Our 12 Women to Watch represent individuals who are community changemakers, leaders and creative thinkers with ideas that can shape entire industries.

Mercury Stardust calls herself a virtual maintenance technician and something of a self-help guide. It may seem like an unusual combination, but it’s a space she thrives in.

Since Yimmuaj Yang joined Groundswell Conservancy in 2020, she’s closed the gap between non-white farmers and available farmland.

As a self-professed “artist academic,” arts educator, author and podcast host Erica Halverson says two tenets guide her work.

“I have lived in Mexico, L.A. and Green Bay … Madison is so unique because of its ability to bring people together and work collaboratively. I have a lot of support, and there are large and influential Black and Latino communities here. That’s why we are able to get so many things done,” says Areli Estrada, executive director of Affordable Dental Care.

Karen Laing didn’t set out to become a midwife, lactation consultant or tech CEO when she enrolled in the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1989.

Alyson Schaefer barely took a breath between retiring as a physical education and health teacher from the Waunakee School District to founding her own nonprofit, Mental Fitness 4 Teens, and launching a podcast and YouTube channel.

Service has always been a priority for Michelle McGrath, an active member of the Rotary Club since 2007.