Mendy Hoffman
Owner, Velocity stylebar
At Velocity stylebar, the slogan is “Empower Yourself.” And that’s just what this blow dry and style bar aims to help women do.
“Velocity stylebar is a place where you can relax, be spoiled, and let your hair down,” explains owner and Paradise Valley resident Mendy Hoffman.
Hoffman launched the location in January of 2019.
“I have a lot of hair,” she explains, smiling. “I had two memberships at blow dry bars prior to opening. I wanted to bring a local business into the community and empower other women.”
Velocity stylebar, located at 4290 E. Indian School Road (VelocityStylebar.com), is “a blow dry bar with hairstylists who provide blowouts, braids, event styling, makeup, facials, and waxing,” Hoffman explains. “Velocity stylebar does not provide coloring or chemical services; however, we are available to provide all your hair styling necessities. We are a cruelty-free, vegan hair salon, so no testing on fur babies! We also supply services for special events like baby showers, that out of town flight, or your special day. Even if you do not have a special event, it is a terrific way to get that runway look and feel without the expense of spending hours in a salon.”
Hoffman is at Velocity every day it is open. She manages the day-to-day operations, ordering, and payroll, as well as does blowouts and styling.
Hoffman lives with her husband John, two step-sons, and a Yorkie pup, and has two sons of her own, as well as a granddaughter. When she’s not at Velocity she enjoys hiking, hunting, cooking, camping/nature, and spending time with family and friends.
She is also involved with various philanthropic efforts.
“We are active with StreetlightUSA.org and donate to local schools for their fundraising/silent auctions, have held a fundraiser for U.S. Vets, and are involved in an upcoming event in the fall. I have also donated to multiple local causes,” she shares.
Holly Wright
Interior designer, Holly Wright Design
Holly Wright’s fascination with design began at a young age.
“I remember that I used to take the shoelaces out of my sneakers and lay them out on the floor of my bedroom to create floor plans for my dolls’ homes,” she says. “I also would rearrange my bedroom constantly because I would love the thrill of how I could use my room differently with each layout I would create, and it was so stimulating to me. I eventually learned that I can have a career in doing these same creations for others and pursued interior design.”
Wright works with architects, builders, and artisans to assist clients in creating beautiful and functional environments that are uniquely tailored to suit each individual client and their lifestyle.
“I am passionate about the creation of custom homes and I also specialize in the development and planning of hospitality and commercial interiors,” she adds.
Wright, an Arizona native who launched her company Holly Wright Design (HollyWrightDesign.com) in 2017, truly enjoys what she does.
“I love the diversity of interior design. I love that every client is different, every home is different, and that the industry is constantly evolving. Each day is different than the next and this keeps me inspired and allows me to create and develop new and innovative designs for my clients,” she shares.
Wright lives with her husband, Eric, and their three dogs. She’s an animal lover, and focuses her charitable contributions to assist the local animal community, including the Arizona Animal Welfare League and the Arizona Humane Society.
She also enjoys being active through exercise and outdoor activities, as well as cooking.
As for the future of Holly Wright Design, “I’m just excited for what the future holds,” she says. “I look forward to new experiences and ready to take on any challenges. I’m always up for personal growth and getting the opportunity to be a better version of myself every day.”
Ann Siner and Tess Loo
Owners, My Sister’s Closet, My Sister’s Attic, Well Suited
It was 1991 when sisters Ann Siner, Tess Loo, and Jenny Siner opened their first store together, called My Sister’s Closet.
“We founded My Sister’s Closet when we realized the resale stores in Arizona in 1991 were anything but nice,” Siner explains. “Our thought to open a store that looked like a new store with curated product would be a fresh new look for the entire resale industry.”
They dreamed big, aiming to create a destination that looked like a new boutique, gave people a place to consign items, and offered some of the world’s top brands for well below retail prices.
The concept and their first location proved to be wildly successful, and today, there are four stores around the Valley and two in California.
“There are so many things I love about all our stores,” Loo says. “First are the people; the people we work with, our clients who consign, and the happy people who shop with us. Plus we get amazing, affordable, and quality product in.”
With the success of My Sister’s Closet (MySistersCloset.com), Siner and Loo branched out, launching My Sister’s Attic, a luxury home consignment destination, and Well Suited, a men’s consignment destination. Today, those two divisions have a total of eight locations.
The sisters also keep busy giving back to the community. Their founded their own 501c3, My Sisters' Charities, as well as opened a thrift store.
“We’ve given millions of dollars to many nonprofits, including the Arizona Humane Society, Defenders of Wildlife, Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, Phoenix Art Museum, Desert Botanical Garden, San Diego Humane Society, and Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center, just to name a few,” says Siner. “And we’ve always donated unsold products to the thrift stores of these groups.”
“Ann and I have chaired big galas for the Phoenix Art Museum, Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, and twice for the Arizona Humane Society’s Compassion With Fashion,” adds Loo. “We also started an event called Dinner With Wolves several years ago, a dinner held at the Southwest Wildlife Center annually. I’m also involved with Trends Charitable Fund.”
Kelsey Campbell
Olympian and National Team Wrestler for Team USA
For Kelsey Campbell, it all started with a dare.
“I was dared to try out for the wrestling team in high school,” she says. “I was about to complete 11th grade, so my senior year would be my only opportunity to ‘last at least two weeks.’ Aside from knowing a handful of high schoolers on the team, I truly was not drawn into the sport by anything outside of the stars aligning a bit. I think I probably stayed in the sport because, especially back then, it was such an honest athletic venture. I wasn’t extremely talented at anything really, but even after those first few practices, I knew if I worked hard, I could be on to something great.”
Today, Campbell (IAmKelseyCampbell.com) is an Olympian, two-time Olympic Trials Champion, two-time College National Champion, and a four-time Senior National Champion.
And, “at the end of an already somewhat tumultuous 2020, I’ll be super excited to say I will have been a keynote speaker and performer at two international film festivals, [been on the cover of] two magazines, graduated with my MBA in business administration, been named KNOW’s ‘100 Women to Know’ Phoenix Edition, and executed a first-of-its-kind media campaign as project manager for eBay,” she says.
Campbell was born in Alaska but grew up in Oregon, moving to Arizona in 2006 to launch a college ministry. That’s also when she began wrestling for Arizona State University.
“I love the honesty of [the sport],” she reflects. “I still believe that it is a sport that doesn’t discriminate. The score truly does not care about your clout or following or where you came from. And while today those things ‘matter’ on some level, preparation is what truly matters in this sport. I don’t think I could have accomplished the things I did if that weren’t true.”
When she’s not training, Campbell focuses on music, which is what she plans to transition to after her wrestling career.
Helen Jean
Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion Design, Phoenix Art Museum
“I have such a rare opportunity to tell these stories and work with these amazing objects” says Helen Jean.
Jean was recently appointed as the new Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion Design at Phoenix Art Museum (PhxArt.org), a role she is extremely passionate about.
“For me, I love that I get to do this job because I see my responsibility as telling stories about who we are and how we relate to each other using some of the most gorgeous objects that humans have created,” she says. “These garments are extraordinary, and it’s an honor to create opportunities for people to have conversations about them, how and why they were created, and why we should consider them art.
“We all use clothing to protect ourselves but we also use it to communicate who we are. As children we’re taught that if we need help, to look for people in uniforms. Clothing is a message board. We communicate so much with our appearance, and this is such a great opportunity to explore that, and how people have used appearance to make art.”
Jean first joined Phoenix Art Museum as a curatorial assistant from 2007-2012, and returned in September 2019 to serve as the interim curator of fashion design, bringing more than a decade of experience as a fashion scholar and educator.
Jean recently curated the Museum’s latest fashion design exhibition, India: Fashion’s Muse, and is currently working on the next exhibition Fearless Fashion: Rudi Gernreich, a retrospective of the designer’s work from the 1960s-70s set to open this fall and on tour from the Skirball Museum.
There are more than 8,000 objects in Phoenix Art Museum’s fashion design collection. Many of them are linked to inspiring women.
“From visionary fashion designers such as Coco Chanel, Claire McCardell, and Iris van Herpen to globally influential political figures such as donors Nancy Reagan and Claire Booth Luce, the women behind the garments in this collection are truly inspiring,” she says.
Kelly Kelleher, MD
Chief Quality & Safety Officer, Phoenix Children's Hospital
Kelly Kelleher, MD, is a pediatric hospitalist and the chief quality and safety officer for Phoenix Children's Hospital (PCH).
“My main areas of focus are patient and employee safety as it pertains to medical errors and the prevention of harm to our patients while they are in the hospital,” Kelleher explains. “I also spend time focusing on how we at PCH can improve the quality of care our patients receive.”
Lately, Kelleher—who is originally from Montana but moved to Phoenix in 2008 to begin her residency training—has been busy as part of the leadership team working to prepare PCH (PhoenixChildrens.org) for COVID-19.
“This has been an experience like none I have had before,” she says. “Taking time to appreciate all of those people who are working so hard to keep our community safe and finding joy in simple things has been on the forefront of my mind.
“Fortunately, our hospital has a fantastic leadership team and this pandemic has highlighted the skill of those individual,” she continues. “Admittedly, the days are a little bit longer. The volume of information I consume and respond to on a daily basis has increased dramatically. It has been inspiring to see our organization come together and support one another through this time of change.”
Kelleher says she sees healthcare being fundamentally changed moving forward.
“One habit I hope sticks is good hand hygiene!” she says. “Other areas I see evolving include how we reduce medical waste and information sharing across hospital systems.”
When she’s not working, Kelleher enjoys time with her family, enjoying the outdoors, playing games, and going to activities for her four daughters.
