I received the 2026 Innovation Award from The Sisterhood this month, and I have been thinking less about the trophy and more about the system underneath it.
Most giveaways end at the photo. Ours was designed differently. The Women in the Trades Hydra OS website giveaway was never a donation, it was a system: pick a woman who is ready to build, give her the best technology we have, support her through launch, and build into the design that she will one day run the same play for someone else.
This year the system completed its first full cycle. Khadija Head, our first winner, hosted the giveaway, organized it, and made the final selection. Each winner will receive a free website build on Hydra OS with new content, full optimization, and custom components. I want you to meet the women Khadija chose and see the range of businesses they represent.
Meet the five giveaway winners
Tiffany Mitchell, Half Moon Plumbing & Electric
When Tiffany and Dustin Mitchell started Half Moon in Owasso, Oklahoma, in 2007, they ran it from home and Dustin was the only plumber. What stands out to me about the plumbing and electrical business they’ve built is that they made room in their own facility to train the next technicians coming into the trade.
Jackie Sorensen, Thorson Heating, Inc.
Jackie joined her family’s Sioux Falls, South Dakota, HVAC company in 2010 and became the first woman to graduate from Southeast Technical Institute’s HVAC/R program. When she took ownership in 2023, she was the third generation of her family to lead Thorson Heating, and the company was celebrating its 80th year.
Jasmine Schoenbaechler, Snapmaids
Through Cleaning for a Reason, Jasmine’s Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, cleaning company helps people going through cancer treatment by cleaning their homes for free. I appreciate how specific that help is. When someone is focused on treatment, Jasmine’s team can take care of a job that still needs doing at home.
Samantha Houchin, The Weather Changers Heating and Air Conditioning
Samantha and Chris Houchin started their Denver, Colorado, heating and air conditioning company in 2009. Samantha handles accounting, HR, and operations, and she also earned her NATE certification. I respect the decision to study for a technical credential while taking responsibility for the day-to-day business.
Jessica Cutright, DC Garage Door & Services
Jessica co-owns a garage door company that began with Dan Cutright working on his own in Lombard, Illinois. She leads operations and customer experience today. I’m glad we get to recognize the work Jessica does to keep a growing family business organized and take care of the people who call it.
That is the difference between charity and infrastructure. Charity feels good once. Infrastructure keeps producing winners long after the founder leaves the room. Every business I run is built on that principle, from Hydra OS itself, one central intelligence that keeps working while you sleep, to this community of women who keep handing the ladder down.
If you are building something right now, here is the question this award left me with: what have you built that multiplies without you? Start there. Build the system once, and let it keep giving.
Thank you to The Sisterhood for the honor, and to Khadija for proving the model. LFG.
Keep reading: Building a Company That Can Run Without You and Why Great Leaders Build Systems, Not Heroes.