Wise Ink Creative Publishing founders Amy Quale and Dara Beevas are changing the world of publishing, one outspoken author at a time.
In 2013, Amy Quale and Dara Beevas joined forces to do a very hard thing: they started Wise Ink Creative Publishing. Combining their creative talents, they planned to take on the status quo and change the face of publishing on a large scale.
“Our biggest goal is to be a premier publisher for people inspired to change the world,” says Amy. Wise Ink’s mission to showcase diverse voices and narratives that are typically absent in mainstream media is reflected in their books, many of which are authored by young activists.
Amy and Dara came to WomenVenture after attending the annual Women Mean Business Luncheon & Marketplace. The entrepreneurs found themselves at a critical point of needing capital in order to expand Wise Ink. “With so much money coming in and out at the same time, it was incredibly stressful,” says Amy. WomenVenture connected with Bank Cherokee, and Amy and Dara were able to secure a small business loan. Wise Ink used the loan funds from Bank Cherokee and WomenVenture to lock down a web domain name, expand their office space, and grow their staff. “This loan has been a big contributing factor to our ongoing success,” Amy added.
Amy and Dara have learned a thing or two about entrepreneurship through the process of starting and growing Wise Ink. “It can be difficult to stay positive when things don’t look positive,” Dara says. She has found it helpful to make decisions based on the future she has imagined for Wise Ink, rather than immediate stressors.
Amy agrees that it can be stressful. “You will make many sacrifices in the early days of your business,” adds Amy. “The payoff isn’t instantaneous, but I am grateful for the foundational work we did in the beginning.”
Between their lifetime of personal lessons, support from WomenVenture, and capital from Bank Cherokee, Wise Ink’s Amy and Dara are changing the world of publishing, bringing newer and younger voices to shelves in Minnesota and beyond. Wise Ink Creative Publishing is currently home to more than 200 authors with more than half a million books in circulation internationally.
