AVIATRA ACCELERATORS CELEBRATES THE VISION, GROWTH AND IMPACT OF WOMEN-LED BUSINESSES DURING ANNUAL FLIGHT NIGHT

Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award Winners Will be Announced

Early-Stage Entrepreneurs Will Compete for Cash

CINCINNATI, OH – August 20, 2025 – Aviatra Accelerators, the non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and championing women entrepreneurs, will hold its annual Flight Night at 20th Century Theater, 3021 Madison Road in Oakley on Thursday, September 4, 2025. The event celebrates seasoned women entrepreneurs and business owners who are leading the way in the region, as well as emerging entrepreneurs positioned for the next phase of growth.

During Flight Night, finalists for Aviatra’s second annual Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards will be honored, with winners announced across five categories. In partnership with the Cincinnati Business Courier, the awards celebrate outstanding women business owners making an impact across the region. Finalists include:

Woman Entrepreneur of the Year

  • Kiersten Beatty, Elevate Creative Co.

  • Shannan Boyer, Scooter Media

  • Rachel DesRochers, The Gratitude Collective

Woman Health Entrepreneur of the Year

  • Dr. Sarah Cash Crawford, Anchor Wellness Center

  • Tiffany Hawthorne, A Servant’s Heart Training Institute

  • Beth Hinden, Sanctuary of Integration Wellness Center

Woman Tech Entrepreneur of the Year

  • Kerry Taft, Taft Systems

  • Katie Trauth Taylor, Narratize

  • Amy Vaughn, Together Digital

Young Woman Entrepreneur of the Year

  • Amelia Wares, TissuTrak

  • Noelle Scheper, Motiv

Philanthropic Woman Entrepreneur of the Year

  • T. Renae Banks, Bankable Properties LLC

  • Rachel DesRochers, The Gratitude Collective

  • Kendra Ramirez, KR Digital

A panel of local business leaders served as the selection committee for this year’s awards, including Jill McCauley, African- American Chamber of Commerce; Holly Nibert, Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce; Jeni Al Barani, Miami University; Karla Boldery, Latina Entrepreneurship Academy; and Shonda Sullivan, Advanced HR Services.

Flight Night will also feature a pitch competition highlighting local women-owned businesses from Aviatra’s Momentum Accelerator®, a 12-week program that equips entrepreneurs with the skills to strengthen their business and accelerate growth, spanning industries such as food, fashion, marketing, wellness and more. The winner of the competition will receive a cash prize of $1,000.00. 

Aviatra Flight Night is made possible through the support of Ramona Rechtin, Mueller Financial; 1919 Investment Counsel; Disabled American Veterans; Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses at Cincinnati State University; Entrepreneurs’ Organization Accelerator; Interlink Cloud Advisors; The Delish Dish Catering & Events; Frost Brown Todd Attorneys LLC; Huntington Bank; Taft Systems; Your Brand Compass; Square 1; and Scooter Media.

Tickets to Flight Night on September 4 are on sale now at www.aviatraaccelerators.org/flight-night. To learn more about Aviatra Accelerators and its programs, visit www.aviatraaccelerators.org/.

About Aviatra Accelerators  

Celebrating fifteen years of supporting women on the rise to find the power to soar, Aviatra Accelerators, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, exists to empower women entrepreneurs, providing education, coaching, mentoring, networking, and access to capital. Aviatra’s programs are tailored to meet the needs of women entrepreneurs at all stages of the business cycle. With a presence in Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Dayton, Ohio, Aviatra Accelerators has helped nearly 4,000 women entrepreneurs create 15,000 jobs and receive millions in funding, and its alumni have generated a cumulative total of over $1 billion in earned revenues. For more about Aviatra and its women entrepreneur success stories, visit www.aviatraaccelerators.org/.

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Ann Keeling