Heather Cole is One of 2014 Enterprising Women Of The Year Award Winners

Prestigious Awards Program Recognizes Top Women Entrepreneurs Around The World and
Lodestar Solutions' President, Heather Cole, is one of the winners!

RALEIGH, N.C. Jan. 14, 2014 – Monica Smiley, publisher and CEO of Enterprising Women magazine, has announced the winners of the 2014 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards, an annual tribute to top women entrepreneurs from North America and around the world. Honorees will be recognized during an event held Sunday, March 2 through Tuesday, March 4 at the Ritz Carlton Sarasota in Sarasota, Fla.

2014 marks the 12th year for the annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards, widely considered one of the most prestigious recognition programs for women business owners. To receive recognition, nominees must demonstrate that they have fast-growth businesses, mentor or actively support other women and girls involved in entrepreneurship, and stand out as leaders in their communities. Many of the honorees also serve as leaders of key organizations that promote the growth of women’s entrepreneurship.

Award winners were recognized in six categories this year: annual sales revenues of more than $25 million, annual sales revenues of more than $10 million and up to $25 million, annual sales revenues of more than $5 million and up to $10 million, annual sales revenues of more than $2 million and up to $5 million, annual sales revenues of more than $1 million and up to $2 million and annual sales revenues of up to $1 million.  The call for entries opened in October of 2013 and received hundreds of nominations.

Winners in the “over $25 million in annual sales revenue” category:

  • Cindy Monroe, Thirty-One Gifts, Columbus, Ohio
  • Veronica Edwards, InGenesis, Inc., San Antonio, Texas
  • Carmen Jacob, NextGen Information Services, Inc., St. Louis, Mo.
  • Mary Kariotis, Merrimak Capital Company, LLC, Novato, Calif.
  • Sabina Teshler, SET Creative, Portland, Ore.
  • Tracy Balazs, Federal Staffing Resources, LLC dba FSR, Annapolis, Md.

Winners in the “over $10 million and up to $25 million in annual sales revenue” category:

  • Lili Hall, KNOCK, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.
  • Jeanne Groenewald, Elgin Free Range Chickens Pty Ltd., Grabouw, Western Cape, South Africa
  • Margrit Wolff, Mercury Freight (Pty) Ltd., Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Grace Amey-Obeng, FC Group of Companies Ltd., Accra North, Ghana
  • Neli Vazquez-Rowland, A Safe Haven Foundation, Chicago, Ill.
  • Karen Emanuel, Key Production (London) Ltd., London, UK
  • Linda Moraski, PeopleSERVE Inc., Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Winners in the “over $5 million and up to $10 million in annual sales revenue” category”:

  • Heena P. Sampat, Horizon Travel LLC, Richardson, Texas
  • Marla Kott, Imprint Plus, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
  • Amy Winfield, Suburban Auto Seat Co. Inc., Lodi, N.J.
  • Sonja N. Hines, H & S Resources Corporation, Columbia, Md.
  • Kim Shepherd, Decision Toolbox, Irvine, Calif.
  • Kathie H. Okun, The Okun Group, Inc., Hunt Valley, Md.
  • Mina Ebrahimi, Saint Germain Catering, Vienna, Va.
  • Darlene Panzitta, DSP Clinical, Parsippany, N.J.
  • Heather Manley, On-Demand Services Group, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.
  • Traci O’Bryan, Arcturis, St. Louis, Mo.
  • Deyona (Dee) Hays, Excellence Engineering, Tulsa, Okla.
  • Necole Parker, The ELOCEN Group, LLC, Wash.
  • Debbi Shapiro, Henderson Shapiro Peck, Roswell, Ga.
  • Chris Harvey, The Design Factory/Network Convention Services, Las Vegas, Nev.
  • Heather L. Cole, Lodestar Solutions, Tampa, Fla.

Winners in the “over $2 million and up to $5 million in annual sales revenues: category:

  • Amanda Gorecki, Healing Waters Spa & Cosmetic Clinic, Wichita, Kan.
  • Molly Gimmel, Design to Delivery Inc., Bethesda, Md.
  • Caroline Houghton, Rapid Allweiler Group, Isando, South Africa
  • Kimberly A. Blackwell, PMM Agency, Columbus, Ohio
  • Gail Downing, Acorn Group Holdings, Gauteng, South Africa
  • Elaine E. Bedel, Bedel Financial Consulting, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind.
  • Ginger Sloan, GS Companies, Edmond, Okla.
  • Angela Margolit, Bluebird Auto Rental Systems, Dover, N.J.
  • Sonia Clayton, Virtual Intelligence Providers, LLC, Houston, Texas
  • Christine Phipps, Phipps Reporting, West Palm Beach, Fla.
  • Gina Merritt, Northern Real Estate Urban Ventures, Wash.
  • Yomna El Sheridy, Special Food Industry International, Cairo, Egypt
  • Karen Rossilli-Kiefer, PAR Flooring, Inc., Morristown, N.J.
  • Jaime Melissa Cooper, RezBiz, LLC, Naples, Fla.
  • Stephanie D. Johnson, Bed Rest Concierge LLC, Frisco, TX
  • Lynn Bardowski, Million Dollar Party Girl, Audubon, N.J.
  • Ryann Wayne, The Frontier Project, LLC, Richmond, Va.
  • Fenella Yin Fang Kim, Reliance Star Payment Services, Oakland Gardens, N.Y.
  • Andrea Heuston, Artitudes Design, Inc., Issaquah, Wash.

Winners in the “over $1 million and up to $2 million in annual sales revenue” category:

  • Elizabeth Colon, Metaphrasis Language & Cultural Solutions, LLC, Chicago, Ill.
  • Susan McGlory Michel, Glen Eagle Advisors, LLC, Princeton, N.J.
  • Jessie Boucher, Jessie et Laurent, San Rafael, Calif.
  • Kristine Jones, New England Flagger Services, LLC, Willimantic, Conn.
  • Emily McKhann and Cooper Munroe, The Motherhood, Pittsburgh, Pa.
  • Jennifer Pearlman, MD, PearlMD Rejuvenation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  • Elizabeth W. Thande, PJ Flowers Ltd., Nairobi, Kenya
  • Sherry Moran, Tribeca Limited (trading as Tribeca Knowledge), London, UK
  • Stacie M. Curtis, CW Solutions, Millstone Township, N.J.
  • Sumita Ghose, Rangsutra Crafts India, New Delhi, India
  • Laurie Rowen and Erin Giglia, Montage Legal Group, Irvine, Calif.
  • Jane Shanab, Spark Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  • Wendy van Ierschot, Van Ierschot b.v., Heemstede, the Netherlands
  • Marty Britton, Britton Management Profiles, Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Winners in the “under $1 million in annual sales revenues” category:

  • Vanessa Ho, Anaqua Chemical Supply Company, Yuen Long, New Territories, Hong Kong
  • Patricia Okelo, Willart Productions Limited, Nairobi, Kenya
  • Kizzy M. Parks, PhD, KPC, Melbourne, Fla.
  • Anna Pappas, KnowQ Solutions, Northbrook, Ill.
  • Nancy Victor, Help Me!! Tech Team, San Antonio, Texas
  • Angela Hirata, HPS, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
  • Melissa Lagowski, Big Buzz IdeaGroup, Chicago, Ill.
  • Dawn Welch, Rock Cafe, Stroud, Okla.

2014 Enterprising Women of the Year Award finalists (listed by revenue level):

  • Dayna Gilchrist, The Hype Agency, Salem, N.H.
  • Lee Anne Davis, PromoVentures, Inc., San Diego, Calif.
  • Sabrina Lloyd, Lloyd Agencies LLC, Schaumburg, IL
  • Mashell Carissimi, JMC Electrical Contractor, LLC, St. Clair Shores, Mich.
  • Christine J. Hammerlund, Assured Healthcare Staffing, Gurnee, Ill.
  • Margarita McClure, Blueberry Diapers, Knoxville, Tenn.
  • Lisa Druxman, FIT4MOM, San Marcos, Calif.
  • Bonnie Hixson, HB MediaWorks, LLC, Lubbock, Texas
  • Navjot Bajwa, Ocean Mist Inc., Schaumburg, Ill.
  • Gayle Stack, EverStar Realty, Kennewick, Wash.
  • Patricia Shaw, CLR Auto Transport Corporation, Merrillville, Ind.
  • Amy Beth Treciokas, Yoga Now Inc., Chicago, Ill.
  • Michele Ruiz, Ruiz Strategies, Los Angeles, Calif.
  • Kelley Parlier, YES Communications Inc., Coppell, Texas
  • Selina Kedziora, G. Adams Restoration LLC, Philadelphia, Pa.
  • Jessica Boni, Bliss Bridal, Cheshire, Conn.
  • Caroline Worley, Worley Law, LLC, Westerville, Ohio
  • Brigitte Connors, Meeting Industry Experts, Schenectady, N.Y.
  • Dr. Marlene N. Mahipat, Mediquest, LLC, Randallstown, Md.
  • Daniela Herrmann, Topan AG (Switzerland), Herrliberg, Switzerland
  • Shannon Wilkinson, Reputation Communications, New York, N.Y.
  • Sabine van Egeraat, Outspoken Communication/Exelenti, Huizen, the Netherlands
  • Nance L. Schick, The Law Studio of Nance L. Schick, New York, N.Y.
  • Linda G. Drummond, Drummond Public Relations, Houston, Texas
  • Vicki Dau, TeamDau Wellness, Carol Stream, Ill.
  • Terri Bennett, Terri Bennett Enterprises, LLC, Charlotte, N.C.
  • Kimble Bosworth, Proforma Printelligence, Nashville, Tenn.

The 2014 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Celebration and Conference will bring together dynamic women business owners from North America and around the world for two full days of top-notch workshops, networking opportunities, corporate sponsor exhibits and “learning labs,” and awards presentations. The celebration will shine the spotlight on the 2014 Enterprising Women of the Year Award winners and finalists, with award presentations at the Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Gala Dinner. During the annual “Hall of Fame Luncheon,” one woman entrepreneur will be inducted into the Enterprising Women Hall of Fame, an outstanding nonprofit will receive the 2014 Advocacy Award, and two women will be recognized with the 2014 Legacy Award.

The annual awards celebration honors recipients of the Enterprising Women of the Year Awards. These outstanding women entrepreneurs have demonstrated that they own and manage fast-growth businesses; mentor and give back to help other women business owners; and are leaders in their communities. It also offers unparalleled networking opportunities for women business thought leaders and established and emerging women entrepreneurs from the United States and around the world. Widely regarded as one of the premier networking opportunities for women business owners in North America and beyond, the event is open to winners and finalists of the Enterprising Women of the Year Award, corporate supporters, members of the Enterprising Women Advisory Board, VIPs in the women’s business community, readers of Enterprising Women magazine, and members of the many partner organizations affiliated with Enterprising Women.

Partner organizations represented on the Enterprising Women Advisory Board and supporting the 2014 event include:

  • The Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO)
  • Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP)
  • Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)
  • National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)
  • National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC)
  • Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW)
  • Center for Women in Business (CWB), U.S. Chamber of Commerce
  • Center for Women’s Business Research (CWBR)/The Global Initiative for Women’s
  • Entrepreneurship Research
  • Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC)
  • Quantum Leaps
  • Springboard Enterprise
  • UnitedSucces
  • Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBEC)/Women Entrepreneurs Inc. (WE)
  • Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence
  • Women’s Leadership Exchange
  • The International Alliance for Women (TIAW)
  • Asian Women in Business (AWIB)
  • eWomenNetwork (EWN)
  • Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC)
  • National Association of Women REO Brokerages (NAWRB)

 

QUOTES:

“The Enterprising Women of the Year Awards celebration continues to grow each year, attracting more and more nominations from outstanding women entrepreneurs around the world. Our class of 2014 includes 17 honorees from outside the United States, representing Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Ghana, Egypt, Kenya, India, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Brazil, and Switzerland.  Our highest revenue winner in the over $25 million in sales revenue category had 2013 revenues of $694 million – a remarkable achievement,” Smiley said.

“There is strong support for this event again this year from corporations that are committed to the growth of women’s entrepreneurship,” Smiley said. “Many of these companies have supported this event for a number of years and three of our sponsors – UPS, American Airlines and IBM – have supported us for all 12 years that we have held this awards event,” Smiley added.

DETAILS:

– For more information or to register to attend the 2014 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Celebration and Conference, visit www.enterprisingwomen.com.

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