Gretchen Jones: Designer + Activist

"The experience of marching in our nation's capital with so many strangers was electric. I found it important to continually remind myself that regardless of the joy I felt about not being alone in my feelings and need to express some form of solidarity - we are here because the rights of so many people are literally being stripped away. We are marching, peacefully, because we need to show ourselves to our oppressors. We are marching because we have to band together not for a day, but our lifetime. Returning to this thought was important, and will be important as we now march into a battle for our lives - and the lives of others."

Elizabeth Antonia: Mother, Writer, Creative

"This whole last year was so divisive and when Trump won...well, it was a wake up call that we have become too complacent as a society. He fooled a large sub-section of the population into believing he cares for them. I think we were all horrified to watch this reality TV show caricature become our reality!

We are the stewards of our planet and should stand up for the civil liberties of others. So I marched to say we are watching. I marched for the voiceless and underrepresented. I marched to make a commitment to myself to make a change at the local level. I marched because this President has not shown one redeeming quality and we cannot normalize or legitimize his behavior towards women, minorities, the LGBT community or the environment. I know why I marched but it was amazing to see all of the people who showed up in LA, in their beautiful diversity, and to seek to understand their reasons why. So many things that I hadn't even recognized were there for me to learn from.

We can't afford to be complacent as we've seen in the first days of this new presidency.

It's time to let our hearts shine the path forward.

'There is in every true woman's heart a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity; but which kindles up, and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.' - Washington Irving"

Allie Furlotti: DÔEN Partner, Artist, Mother

"The march trumped inauguration gave me hope for fearless course correction at the grassroots level. I made these hoodies and this is Kate and I walking proudly!!!"

Jessica Reed Kraus: Mother, Writer, Creative, Shop Owner

"It wasn't, by any means, easy for me to make it to the march in D.C. this month, especially since plenty of people I know didn't fully support me going, but I went in honor of my own patriotism. What I believe this country is capable of is being tragically undermined by the dangerous agenda this new administration seeks to enforce. To protest in solidarity with my fellow sisters, but also against misogyny, racial divisions, disregard for immigrants, censorship, fake news poisoning our mind frames, inequality for gays, and so many other issues we know are created only to divide us. I went because I have four boys - three of whom are old enough to remember I was a part of a movement to help preserve and reclaim the better parts of our country we love dearly, and it was important to me that my resistance exist in their memory in both words AND action. I hope one day it makes them proud."

Phoebe Dean: DÔEN Partner, Creative

"Marching on Washington with so many like-minded people from all different walks of life was a life changing and profound moment. I felt such conflicting feelings because on one hand I was upset at the reason we were all there and still confused at how our nation was at this point, while on the other hand I was so thankful and inspired to see so many people all speaking their minds and fighting for things important to them. I was lucky enough to be surrounded by women I look up to - my mom, Margaret, Katherine, Jessica - but realized I looked up to every single person around me. It was the most peaceful and positive experience and gave me hope for our future. Having been raised in a home with a father who worked for Planned Parenthood I have always understood fighting for our rights as Americans and women but it was this moment I realized I was not alone in my thoughts and had a renewed sense of hope for our nation.

'The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day; a movement is only people moving.' - Gloria Steinem"

Margaret Kleveland: DÔEN Co-Founder, Mother, Designer

"Growing up in the 90’s feminism was so present on a pop culture level - it was really a powerful time for women’s music and art. For most of my adult life however the women’s movement, more that other civil right movements, seemed to exist mostly in academia, championed by the hard working people in the non profit sector.   The most powerful thing about attending the march was the realization that this has shifted on a GLOBAL level, that the collective consciousness is once again aware that, like most things in life, being an activist starts with showing up. The march was about so much more than gender equality. The overwhelming feeling of unity on messages of LGBTQ rights, immigrant rights, healthcare access, land rights and environmental issues, black lives matter, people over profits... It is important to me to be someday able to describe this historic event to my 2 year old son, knowing that he will grow up with a sense of pride and always have the awareness 'my moms were there.' That is a big deal.

'This is an outpouring of energy and true democracy like I have never seen in my very long life. It is wide in age. It is deep in diversity. And remember the constitution does not begin with "I, the president." It begins with "We, the people.” So don't try to divide us. Do not try to divide us. If you force Muslims to register, we will all register as Muslims.' - Gloria Steinem, Women’s March on Washington Jan 21, 2017

Brett Ramey: Art Director, Mother

"Less than 2 years old and he knew from the energy he wanted to be a part of what these people were all here for. He marched. He screamed. He chanted. He held signs. He clapped and talked to everyone. The amount of kids at the march blew my mind. The future looks pretty bright today."

Katherine Kleveland: DÔEN Co-Founder, Mother, Designer

"The most immediately and personally devastating part of this election for me was not the implications of the winner, but the implications of the loser. I felt so low for so many days; I almost physically felt the slide backwards for women and our progress. For months I had been disgusted by how the even liberal media attacked Hilary’s faults, with the primary one being “she’s not likable.” To me she was the most “likable” candidate in my lifetime - the most experienced, intelligent, and worthy of respect. She did a consistently excellent job walking the line of explaining her platform and policies in detail but in a way that was easily understood by the uninformed majority. But to the media she wasn’t “likable” in the way a woman must be to succeed in present day America; she wasn’t soft, vulnerable, apologetic for her success, submissive, sexualized…

I believed in the progress she would have ushered in, but I find it a struggle to believe in those possibilities considering where we are today, taking daily steps backwards as a country. In my post-election state of disbelief, my mom reminded me that she was raised in a time where the patriarchy held an even stronger sway over everyday life, and encouraged me to acknowledge and be comforted by the progress of the last 50 years. So much progress, but so far to go. So here we are, in the midst of our country’s backslide, clawing upwards, waking up every day and facing the reality of it all, ready for the challenge. I’m committed to promoting and furthering our progress, to protesting trespasses on our fundamental rights at every turn, and I am dedicated to raising my boys to know, love, expect and respect women who conduct themselves as Hilary conducted herself."

Caroline Heerwagen: Business Owner, Musician

"The Women’s March was completely life changing for me. As soon as I got on the plane I knew it was going to be an experience I would never forget. Standing in line to board, I suddenly noticed, “these are all women". One person at a time, we all started realizing we were doing the same thing. We were going to Washington. We were going to march for each other and everyone else. So we started cheering, calling out for each other. In the aisles as each of us went to their seat we would holler. The whole flight was full of laughter and grins so wide all of our cheeks must have been touching. We got off the first leg of our flight in Charlotte, NC (how strangely triumphant to pass through that city for this) took a photo together, and then went to hop on the last leg. Even more women. Even more cheering. More photos. It just went on like that.

The morning of the march, my mother (who I was staying with in Alexandria) dropped me off at the train station. As we pulled up both of us just said wow. The station was spilling onto the street, a myriad of pink hats and cardboard signs turning it inside of itself, the energy palpable from the car. I hiccuped, kissed my mother’s face and ran into the throng. The attendants were so overwhelmed they let us all on for free, to which we all screamed in jubilation and excitement, pushing our bodies, all different ages, shapes, colors, genders onto the platform. We stood, shoulder to shoulder, asking each others names and origins, watching train after train pull in, packed completely to the gills with people just like us and also so different than us that difference became the least relevant thing I’d ever thought of. There was no difference. Only sameness. I marched with those new siblings of mine, new children of mine, parents, lovers, best friends that day, and they will forever be that. We stood with each other, and cried on each other, and cheered and encouraged and laughed with each other. When I got home my whole body ached. I won’t ever know if it was from exhaustion or from holding such an overwhelming amount of love in my belly for so long, but I think it was probably both."

Alyssa Miller: Musician, Model, Activist

"The experience was life changing in a way that it shouldn't have been. I should have always known that wonderful women like this existed everywhere. I wish all women knew. I should swell with pride the way I did that day, everyday. We must always rally together and make our daughters know they are never alone. Powerful, unafraid women as far as the eye could see, it was exactly how it should always be."