This year was special for women in the United States. On June 4, 1919, Congress passed the 19th Amendment. Six days later, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan became the first three states to ratify this amendment, which became official when the 36th state, Tennessee, ratified the amendment on Aug. 18, 1920.

With the passage of the women’s right to vote, one Nebraska woman gained the right to use her own invention. Elizabeth Jane Robb Douglas of Crete created the collapsible voting booth in the early 1900s and began selling them in 1910s. Douglas Manufacturing Co. made collapsible voting booths for more than 100 years, until it closed its doors in 2015.

This was one of many companies throughout Nebraska, and Omaha, run by a woman, and we highlight several of them this month. Douglas was inducted into the Nebraska Business Hall of Fame, one of seven women you can read about in our story featuring these entrepreneurs and business leaders.

The Little Bohemia area on 13th Street was once known for the Bohemian Cafe, which closed in September 2016. PJ Morgan Real Estate bought several buildings, including the cafe, in 2017, and the area is seeing a revitalization. Included in this revitalization are several businesses run by women. One that we were unable to spotlight was Pretty in Patina. This boutique opened as we were headed to press.

These are a few of the many remarkable stories about women running businesses in this issue. I hope you enjoy them all.

This letter was printed in the December/January 2019 edition of B2B Magazine.