By Leasie Baxter
As student government president and mentee of then 蘑菇TV President Tom McDaniel, it was common for Ashley Bowen (BBA Finance 鈥�02) to attend alumni and school events, like a faculty celebration at the home of OCU benefactor Ann Lacy. Unbeknownst to her at the time, this evening would mark the beginning of a lifelong journey of development and entrepreneurship.
As a senior in the Meinders School of Business, she began to look at what would follow her graduation. 鈥淢ost people graduate college and are ready to be done with their education, but I wasn鈥檛.鈥� Bowen鈥檚 desire to continue her education eventually led her to the decision to attend law school, yet she was apprehensive about where she would attend. She had applied for OCU鈥檚 esteemed Sumners Foundation Scholarship but had not yet received word of her standing. She discussed her options and ideas with President McDaniel, who later relayed the information to Herman Meinders.
Sitting in Ann Lacy鈥檚 living room, Meinders made an offer to Bowen with a loosely written contract scribbled on a napkin and told her that by signing it, she would pledge to attend OCU鈥檚 School of Law. In return, he would help her pay for her post-graduate education. Happily, she obliged. Meinders鈥� generosity, combined with the eventual awarding of the Sumners Foundation Scholarship, granted her a full ride through law school.
Marrying another OCU alumnus, Kyle Murphy (BS 鈥�02, JD 鈥�06), soon after graduating from OCU Law, Ashley Bowen became Mrs. Ashley Bowen Murphy. Between finishing school and taking on an attorney position at a prestigious law firm, she had a challenging time finding suitable vendors and guidance for planning her wedding. Even with the help of a wedding planner, her frustration with the lack of vendor representation persisted. This inspired her to co-found Wed Society with Kami Huddleston (BA '03), a company that showcases weddings by highlighting the local vendors that made them possible. Weddings published through their website, socials and annual Wed Society Book of Weddings feature vendors through their work, bringing to life spectacular events. With a hyper-local focus, it鈥檚 more than intangible inspiration. Everything you see is something that can be sourced in the local market, and that鈥檚 what makes Wed Society so valuable.
Over the past two years, Wed Society has expanded its footprint into 24 marketplaces across the country. Beyond the resource it is for couples planning in the cities where they live, Wed Society now has a wedding vendor member base of support in the thousands. 鈥淐ommunity is at the core of Wed Society, and it has been since day one. Bringing a community of talented wedding vendors and venue owners and operators together to celebrate their hard work, while also offering tremendous networking and business learning opportunities, is why Wed Society is known as the heartbeat of the wedding community,鈥� says Bowen.
Meinders took a substantial step in his career by founding American Floral Services in 1970. Under his guidance the business expanded rapidly, growing to include thousands of florists internationally. The company provided citizens with connection to local flower shops through a flowers-by-wire service, much like how Wed Society provides a connection to local wedding vendors. When asked about the correlation between Meinders鈥� business and her own, Bowen described the relationship in one word: 鈥淪erendipitous.鈥�
Although the initial interaction was brief, she was deeply impacted by Meinders鈥� unwavering generosity. The exchange was prominent in shaping her education and eventual career; it holds power and resonance in her life to this day. Now, through the business she created, Bowen looks to provide young couples with the same generosity and guidance Herman Meinders provided to her.
