Written by Gia Miller
Bedford Hills resident Jennifer Wege is part of the Northern Westchester Moms is incredibly passionate about local businesses. She spends her days supporting local businesses on her website and social media pages, doing her part to help each one succeed.
Why did you want to be a judge?
I love our community, and I want to see small businesses do well. I think it’s so vital for the community that we all support each other.
What’s your professional background?
I’m an FIT graduate and was the regional merchandise manager for Nordstrom for 12 years before managing the Athleta store on the Upper East Side for two years. I took over Northern Westchester Moms two years ago.
What perspective did you bring as a judge?
I understand what it’s like to run a retail business from my previous life. And now I’m connected to all the different towns and villages in northern Westchester because I’m blessed to support them all.
What did you expect as a judge?
That everyone would make me laugh! And that we would agree on most things. Both happened. It was so interesting that we all liked a lot of the same spots for the same reasons.
What were you looking forward to?
Meeting people that I didn’t know in person, but I knew about them.
What kind of judge are you?
I’m very easygoing, probably because I’m a twin mom and a first responder wife. I just want everybody to have their time in the spotlight.
Which famous judge best matches your personality? Jenny McCarthy because she picks the most obscure people, and that’s me picking businesses. I like to support the ones nobody knows about yet.
What was the biggest challenge as a judge? Making sure we picked places we love and want to support. That’s difficult for me because I am a person who loves every place.
Last question: Who would make a better judge, the cast of “The Breakfast Club” or the cast of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians?” “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” because they’re full of drama, and it’s kind of hysterical to watch. They would make the entire experience kind of fun and crazy.
This article was published in the January/February 2025 edition of Connect to Northern Westchester.
Gia Miller is an award-winning journalist and the editor-in-chief/co-publisher of Connect to Northern Westchester. She has a magazine journalism degree (yes, that's a real thing) from the University of Georgia and has written for countless national publications, ranging from SELF to The Washington Post. Gia desperately wishes schools still taught grammar. Also, she wants everyone to know they can delete the word "that" from about 90% of their sentences, and there's no such thing as "first annual." When she's not running her media empire, Gia enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, laughing at her crazy dog and listening to a good podcast. She thanks multiple alarms, fermented grapes and her amazing husband for helping her get through each day. Her love languages are food and humor.
