IOWA

On the walls of Tiffiny’s Tipton Bakery, maps of Iowa, the United States and the world bristle with pins. Each pin represents people who have either traveled to Tipton for one of the bakery’s signature crescents. In 2012, the current owners, Tiffiny Meinert and her husband, Stacy, bought the bakery and kept the crescent tradition going. The Cedar Rapids Gazette 

Christa Nelson had an epiphany as she sat across from Anna Patty at a Marion coffee shop one day in May 2016. “I realized God was sending me the person I needed,” Nelson said. Later, the pair opened Epiphany, a home-based marketing firm. The Cedar Rapids Gazette 

NATIONAL

This month, in honor of Women’s History Month, #GivingTuesday is bringing back #WomenWhoGive to recognize women who are doing good and giving back around the globe.Read more 

When Kikkan Randall and Marit Bjorgen shared the Olympic podium after the women’s team sprint freestyle, it was a significant moment for their sport. It was also a great moment for mothers. The New York Times 

FemaleFounders.org is a group of well-known women entrepreneurs hoping to help women who wish to start a business to find investors. The group will hold office hours to let venture capitalists and women founders get to know each other and build a community that shares insights.TechCrunch 

Unilever has committed to increasing the number of female-founded startups it invests in. Right now, just 23 percent of its investment goes to female-led businesses; by 2023 it wants that to be 50 percent. The Drum 

The numbers tell a story of rapid change: Between 2011 and 2017, female franchise ownership jumped by 83 percent, while male ownership increased by only 13 percent. Entrepreneur.com