Keahu Kahuanui Instagram – #WomenOwnWednesday – I’m partnering with @VerizonBusiness on the Verizon Women’s CoLab initiative to bring you a personal share: These costumes represent a lot more than just the time, effort and materials I spent to create and assemble them. To me, they represent the entrepreneuring women who have generously and -very- patiently imparted years of industry experience on my n00b fabricator brain to design and complete some of the most challenging projects of my life. Imagine the impact women like them have across all industries. Although half of our population are women; strong, hardworking, educated, smart, talented, experienced, did you know they are leaving the workforce at FOUR TIMES the rate men are due to pandemic related demands at home. This is a tragedy and a huge step in the wrong direction considering the insight, passion and acumen women bring to business. I cannot overstate the privilege it has been to work with and bear witness to the incredible ones I’ve met throughout my career as an marketer, actor and creative. That being said, they need our support now more than ever and I’m taking this opportunity with @Verizon to not just give a shout out to all those women out there sharing their talents but also to take every Wednesday starting with this one to highlight entrepreneurs like Lauren Matesic, an award winning costumer, owner of @CastleCorsetry and sorceress of her craft. I’ve watched her business thrive as she uses it to empower women (AND men) in the most creative ways with her love for costuming, couture and cosplay. I hope you’ll check out @CastleCorsetry while pledging to support Women Own Wednesdays with your own shout out to other entrepreneurial women and woman-owned small businesses. Without her and many other entrepreneuring women like her, I don’t know where we’d be. Let’s not find out. #VerizonAmbassador