CASPER, Wyo — The Wyoming Council for Women (WCW) announced Friday that Alexis “Lexie” Garrett had been awarded the 2020 Woman Entrepreneur Award. Garrett owns and operates Cheyenne-based Alexis Drake, a design company which creates affordable and customizable luxury handbags and accessories.
In the WCW announcment, Garrett said, “The benefits to owning a business as a woman in Wyoming include our amazing sense of community and how in our ‘small town’ of Wyoming, we support each other,” said Garrett. “It is an honor to be part of such an amazing group of nominees. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Wyoming business community — the support, encouragement and love has been incredible.”
The Woman Entrepreneur Award recognizes woman-owned businesses in Wyoming and is designed to raise attention and recognition of the contribution female entrepreneurs make to Wyoming’s economy. Each year has seen an increase in the number of applicants.
A Cheyenne Central graduate, Garrett earned an undergraduate degree in Studio Art from the University of Arizona. She started Alexis Drake in 2003 and since that time has been building the brand while teaching art, obtaining her master’s degree, raising two children and working out of her garage. She taught elementary school art full-time in Cheyenne until 2016. Shortly thereafter, Garrett moved Alexis Drake into her manufacturing and retail location in downtown Cheyenne. She has seven employees and her products can be found online and in shops across the state.
Through her business, Garrett has supported many Wyoming non-profits and initiatives including CLIMB Wyoming, Wyoming Children’s Society, Wyoming Breast Cancer Initiative and the Alzheimer’s Association, said WCW in the release.
All the Wyoming Woman Entrepreneur Award nominees have been highlighted on the WCW Facebook page over the past several weeks.
“We would like to thank every person who took the time to nominate these outstanding Wyoming women,” said WCW Chair Jennifer Wilmetti. “We had nominations that came from local Chambers of Commerce and Urban Renewal Agencies, friends and family, and the entrepreneurs themselves. It takes great courage and resilience to be a business owner at any time, but even more so when times are tough. Please support small businesses in your community.”
For questions about the award, contact WCW Chair Jennifer Wilmetti at Jennifer.wilmetti@wyoboards.gov
