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Teal Diva

Connecting gynecological cancer survivors in a caring community.

Teal Diva
  • About Teal Diva
    • Our Mission
    • Our Blog
    • Impact & Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Resources
    • Awareness
    • Cancer Awareness Toolkits
    • Now What?
  • Yes Girl!
    • The Sisterhood Series
    • Community, Learning, and Support
    • Teal Dignity Apparel
    • Home & Lawn Projects
    • Retreats
    • Grants & Financial Assistance
    • Diva Boutique
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Teal Diva 5K
    • A Mile For Her
    • Toast for Her Gala
    • Teal Diva Retreat
  • Get Involved
  • Donate Today

Archives for March 2026

Uncategorized

Honoring Women’s History Month

During Women’s History Month, we celebrate more than history—we celebrate the women actively shaping the world around us.

The women building businesses.
The women creating beauty.
The women working behind the scenes to bring moments—and missions—to life.

At Teal Diva, we are especially grateful for the women who use their talents not just to grow businesses, but to strengthen community, elevate stories, and support something bigger than themselves.

Today, we’re honored to spotlight three incredible women doing just that.


Clarity & Calling: Anna Smith, Founder of Hibiscus Brand Management

https://www.logodesigncharlotte.com

Anna Smith is the founder of Hibiscus Brand Management, a Charlotte-based branding and website design studio dedicated to helping businesses grow with clarity and purpose.

Her work goes far beyond logos.

She helps organizations understand who they are, what they stand for, and how to show up consistently—from their website to their social media to their events.

“Branding is more than a logo. It’s how a company communicates who they are and how they show up.”

What started as a collaboration became something more—a shared belief in hope, purpose, and helping others.

Anna specializes in working with builders, architects, and service-based businesses—but her work with nonprofits holds a special place in her heart.

She helps mission-driven organizations translate powerful stories into clear, credible, and compelling brands—making it easier for them to grow their impact.

Her connection to Teal Diva goes back to the very beginning. In the early days, she volunteered her time to help shape the Teal Diva brand, including refining the now-signature teal identity seen across events and campaigns today.

“Help good people doing good work be seen clearly and professionally.”


Creating Magical Moments: Samantha, Owner of CLT Balloons

CLT Balloons

Meet Samantha, the owner of CLT Balloons and Balloon Room—a woman-owned business bringing creativity, joy, and elevated design to celebrations across Charlotte.

Through custom balloon installations, Samantha transforms spaces into experiences. From fundraisers and corporate events to community celebrations, her work helps tell the story behind each moment.

Her retail shop offers helium balloons, gift wrapping, and curated party supplies—making it easy to add thoughtful, high-quality details to any occasion.

“Beautiful design doesn’t just decorate a space—it brings people together.”

For the past four years, Samantha has supported Teal Diva through event décor—helping create spaces that celebrate strength, resilience, and connection.

Her “why” is deeply personal.

Having lost both her father and grandmother to cancer, she understands the importance of organizations that provide support, awareness, and hope.

Her work is more than design—it’s a way of giving back.


Bringing It All Together: Angela Simcox, Queen City Event Management & Consulting

Angela Simcox, owner of Queen City Event Management & Consulting, is the force behind the scenes—ensuring events don’t just happen, but happen beautifully.

Through full-service event management and consulting, Angela helps businesses and nonprofits plan and execute seamless, meaningful events.

From logistics to guest experience, every detail is handled with care and intention.

“The best events don’t just happen—they’re thoughtfully built.”

Angela’s work allows organizations to focus on their mission while she brings their vision to life.

Her impact is often unseen—but always felt.

Because when every detail is aligned, something powerful happens: people connect.


In Action: A Community Effort

At Teal Diva, we don’t just celebrate these women—we partner with them.

A beautiful example of this collaboration is the Teal Diva 5K, where each of these businesses plays a role in bringing the experience to life.


Anna helps create the visual identity and graphics that carry the message forward.
Samantha designs balloon décor that transforms the space into something welcoming and celebratory. Angela leads event coordination, ensuring every detail comes together seamlessly.

“When women collaborate, something extraordinary happens—vision becomes experience, and purpose becomes connection.”

It’s more than an event.

It’s a reflection of what happens when women support women—each bringing their unique gifts to create something meaningful for the community.


Why These Stories Matter

Each of these women brings something different.

Clarity.
Creativity.
Coordination.

But together, they represent something bigger.

They are builders of experience.
Amplifiers of mission.
Creators of connection.

“Behind every meaningful moment is a woman who helped make it possible.”


Closing Reflection

At Teal Diva, we know that no one builds alone.

It takes vision.
It takes courage.
And it takes women who choose to show up—for each other, for their communities, and for causes that matter.

This Women’s History Month, we celebrate the women who create, design, organize, and uplift.

The women behind the moments.
The women behind the mission.
The women who make space for others to shine.

Because when one woman is seen—
it creates space for all of us to rise.

Uncategorized

The Programs That Support the Teal Diva Community

In our previous blog, we introduced you to the women and leaders who help guide Teal Diva’s mission—the board and staff who work behind the scenes to support this community.

This is the work their leadership helps make possible.

At Teal Diva, a mission is more than something we believe in.
It’s something we put into action every day.

Everything we do is rooted in one simple promise: no woman facing gynecologic cancer should ever have to walk this journey alone.

The programs we offer exist to support survivors emotionally, practically, and spiritually throughout their cancer journeys. Because while cancer may be part of a woman’s story, she should never have to face it without community.


“At Teal Diva, programs aren’t just services—they’re spaces where survivors find connection, understanding, and sisterhood.”


Yes Girl!

Saying Yes to Connection, Healing, and Hope

At Teal Diva, we believe in saying yes — yes to connection, yes to healing, and yes to hope.

Yes Girl! brings together programs that nurture the heart, strengthen the spirit, and meet real-life needs for women facing gynecologic cancer.

When we say yes, she wins.

Every Yes Girl! program is designed to support her in a different way — emotionally, practically, and financially. Whether it’s through shared connection, hands-on help, or direct assistance, each program meets her where she is and reminds her that she is seen, supported, and never alone.


The Sisterhood Series

Where Connection Is the Best Medicine

The Sisterhood Series is where we meet outside the clinic — a space for connection, laughter, and healing through shared experience. It’s about rediscovering yourself, building friendships, and remembering that joy still exists, even in the midst of cancer.

Art Therapy
Guided creative experiences that encourage self-expression, release, and reflection.

Eco-Therapy
Experiences in nature shared with other survivors and often led by survivors — from yoga and walks to hikes, kayaking, and group runs — all designed to restore body and mind.

Social Meetups
Opportunities to gather, laugh, and connect through survivor dinners, lunches, and photo shoots celebrating resilience and beauty.

Little Lifts
Small acts of kindness that “lift” a woman’s spirits during chemotherapy, reminding her she’s not alone in her journey.

Hope Notes
We invite you to write uplifting messages to women who need encouragement. Imagine: amidst the weight of treatment or tough news, she opens her mailbox to find it overflowing with love, prayers, and hope-filled notes.


Retreats

A Time to Rest, Reflect, and Renew

More than a weekend getaway — it’s a life-changing experience.

Over four days, twenty gynecologic cancer survivors come together as strangers and leave as friends. Through rest, reflection, and shared stories, they rediscover hope, renewal, and what comes next after cancer.


Home & Lawn Projects

Help When Everyday Tasks Feel Overwhelming

Cancer is an interruption — but the honey-do list doesn’t stop.

This program offers short-term, practical help from volunteers who lend a few hours or a half day to tackle small projects around the home. Together with the patient, we review her wish list and identify what can realistically be completed — whether it’s light repairs, yardwork, or simple tasks that help her focus on healing and rest.


Grants & Financial Assistance

Support When It Matters Most

Cancer can create financial strain at the very moment a woman needs stability the most.

Through grants and financial assistance, Teal Diva helps provide meaningful support — from gift cards and bill assistance to Dignity Apparel and post-treatment counseling through The After Cancer Program.

These resources help survivors navigate the practical realities of treatment and recovery while focusing on what matters most: healing.


“What begins as support often becomes something more—a community of women carrying one another forward.”


The People Behind the Programs

Every Sisterhood gathering, encouragement note, retreat, and act of kindness is made possible by volunteers and committee members who dedicate their time and energy to supporting others.

Many of them are survivors themselves. Others have been touched by gynecologic or other cancers through family or friends.


Finance Committee


Programs Committee

Their work reflects the same spirit that guides the entire Teal Diva community—women supporting women through every stage of the journey.


A Mission in Action

Together, these programs represent the living expression of Teal Diva’s mission.

People who care deeply about survivors.
Programs designed to support them.
A community built on empathy, resilience, and hope.

There’s something powerful that happens when women come together in support of one another. Like the protective circles formed by female elephants in the wild, this community gathers close during life’s most vulnerable moments—offering strength, encouragement, and steady presence. Through every program, shared story, and small act of kindness, Teal Diva becomes that circle: a place where survivors stand together, lift one another up, and remember that even in the hardest seasons, none of us has to face the journey alone.

Because the mission begins with people—and lives on through the programs that ensure no woman facing gynecologic cancer ever has to walk the journey alone.

Uncategorized

The Women and Leaders Behind Our Mission

A Women’s History Month Reflection

During Women’s History Month, we often celebrate the trailblazers who shaped history. But it’s also a time to recognize the women who quietly build community every day—lifting one another up, offering support, and creating spaces where others can find strength.

At Teal Diva, that spirit of women supporting women lives at the heart of everything we do.

And it’s the same spirit that guides the people working behind the scenes to support this community.

At Teal Diva, everything we do begins with one simple belief: no woman facing gynecologic cancer should ever have to walk this journey alone.

The retreats, survivor gatherings, encouragement outreach, and moments of connection that define this community don’t happen by accident. They are made possible by a dedicated group of leaders, survivors, advocates, and volunteers who believe deeply in the mission of supporting women and families affected by gynecologic cancers.

Every community has people who quietly hold it together—the ones who show up, lend their talents, and help ensure no one has to face hard moments alone.

Today, we’d like to introduce you to the staff and board members who help nurture this community and support the women who are part of it.


“At Teal Diva, community isn’t just part of the mission—it’s the heart of how survivors support one another.”


Staff

Shannon Routh

Founder & Executive Director

At just 32 years old and newly married, Shannon was diagnosed with Stage IIa clear-cell carcinoma, a rare gynecologic cancer. After surgery and chemotherapy, she turned her experience into something powerful—creating Teal Diva so that other women facing gynecologic cancers could find the support and connection she knew mattered so much.

Her vision was beautifully simple:

Healing isn’t just about treating the body—it’s about connection, community, and celebrating life beyond cancer.


Christy Chambers

Social Media & Content Coordinator

Christy is a mom, artist, and stage 4B cervical cancer survivor. After attending a Teal Diva retreat in 2023, she experienced firsthand the powerful sense of connection that happens when survivors gather together.

Today, she helps share the stories of this community through social media and storytelling—amplifying survivor voices, spreading awareness about gynecologic cancers, and reminding others that hope can still grow even in the hardest seasons.


Stan Elling

Mission Support Coordinator

Stan first learned about Teal Diva after meeting Shannon and her family in their neighborhood and hearing about the organization’s mission. Inspired by the impact the community was having on women facing cancer, she began volunteering her time.

Today, Stan supports the organization both behind the scenes and at events, helping ensure the programs and gatherings that mean so much to survivors continue to run smoothly.


Board of Directors

Each member of the Teal Diva board brings their own story, experience, and passion to the mission. Some were drawn to the organization through personal experiences with cancer, while others were inspired by the community they discovered through Teal Diva’s work.

Together, they help guide the organization while ensuring survivors remain at the heart of every decision.


Bridget McClellan

Board Chair

Bridget first connected with Teal Diva after a close friend was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Although she later lost her friend, she found a powerful sense of community within Teal Diva during that difficult time.

Today, she honors her friend’s memory by helping ensure other women and families can find that same circle of support.


Amy Treadwell, DVM, DACVO

Vice Chair

Amy is a veterinary ophthalmologist and a survivor of stage IIIC endometrial cancer. Her experience navigating diagnosis, treatment, and life after cancer inspired a deep commitment to supporting others on a similar journey.

Through her work with Teal Diva, Amy helps ensure survivors continue to find encouragement, understanding, and celebration in life beyond diagnosis.


Perry Blickenstaff

Treasurer

Perry is the founder of JPB Accounting Services and has spent her career helping entrepreneurs feel confident and supported in their businesses.

She was drawn to Teal Diva because of its mission to uplift women affected by gynecologic cancers, and she uses her financial expertise to help ensure the organization’s programs remain strong and sustainable.


Jenni Miehle

Secretary

Jenni Miehle is the owner of The Nerdy Designer, a creative studio focused on information design and visual storytelling.

As the granddaughter of a uterine cancer survivor, she feels a personal connection to Teal Diva’s mission and enjoys supporting the organization with both her creativity and organizational skills.


Jasmine Swaggard

Board Member

Jasmine’s connection to Teal Diva is deeply personal. Her mother is a long-term ovarian cancer survivor, and she also honors the memory of her grandmother who lost her battle with the disease.

Her involvement with the organization is fueled by a desire to raise awareness, celebrate survivors, and inspire hope for families facing gynecologic cancers.


Jessica Lineberger, MSN, FNP-C

Board Member

Jessica is a nurse practitioner whose career has included work in psychiatry, emergency medicine, and hospital medicine.

Through her work caring for patients and families, she has seen firsthand how important compassionate community support can be during difficult times, which drew her to the mission of Teal Diva.


Leigh Bryant

Board Member

Leigh is a real estate professional and leader with more than two decades of experience in sales and business development.

After losing a friend to ovarian cancer and supporting her mother through breast cancer survivorship, she felt called to help build communities where women feel supported, encouraged, and empowered.


Lisa Helms

Board Member

Lisa first discovered Teal Diva while volunteering at the Teal Diva 5K after completing treatment for ovarian cancer.

Inspired by the community she found, she became an active volunteer and now supports survivors through the YES Girl! program while mentoring women newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer.


Tara Ballard

Board Member

Tara has dedicated more than two decades to oncology care and cancer support programs.

Her experience in oncology rehabilitation, wellness, and survivorship programs brings valuable insight to Teal Diva’s work supporting women and families navigating life during and after cancer


A Community Built on Purpose

Every person involved with Teal Diva brings their own story and passion to this work. Together, they help ensure that survivors and families continue to find the connection, encouragement, and sisterhood that make this community so special.

In many ways, this work is its own quiet chapter of Women’s History—women lifting one another up, creating community, and leaving a legacy of strength for those who come next.

Because at the heart of Teal Diva is a simple truth:

No one should ever have to face gynecologic cancer alone.

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