I’m Rita Prangle, the founder of Goldivas. My background is finance and accounting,
and I have served as Controller/VP Finance for several successful internet start-ups.
Last December, I commented to a friend that a certain magazine for women over 40
didn’t really speak to us, that there should be a different magazine for women over
50 because we’re a different group. I wanted to see fashions that we could actually
wear, no stilettos and no low-rise jeans! Also, it seems that the cultural perception
of women over 50 needs an overhaul. As another friend put it, “we’re not dead yet”!
The more I thought about it, launching a magazine was the way to go. I contacted
my friend, Maureen D’Elicio, coach extraordinare, and we began to hash over the
concept through weekly phone calls. Maureen lives in Florida and currently is working
in New York and Miami.
Maureen helped me solidify my goals and objectives, and with her help, I formulated
our mission statement:
To highlight achievements of women over 50, promote cultural change in the perception
of women over 50, to provide practical advice on career, money, fashion, beauty,
health & fitness, travel and lifestyle for women over 50, and to provide a community
forum for women over 50 to discuss our issues and solutions.
Considering the complexity and huge amount of cash it would take to launch a print
magazine, I decided an internet magazine would be the way to go. By going in this
direction, we save some trees as well! And, I knew just who to ask for help:
Rajesh Sharma (Gadget Geek)
is a good friend who has worked with me at another internet company. I knew my website
would be in good hands with this excellent solutions architect. Raj lives in Joliet,
Illinois.
After I selected the Goldivas name, I searched for an appropriate goddess image,
and found Emily Balivet’s Goddess II at Mythological
Goddess Art. I contacted Emily, and we worked together to create the Goldivas
image and title design. Emily’s work hangs in private collections and galleries
worldwide. Emily Balivet resides in Vermont with her two daughters. You may purchase
the Goddess
II print and more of her fine art
here.