2026 Women of Impact

"Impact is not always loud. Often, it is found in the quiet, consistent ways a life touches others."

That's how my friend and fellow portrait photographer Tassie Winters opens every conversation about why the Women of Impact portrait project exists.

In a world that measures worth in titles, follower counts, and accolades, Women of Impact was built on a different premise: that the most meaningful influence rarely announces itself. It's found in the women who show up faithfully, who lead with integrity, who shape their families and communities in ways that may never be fully seen, but are always deeply felt.

Winters is the founder and editor of the 2026 Women of Impact portrait project. Earlier this year, she invited me to a talented group of female photographers across the country who were photographing and writing about women in our own local communities who were making a big impact in small ways.

"Impact is defined not by position, but by presence," Winters said.

There may be no better time to sit with that idea than right now. Ask anyone who runs a business, a household, a nonprofit, or all three at once, and they'll tell you that August doesn't ease you into Fall. It surprises you. It shoves you. School supply lists appear overnight. Fall bookings stack up on summer's leftovers. Wedding season is still in full swing, harvest is bearing down, and everyone who put off "getting to it later" suddenly needs it now.

It's exactly the kind of season that separates presence from performance. The kind of busy where showing up quietly, day after day, matters more than actually being seen doing it.

This month, I am putting the spotlight on the Women of Impact honorees in our community. The ones who aren’t just surviving this special kind of busy. They are the ones running toward it. Because underneath all the chaos is purpose, and underneath the purpose are people who are counting on them.

Over the coming days, you'll meet:

A Village Trustee who believes local leadership starts with just showing up. (Published Aug. 1)
A regenerative farmer rebuilding the food system one family at a time.
A therapist and practice owner who leans on music and community to stay grounded.
A florist and garden center owner who has learned to stop calling it "balance."
A foundation founder who turned unimaginable loss into a living legacy.
A benefits analyst turned health coach turned stage manager juggling three callings at once.
An artist who traded approval for authenticity.
A hairstylist who found her softer definition of success after cancer.
A wellness executive raised on an avocado ranch, now helping people navigate a healthy lifestyle.
An acupuncturist healing from the root, not just managing symptoms.
A medium and intuitive healer who trusts what she feels before she understands it.

None of them set out to be "impactful." They just kept showing up in the quiet, consistent, often unglamorous ways that this project was created to honor.

As Winters puts it: "Impact is not reserved for a few; it is found in the lives of women all around us, often in ways that are quietly lived each day."

Grab your coffee (or your planner, or your third cup of coffee). Let's meet them.

Marikate Thomas and the Busiest Season on the Farm

If you want to understand what "busy" really means, spend August with a farmer. This is peak season: harvest season arriving, weekend markets in full swing, families lined up at the gate, four kids to raise in the middle of it all. For Marikate Thomas, co-owner of Kakadoodle, a regenerative farm and direct-to-consumer food business, this is the season the whole year builds toward.

Fifteen years ago, Thomas would have laughed if you'd told her she'd be running a farm and working to change the food system. But that's exactly where life, and a health crisis, led her and her husband, Marty.

"When Marty was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, our world stopped," Thomas said. "We found ourselves sitting in doctors' offices asking questions we never thought we'd have to ask.

"As we searched for answers, we began learning more about our food system, chemical exposure, and the connection between health and what we put into our bodies. What started as a personal search for healthier food became something much bigger."

From Hardship to Mission

Looking back, Thomas sees the difficult years differently now.

"Looking back now, I believe God was redirecting our lives. At the time, it felt scary and uncertain," she said. "Today, I can see that those difficult years led us exactly where we were meant to be.

"What began as a small farm has become a mission to help families access food they can trust, while creating opportunities for regenerative farmers to thrive. We believe there is a better way to produce food, and we're committed to helping build it."

Why August Weekends Are Her Favorite

Ask her about the most rewarding part of the work, and Thomas doesn't point to sales numbers or growth chart. She points to the gate.

"One of my favorite moments happens almost every weekend," she said. "Families pull into the farm, step out of their cars, and immediately slow down. Their shoulders drop. Their kids start running through the grass. The stress they arrived with seems to melt away.

"Many people come for eggs, meat, or produce, but they leave with something more. They leave feeling connected. To their food, to the land, and to each other."

Those relationships have changed her too.

"We've cried together, celebrated together, and shared stories about health, family, and life," she said. "What started as customers have often become friends."

Running a Farm and a Household of Six

Thomas is raising four children, ages 8, 10, 11, and 12, while co-running a growing business, and she's honest about what that's cost.

"Marty and I have invested not only financially but emotionally and physically into this dream," she said. "There have been years of sacrifice, long days, sleepless nights, and moments where we genuinely wondered whether we could keep going.

"We've put hundreds of thousands of our own dollars back into the business. We've delayed vacations, postponed purchases, and taken risks that didn't always feel comfortable. But those challenges have shaped us. They've strengthened our faith, taught our children valuable lessons, and helped us stay focused on why we started."

Her Advice for Women Chasing a Calling

"Don't wait until you feel ready," Thomas said. "If I had waited until I felt fully prepared, I never would have started.

"Begin where you are. Be willing to learn. Expect mistakes. Ask questions. Give yourself grace. I say that last one because it's something I still work on every day. Stay focused on your own path and trust that growth happens along the way."

As the farm moves through another full August of markets, harvest, and families at the gate, Thomas keeps her eyes on what matters most.

"I'm proud of what we've built, but I'm even more proud of how we've built it," she said. "When I look around the farm and see our children helping, customers gathering, and families connecting, I see something much bigger than a business. I see a community."

No headline captures that. It's simply presence, repeated every weekend, until it becomes a legacy.

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