internet presence for my company. When times got tougher for me personally, I relied on side hustles that helped to pay the bills, hosting several Airbnb spaces throughout Omaha and continuing to build relationships with people who were doing amazing things in Nebraska.

But there’s more to what I do than focusing on business growth. Even as my company expanded to a brick and mortar storefront now in the heart of Dundee’s business district, I never forget that my first responsibility is to my community. That’s why, as a leader in business, I have leveraged my unique platform for outreach on issues that matter to me and my team of employees. As business owners, my partner and I have used our platform to raise tens of thousands of dollars for organizations like Planned Parenthood, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the ACLU, the Anti-Defamation League, Black Lives Matter, the Immigrant Legal Center, and more. We’ve used our revenue to sponsor events, festivals, and shows in Omaha. We’ve used our revenue to pay for women to attend code school, to give free clothes to trans women who are becoming comfortable in their identities, to bring speakers in to Omaha, and more. I consider business ownership a privilege and I have worked hard to be worthy of it. Partnerships and collaboration are extremely important to me, and women’s issues are at the forefront of what I’ve done in the spaces of both entrepreneurship and activism, which I frequently and happily combine.

Two years ago, I worked with the Slowdown to bring Senator Wendy Davis to Omaha, an iconic modern leader in women’s reproductive rights. We filled the room to capacity, and she spoke passionately about her filibuster of a Texas law that would dramatically reduce women’s access to contraception and preventative healthcare—a bill not unlike ones we have seen come through the Nebraska Legislature. She made national news and made history with her 12-hour filibuster in the Texas Senate to prevent the closure of a women’s healthcare clinic.

Like my friend Wendy, I’m an outspoken advocate on issues that matter to me ranging from environmental protections to healthcare. I believe the strongest leaders lead by example. That’s why at my company we have always paid our workers a fair wage, from our interns to our managers, and why we include all of our workers in decisions that affect the inner workings of the company and the experiences of our customers. My dream is to build a strong workforce of new leaders who will one day pursue their wildest ambitions outside of my company and speak out in their own ways about the things they want to change. Nothing would make me happier than for that to be the impact of my business.

In the Nebraska Legislature, I’ll work hard to advocate on your behalf and make sure Nebraska attracts and retains business talent and community leaders. I’ll prioritize accountability and transparency in government, work to improve efficiency, and expand access to healthcare, paid family leave, quality education, and everything that all Nebraskans need to live the good life. I will also never stop being the outspoken woman I am. And with the opportunity to join the 49-person team that is our great Nebraska Legislature, I look forward to putting my conviction, integrity, and ability to get results to work for you.

With your help, we will win in November and be a strong new voice in Nebraska’s unicameral. Thank you for your support, and never stop speaking up.

Best,
Meg