The Founding Females® Heartbeat April 2026
Credit: Hannah Knight of Always Flourishing Photography
April Heartbeat
There’s something special about this season. Everything feels like it’s waking up again, and I am harrrd into my plant mom era. 🌱
Fresh ideas are bubbling over. I’m feeling some new momentum on the horizon. I see women around me stepping into the next version of themselves and I’m feeling inspired about it!
With all this up-spiraling, it’s the perfect time to bring you a fresh new update from Founding Females® HQ.
Here’s what’s been happening lately at Founding Females®:
#1 A Little “Stay Tuned” Moment
We have something exciting coming on May 1st…
And, in true Founding Females® loyalty fashion, our email list gets to hear it first.
Without spoiling the surprise… if you’ve been thinking about your next level in business, you’re going to want to keep a close eye on your inbox.
To be notified when major announcements like this become available, drop your email at https://foundingfemalesco.com/email.
#2 A Spring Content Day We Can’t Forget 🌸
Last month, we teamed up with an incredible group of creators and business owners for a spring content day, and we need to give the beautiful end product its proper spotlight.
Think: collaboration over competition, creative energy flowing, women cheering each other on behind the camera and beyond it, juice, jewelry, fresh baked bread, and all the blooms.
All on brand for Founding Females® (and most of the women involved were connected through Founding Females®!).
Collaborations. I’ll say it again and again until you feel the magic of them too: When you get in the room with women who get it… shifts happen in your business.
A huge shout out to Traci Kingdon from Daisy Kings Tallow who helped orchestrate the entire idea and Hannah Knight from Always Flourishing Photography who hosted at her Studio on Samson photography studio in Tremont, Illinois and Marissa Southern from Daisy and Co who were the master photographers creating most of the magic.
Other Collaborators:
Abbe Ogle, Maverick Marketing
Brittney Arnold, Vitality Physical Therapy and Wellness
Hannah, Sun and Strand Charm Bar
Brooke Swedman, Feels like Ohm
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#3 Member Spotlight: Masha Liokumovich
We love spotlighting women in our community setting the pace in female entrepreneurship.
And if you haven’t met Masha yet, you’re going to love her.
She’s a member inside our women’s mastermind and the founder of Vibrant Yoga, bringing wellness experiences to clients across Chicagoland. The way she’s built her business is intentional and inspiring.
Her story is a reminder that there are so many ways to build something meaningful and you get to choose what that looks like based on your values, your schedule, and your priorities.
👉 Read Masha’s story: https://foundingfemalesco.com/blog/mastermind-masha-liokumovich
#4 Covington, We’re Here!
Last week marked the official launch of our Covington, IN Founding Females® chapter and we couldn’t be more excited. New women stepping into community and linking arms conversation.
And a BIG thank you to Jessica Nemecz, CEO of Two Roads Wellness Clinic and Amanda Galloway of Country Financial for spearheading our new Covington chapter and widening the circle!
#5 Founding Females® May Meet Ups
Founding Females® Meet Ups are your favorite kind of business hang-out, minus awkward networking vibes.
Come join a group of real, passionate women entrepreneurs for a free monthly in-person Meet Up where we chat, laugh, share wins, and crowdsource solutions together. Think of it like grabbing coffee with a circle of supportive founder friends who actually get what you’re juggling: business ideas, challenges, breakthroughs, and all.
Free + Open to All Women Entrepreneurs - Bring your business challenges, your goals, an open heart, and a friend!
✨ Champaign/Urbana, IL - 1st Tuesday at 8:45a CT at The CU Flower House (@thecuflowerhouse).
May 5th. Hosted by Holly Birch (@hollybirchphoto), Ali Kreider (@thisisalikfitness) and Andrea Hunt, owner of The CU Flower House (2006 S Neil St, Champaign, IL 61820).
✨ Livingston County - 2nd Thursday at 10a CT hosted by @ChristineBrownPhotography at Christine Brown Photography (117 S Main Street, Suite 3, Flanagan, IL 61740). See you May 14!
✨ Peoria Area, IL - 2nd Tuesday at 10a CT @cafesantarosa_co (1327 E Kelly Ave, Peoria Heights, IL).
may 12th hosted by Hannah Knight of @AlwaysFlourishingPhotography and @thestudioonsampson and Francie Hinrichsen, founder of Founding Females®.
*Please note - No outside drinks allowed. Please support your locally owned coffee shops.
✨ Danville, IL - *New time and place* Third Thursday at 4p CT
May 21st hosted by Jessica Nemecz of @two.roads.wellness at Mad Goat Coffee North (@MadGoatCoffee)
✨ Covington, IN - *Brand New Chapter!* - Last Friday of the month at 9a CT/10a ET. May 29th. Hosted at Julie’s Java by Jessica Nemecz of @two.roads.wellness and Amanda Galloway with Country Financial (@amanda_galloway_insurance).
All Founding Females® events and details are listed on our website at the link below.
#5 Inside the Mastermind
Here’s what’s coming up inside the Founding Females® Mastermind:
May 6th: 🌿 Self-Care Reset: A Virtual Experience with Brittani Lawlis, Owner of Beauti & Soul
May 14: How To Be A Money Magnet: Get Fierce About Income & Abundance with Mindset Coach Courtney Parks
May 18th: 📣 May Mastermind Call | Diversify Revenue Streams & Scale Your Business
To attend these events, join us inside the Founding Females® Women’s Business Mastermind.
Let’s chat about your business!
Have a personal business struggle or win you want someone to get excited about with? I’d love to talk through it with you! Comment below or click to email me.
Cheering for you!
Francie Mueller Hinrichsen, Founder
Recent Blog Posts About Female Entrepreneurship
Past Founding Females® Heartbeat Newsletters
The Founding Females® Heartbeat March 2026
The Founding Females® Heartbeat February 2026
The Founding Females® Heartbeat January 2026
The Founding Females® Heartbeat December 2025
P.S. Here are some of my top favorite female small business resources:
Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business available on Amazon- a guided handbook including everything you need to know from business idea to launch to profiting and scaling your business.
Dream, Build, Grow Free Resource Suite - free business templates for your business plan, marketing plan, ideal client persona, financial statements, and more!
Founding Females Mastermind- an online female mastermind space for entrepreneurs to connect, support, and get inspired
Free Downloads for Female Entrepreneurs
Free PDF Download: 25 Ways to Market Your Business (Aside from Social Media)
Free PDF Download: 33 keys to Business Success
Free PDF Download: SEO Tips for Entrepreneurs
Related Articles for Female Entrepreneurs
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Hi, I’m Francie!
Nice to meet you. I’m the founder of Founding Females®. Some call me a business sage because I love to empower female entrepreneurs to breathe life into the business dreams God called them to.
After feeling like a misfit in the corporate world, I discovered a life I loved waking up to through business ownership.
I’m the author of Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business, a guided journal helping hundreds of women start and grow their businesses.
I’m also a passionate entrepreneurship hype girl, female leader, public speaker, and community enthusiast.
My MBA and 10 years in a corporate career and in business ownership positioned me as an entrepreneurship educator with forward-thinking strategies for starting and growing successful businesses.
As a community leader, I realized other women could thrive with the right guidance and support. I created the Founding Females® Mastermind Community that provides a safe space for women to build better businesses.
I believe that anyone with a dream on their heart can pull up a seat to change the world through entrepreneurship. Looking to grow your own business? Click for info about how to work with me.
About Founding Females®
The mission of Founding Females® is to help women build thriving businesses. We create safe spaces for women to share business challenges and receive peer support.
In addition, Founding Females® offers an online female business mastermind, a how-to guidebook for female entrepreneurs called Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business, and in-person events, like an annual women’s business conference and local Founding Females® Meet Ups.
Founding Females® was founded by small business educator, Francie Hinrichsen. She believes anyone with a dream on their heart can pull up a seat to change the world through entrepreneurship. Click to learn more about working with Francie.
We recently clarified our 2026 mission at Founding Females®: Open doors for 10,000 female entrepreneurs.
We open one door, and she opens the next, and the ripple continues in perpetuity. It only starts with one. One moment of feeling understood. One encouraging word. One pivotal introduction. One marketing idea. One new client. One celebration after a big win.
Here’s the latest you need to know from Founding Females®…