Sarah Calhoun (born March 13, 1979) is a businesswoman and

social entrepreneur Social entrepreneurship is an approach by individuals, groups, start-up companies or entrepreneurs, in which they develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. This concept may be applied to a wide range of o ...

living in White Sulphur Springs, Montana, United States. She is the founder of the

Red Ants Pants Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondary ...

clothing brand, which creates rugged clothing designed for women who perform blue-collar and outdoor work. From her business proceeds, she has also created a charitable foundation, and founded an annual outdoor music festival, both of which use the Red Ants Pants trademark.

Life and career

Calhoun grew up on a llama farm in

Cornwall, Connecticut Cornwall is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,567 at the 2020 census. History The town of Cornwall, Connecticut, is named after the county of Cornwall, England. The town was incorporated in 1740, near ...

and got her degree in Environmental Science from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. As a young adult she worked a variety of physical labor jobs on trail crews and as an outdoor educator for Outward Bound and Youth Corps. In 2004 she started developing a design for women's work pants and in 2006 she opened the Red Ants Pants store in rural White Sulphur Springs, MT that sells heavy-duty work wear made to fit diverse female bodies. The brand is named after

red ants Fire ants are several species of ants in the genus ''Solenopsis'', which includes over 200 species. ''Solenopsis'' are stinging ants, and most of their common names reflect this, for example, ginger ants and tropical fire ants. Many of the nam ...

"because female ants do all the work". Calhoun is known for her entrepreneurial and values-based approach to running an apparel brand, she is a public spokesperson for women's leadership and rural revitalization and an advocate for American made products. In 2011 she was a U.S. Delegate to the Women and the Economy Summit put on by the

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economy, economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

and hosted by

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

and invited by

President Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

to attend a White House forum on jobs and economic development. That same year she started the Red Ants Pants Music Festival that annually draws thousands of people to a cow pasture just outside White Sulphur Springs. The festival began as part of Calhoun's vision to use the arts for economic and community development. The festival raises money for the Red Ants Pants Foundation which offers financial grants for women and organizations across Montana. In 2015 Calhoun was one of 100 small business leaders invited to a White House summit put on by the

Small Business Majority Small Business Majority (SBM) is a small business advocacy organization in the United States. It is based in Washington D.C., with offices in San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, and Atlanta. Small Business ...

Awards

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Calhoun, Sarah People from Meagher County, Montana American women fashion designers Music festival founders 21st-century American farmers 21st-century women farmers American women farmers 1979 births Living people Place of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American women