IOWA

Kim Reynolds made history in November as Iowa’s first elected female governor. And as a new legislative session began Jan. 14, she has a cadre of female staffers at her side. Des Moines Register

Iowa 1st District Rep. Abby Finkenauer has landed a seat on the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and 3rd District Rep. Cindy Axne will serve on the Agriculture Committee. Cedar Rapids Gazette 

Ying Sa, founder of Des Moines-based Community CPA & Associates and the nonprofit Immigrant Entrepreneur Summit, is featured on the Jan. 11 front page of Accounting Today, one of the largest accounting trade magazines in the country. 

After selling her pottery through other stores for two years, Iowa artist Allison Fretheim is opening her own shop, called Heim. Fretheim will carry products from other entrepreneurs and says her goal is to “grow it into something bigger than just me.” Daily Iowan 

Kelly Elliott and Jamie Skinner’s children go to the same day care; they met at a 4-year-old birthday party. So when they decided to open Dodge Street Coffeehouse together, they knew they wanted it to be kid-friendly. Cedar Rapids Gazette 

NATION

Citigroup’s female employees earn 29 percent less than their male counterparts, the Wall Street bank revealed on Wednesday, while announcing targets for appointing more women and minorities to senior roles. Reuters

Roughly 75 percent of women entrepreneurs find it hard to secure startup funding, and Visa hopes to address this problem with an initiative called “She’s Next.” Yahoo

In 2015, Sarah Thomas made history by becoming the National Football League’s first full-time female official. She made history again Sunday — this time by becoming the first woman to officiate an NFL playoff game. The Hill