Part of Leah Delaney’s inspiration as a small-business owner is showing her young daughters what feminine success looks like.
“I feel that women are so strong in so many ways,” Delaney said. “Tap into that feminine energy and radiate who we are.”
Delaney’s studio, AngelWing Yoga and Wellness, opened five years ago.
Of Pennsylvania’s small-business owners, 32% are women, according to a 2025 report by the Center for American Entrepreneurship. The figure lags a little behind the 36% national average.
In New Kensington, though, women are a defining part of the city’s rebounding business district.
AngelWing is one of about 16 women-owned businesses in the downtown area, according to Olde Town Overhaul Operations Manager Michelle Thom.
The proximity of shops makes for camaraderie, Thom said.
“Women enjoy working together more and working toward a same goal.” she said. “We plan a lot of events together, and we’re all just helping each other be better.”
Women business owners agreed with the sentiment.
“Everyone working together has been so humbling, it’s been amazing,” said Jessica Salerno, owner of Saging Space.
Salerno, who opened her holistic wellness shop in November after six years of working out of her home, said the community has welcomed her.
“Genuinely, women business connections have been my biggest gratitude,” Salerno said.
March is designated as Women’s History Month to celebrate women’s contributions to the country, according to the National Women’s History Museum website.
Though women have, for centuries, run family businesses and replaced male workers during wartime, it wasn’t until the 1988 Women’s Business Ownership Act that women had more legal and financial options as entrepreneurs, according to an article from the University of Kansas business school.
Today in Westmoreland County, women-owned businesses are steadily increasing, said Dan DeBone, president of the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce.
“Communities like New Kensington are experiencing renewed energy and revitalization, and women-owned businesses are certainly part of that momentum,” DeBone said in an email. “Many of these businesses become community anchors.”
The Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Chatham University helps women business owners in Southwestern Pennsylvania with resources, workshops and finding funding.
Director Anne Flynn Schlicht said women often open “lifestyle” businesses or services, such as child or home health care.
“The value is that women are in industries that are essential,” she said.
Though women’s chosen businesses can sometimes cause revenue challenges, Flynn Schlicht said, it’s still empowering to be a business owner.
“There is a lot more control of your own destiny,” she said.
Women-led businesses have met with success downtown and their owners said New Kensington has made room for them.
Hailey Sabot’s menu at Wildflower Bakery started with 50 items. It has expanded to 120, and the bakery has opened a conjoined bistro.
“We’ve gotten busier and busier,” Sabot said.
At AngelWing, what started as just a yoga studio has turned to comprehensive space offering weight training, pilates, sculpt classes and fitness boot camps.
“I wanted to bring it to an area where people didn’t know what it was,” Delaney said.
Some other women-owned or co-owned business in New Kensington include Feisty Goblin, Trovo Co., The Bag Lady, Yinzpired, Sweet Tillies and Rhythm Ridez.