New York business owner wins award while also advocating for victims of abuse

MAYVILLE, N.Y. — Rebecca Magnuson started playing piano at age 3 and shares that love of music with her guests as the owner of She Sings Cafe in Mayville, Chautauqua County, which opened a little more than a year ago.

“To me, piano is my therapy. And it just calms my mind,” said Rebecca.

She also wrote the song that bears the cafe’s name.

“And when I sing the lyrics, it really is the reason that I started this restaurant,” said Magnuson.

Magnuson is a domestic abuse survivor, even dating back to her childhood.

“I determined that I wasn’t going to let this break me,” said Magnuson.

She has since started a nonprofit, She is Safe of Chautauqua County, to help build a safe house for women who are victims of physical, mental or financial abuse.

“I’ve just seen so many different stories and lived different stories. There’s just not enough assistance to help women and the restaurant is really a safe place as well,” said Magnuson.

Magnuson recently won the New York State Phoenix Entrepreneur of the Year award from the state Small Business Development Center in recognition of those efforts.

“It’s just a huge honor. A surprise as well. And it just shows that we can do anything as women if we set our minds to it. We can make it happen and this is just a tribute to that for us,” said Magnuson.

To help make it happen, Magnuson worked with her local Small Business Development Center.

“Very deserving. Very talented. Smart, savvy. Very proud of Rebecca and thrilled that we could be an assist in her process,” said Beth Reed, senior business advisor for the Small Business Development Center.

The center helps business owners like Rebecca with organizational structure, finance opportunities, business plans and promotions. 

“We just try and make the good stories happen. Explore their dreams and what they want to do and help them determine ahead of time perhaps if it’s right for them,” said Reed.

State leaders handed out 10 different awards across the state. They say the recognition gives owners like Magnuson a voice and platform. 

“I think there’s so many good things going on across the state and this was one of the opportunities to help recognize what’s available in people’s backyards and what’s going on in their backyards,” said Sonya Smith, state director of the Small Business Development Center.

For Rebecca, it’s about healing, educating, and empowering women.

“You can be down but I feel like it’s the perfect word, that Phoenix because I’ve been put down, crushed, literally, and I have just learned how to soar,” said Magnuson.

Magnuson’s story doesn’t end there. She also worked more than 20 years in Washington, D.C., with other victims of abuse at a safe house and was most recently employed as a delivery service partner with Amazon, hiring women drivers from that safe house.

She has also toured across the country with her one-woman show and has produced a yet-to-be-released five-part documentary about her life story.

More information on the National Domestic Violence Hotline can be found here.