Matriots Ohio

When Women Lead, Ohio Prospers

The Matriots

On to November!

Yesterday, several Matriots-endorsed candidates won their primaries and will advance to the general election on November 5, 2019.

“I thought if I could get a seat at the table, I could make a difference.”

Five of them will advance to the general election in Ohio where they are one step closer to claiming their seat at the tables where policies and legislation are written. They believe in their power to create change and they are fiercely committed to improving the lives of their communities.

They did what women do, they did the work. They rolled up their sleeves and they hit the campaign trail determined to bring new voices to the halls of power.

Join The Matriots as we congratulate these women who will advance to the general election.

Ginger Baylor, for Akron city council member-at-large*
Tara Dyer, for Marion city council, ward 5
Jen Kanagy, for Newark city council member-at-large
Marilyn L. Keith for Akron city council member-at-large*
Linda Omobien, for Akron city council member-at-large
Samantha Turner, for Youngstown city council, ward 3

*In the Akron city council member-at-large race the top three vote getters will advance to the general. Linda Omobien and Jeff Fusco have secured the top two seats. Currently, Ginger Baylor is in third place with 18.5 percent of the vote. Trailing by 45 votes is Marilyn Keith, with about 18.4 percent of the vote, which will likely trigger a recount. One of the two of these Matriots endorsed candidates will advance.

But our work is just beginning.

The Matriots is gearing up to support many more women who are adding their names to ballots across the state from school board to mayor for the general election. These women and their elections matter.

Become a member today and help us elect these women and many more on November 5, 2019. Your investment will make a difference for women candidates in Ohio.

JOIN NOW

Meet a Matriot: Kirsten Knodt & Mairead Reddy

Ever wonder who created The Matriots bee logo, or maybe our popular car magnet? Meet the Matriots Kirsten (left) and Mairead (right) of Reddy or Knot design. Mairead (rhymes with parade) studied graphic design in Waterford, Ireland and has over 25 years of design and print production experience. She speaks cmyk fluently and has great Photoshop skills to boot! Kirsten (K-ear-sten) is a wordsmith and a graphic designer and loves to help clients communicate powerfully with just the right images and words. Reddy or Knot is a small firm creating big ideas for companies like Marriott International, Aloft Hotels, Element Hotels, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Mastercard and Columbus College of Art and Design – and of course, The Matriots PAC! We are incredibly grateful to have Kirsten and Mairead’s support, both as members and graphic designers.

You have very generously supported The Matriots PAC with your creative design and branding work at Reddy or Knot since even before the organization filed as a political action committee. What about the Matriots’ work appeals to you?

Most of our work is for corporations, so we’re excited when we get to work on smaller brands with a worthy cause. It means we get to be in on something that we feel is important and help create it from the ground up.   

Have there been particular experiences that have informed your personal journey as feminists?

Kirsten: I remember that my elementary school curriculum was mostly project based. For one project I dressed as Geraldine Ferraro and for another Harriet Tubman. I come from a long line of feminists, so it was no surprise that I always chose women to emulate and idolize.

Mairead, you are a native of Ireland. What are your observations about women’s leadership in America?

For 21 years of my life (from 1990 to 2011) we had back-to-back female presidents in Ireland. I’m not saying those two women didn’t face loads of discrimination—and maybe I’m naïve—but I don’t feel women are on quite such uneven footing in much of Europe. People’s differences, whether it’s their race, gender, sexuality, disability, etc. are not used against them in the same way that they are in the States.

Kirsten, your company has top-name clients, from Starwood Hotels to Mastercard. Have there been challenges unique to being a woman business owner?

As a certified women-owned business, larger corporations look favorably on doing business with us. And in our field, the clients we work with at those companies are typically women so I can’t say that we have experienced challenges unique to being women. We’ve been quite fortunate in that respect.

Now for something fun: Share with us an anecdote about yourselves, a hobby or a personal interest.

We both love to play tennis. Mairead discovered the sport for the first time recently, and I rediscovered it after loving it as a kid but not playing for 30 years. Mairead’s enjoying it so much, in fact, that she played on Halloween dressed as Billie Jean King. The hair got in the way after a while.