‘WE Celebrate’ did just that
The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s first WE Celebrate awards honoring top businesswomen were announced at a breakfast today. For those who have questioned the need for women-focused events in the business community, the 600-plus women (and men) in attendance provided an emphatic answer.
The inaugural winners were:
– Women-owned business of the year with less than 25 employees: The Wolfe Practice, Jennifer Wolfe, president. Runner-up was Blackwell Consulting Services of Ohio, Annette Tarver, president.
– Women-owned business of the year with 25-plus employees: Intrinzic Marketing & Design Inc., Wendy Vonderhaar, president. Runner-up was Cincinnati Sub-Zero Products Inc., Eileen Berke, chairwoman.
– Best new product or service: Bright Future Foods, Anne Chambers, co-founder.
– Social entrepreneur of the year: Technology Recycling Group, Elli Workum, CEO.
– Business mentor of the year: Jackie Mack, director, Provident Travel.
– Woman of the year – corporate: M. Denise Kuprionis, vice president, corporate secretary and director of legal affairs, the E.W. Scripps Co.
– Woman of the year – nonprofit: Pamela Mullins, supplier diversity manager, Cincinnati Public Schools.
– Woman of the year – entrepreneur: Debbie Simpson, president, Multi-Craft Litho Inc.
Congratulations to the winners, and to everyone who attended to show their support for the region’s businesswomen. The energy in the room was amazing.
– Cindi Andrews
Editor, WBC
(Full disclosure: Women’s Business Cincinnati was the media sponsor for the event.)
on December 12, 2006 on 3:48 pm
This morning was a watershed event for businesswomen in our community. Looking at the sell out crowd of nearly 700 attendees it was clear that the Cincinnati Chamber’s WE Celebrate event has filled the longtime need to have a first class woman business owner event in this region. In my eighteen years in Greater Cincinnati I have never seen the level of energy, participation and engagement by BOTH the businesswomen in our community and the men who work above, beside and for them – especially the many excellent advisors in the legal, accounting and banking industries. Women of Cincinnati this is what we’ve been waiting for – to be recognized for our skills and accomplishments by our female peers AND by all of our business peers and colleagues.
You Go Girls! – Vanessa Freytag, Co-Publisher Women’s Business Cincinnati