During this month dedicated to women’s causes including breast cancer awareness and support for victims of domestic violence, Bay Area-based photographer Lauri Levenfeld is debuting The Womens Project, an online creative community for women. She’s expanding her first site, originally called The Moms Project, to add a forum for women to crowdfund, sponsor and discuss entrepreneurial ideas. “I’ve always been in the world of document filmmaking and story telling,” said Levenfeld whose photography has captured events including the Sundance Film Festival, “A big part of that has involved working with other women. We’re all multitasking with these huge agendas in our lives, and it’s so much better when you can work together.”

Each month, The Project will feature a high-profile guest who will curate a boutique on the site’s homepage. A percentage of each purchase from TWP readers will go directly to support The Project. Levenfeld launched TWP to bring women together as a community. “I’m so inspired by women of all ages,” she says. The site is launching with four female entrepreneurs including Anastasia Soare, founder of beauty brand Anastasia Beverly Hills, Maia McDonald Smith, a blogger for DesignConundrum and current art director for Rue Magazine, Lucia Tran of Lucia Tran Media and Zooey Magazine, and film producer Lysa Heslov who founded Children Mending Hearts.

“Lysa is an amazing woman and such a charitable person in every respect,” said Levenfeld, “She’s been around the world, seen such crazy, volatile, and hostile things and she just really appreciates her life.” While shooting Heslov at home, Levenfeld noticed how deeply personal Heslov’s collections were. “Her house is beautiful by anyone’s definition, but when I asked if I should follow up with her designer regarding elements in the home’s décor, she told me she doesn’t have one!” said Levenfeld “She puts each room together only with things that have meaning or relevance to her personally. Every artist in her house is someone that’s touched her.”

Each post discusses a woman’s life, how she started her business, advice for entrepreneurs, and her inspirations. Heslov was galvanized by Hurricane Katrina and Darfur refugee camps, and now her story joins tales of California-based women and mothers on this new site created to inspire new ideas, collaborations, and businesses. Get clicking.

By Jennifer McCullum

 

Pictured: Lysa Heslov (left) and daughter Olivia Heslov
Photos by Lauri Levenfeld

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