09/30/2026
I'm deeply honored and humbled to be named the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce's Women-Owned Business of the Year. Thank you to the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce for this recognition and for the kind words about the Belva Lockwood Inn.โฃ
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When we bought this house in 2022, we knew we weren't just taking on an inn. ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐. She was the first woman to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court, and when she finally earned her place in that courtroom, she used it to open the door for others, moving the admission of Samuel Lowery, one of the first African American attorneys to practice before the Court. She ran for president twice at a time when she couldn't even cast a ballot herself. ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ.โฃ
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It's worth remembering how recent some of those chairs are. It wasn't until ๐๐๐๐, with the Women's Business Ownership Act, that women across the country could get a business loan without a male relative co-signing. That's within our lifetimes. The women and minorities who fought for these rights, and those still fighting today, are the reason I get to do what I love.โฃ
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๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ: I share this award with every woman-owned business in Tioga County. Our community is full of hardworking, brilliant, generous women running shops, farms, restaurants, studios, and service businesses, many of whom I'm lucky to call friends and mentors. You inspire me every single day, and this recognition belongs to all of us.โฃ
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๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ค ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ, ๐๐ข๐จ๐ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ. Belva would be proud of the table we're building here. ๐
The Belva Lockwood Inn in Owego, named one of the best hotels in the Finger Lakes region, is a historic hotel known for its vintage decor and lively atmosphere. Owned by Brielle Woods, the hotel is nothing short of an ideal stay, offering countless amenities and allowing visitors to engage in learning about the innโs original owner, Belva Lockwood, a woman focused on providing equal rights for all and defying societal norms. Not only is the inn focused on celebrating the accomplishments of a phenomenal woman, but it is owned and run by one as well. The inn as it stands now reinforces Belvaโs principles, breaking boundaries and establishing a permanent place in Owego history. Congratulations to Brie at the Belva Lockwood Inn for this prestigious award!
For more information check out Lockwood Inn!
