The Women’s Business Development Center – Minnesota (WBDC-MN) will honor the achievements and success of its members and supporters of women’s economic development at its Fourth Annual Evening of Celebration & Awards Ceremony on Thursday evening, March 4, beginning at 5 p.m., at the Calhoun Beach Club, 2925 Dean Parkway, in Minneapolis. Admission is free to WBDC members. For more information, please visit www.wbdc.org/mn or call 612-259-6584.
Sponsored by the organization’s founding partners, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A., Lurie Besikof Lapidus & Company, LLP and M&I Bank, as well as a number of women-owned companies, the event is expected to attract some 250 women entrepreneurs, corporate supplier diversity representatives, and strategic partners from the local community.
Since its launch in 2003, the WBDC-Minnesota has undergone tremendous growth, creating a powerful network of almost 300 women’s business enterprises. With combined revenues reaching nearly three BILLION dollars, this growing network of women-owned businesses is finding success by targeting Fortune 500 corporations as clients, as well as doing business with each other.
During the awards ceremony portion of The Celebration Event, the WBDC-Minnesota will recognize a WBE of the Year and a Corporate Partner of the Year, as well as present the Giving Back Award and Advocacy Award. This year’s honorees are:
WBE of the Year Award to One 2 One Marketing, Inc. and its President, Elaine Grundhauser, who is being recognized for her company’s success in leveraging its WBE status to secure business. Since becoming WBE certified in 2006, the company’s revenues have grown over 50%, and in 2009 almost a third of the revenues were generated from customers with diversity initiatives such as SUPERVALU. WBE certification has also been beneficial for One 2 One in increasing business with existing clients such as Smead Manufacturing, Health Partners and the State of Minnesota. Elaine is also being recognized for her outstanding contributions to the community, especially her dedication to supporting other women business owners.
Corporate Partner of the Year Award to Xcel Energy as a corporation that has shown an outstanding commitment to supplier diversity and support of women-owned businesses. In 2009, Xcel Energy spent nearly $70 million with women-owned companies, which is almost 60% of Xcel Energy’s total direct spend with diverse suppliers. Xcel Energy’s Supplier Diversity Specialist Hector Martinez, who will accept the award on behalf of the corporation, has provided assistance to many women and minority business owners. Mr. Martinez has volunteered with and contributed countless hours to the WBDC-MN for many years, in addition to serving on boards of several other community organizations.
Giving Back Award to Teena Risley, the Business Development Manager at WBE certified Tembua Inc., for her extraordinary contributions to the success of the WBDC-MN, its certified WBEs and the women’s business community. Advocacy Award to Beth Kieffer Leonard, CPA, Managing Partner of Lurie Besikof Lapidus & Company, LLP (LBLCO) accounting firm, for her invaluable contributions to the economic development and empowerment of women-owned businesses, and for her long-term support of the Center and our shared mission.
Established in 2003 by the Women’s Business Development Center in Chicago (WBDC-Chicago), the organization provides a certification for Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) and facilitates networking and business development opportunities to women-owned businesses in Minnesota, Western Wisconsin and the Dakotas. One of the primary goals of the Minnesota WBE program is to help its members develop relationships with Minnesota corporations including the program’s local sponsors: Best Buy; Cargill; C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.; Cub Foods; Deluxe Corporation; Ecolab; Marathon Petroleum Company LLC; Mayo Clinic; Medtronic, Inc.; Minneapolis Public School District; SUPERVALU; Target Corporation; The Toro Company; Xcel Energy; and 3M.
The Celebration Event WBE Sponsors include: ASI Signage Innovations; Creative Resources Agency, LLC; Designer Sign Systems; Futura Marketing, Inc.; Ideal Printers, Inc.; Innovative Office Solutions, Inc.; KNOCK, inc; Kelly Mitchell Group, Inc.; Kestrel Consulting, Ltd.; Magnetic Products & Services, Inc.; MedCare Products, Inc.; One 2 One Marketing, Inc.; Smead Manufacturing Company; Tembua Inc.; Unleashed Productions, Inc.; and Wyoming Machine, Inc. The WBDC-Minnesota is located at 250 2 nd Avenue South, Suite 106, Minneapolis, MN 55401. www.wbdc.org/mn. The phone number is (612) 259-6584.# # #
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