Program helps women entrepreneurs to become powerful engines of economic growth
TORONTO, Nov. 15, 2013 /CNW/ - Today, EY announced Canadians Kelsey Ramsden, President, Belvedere Place Development Ltd. and Corin Mullins, CEO, Holy Crap Cereal will be part of its 2013 class of Entrepreneurial Winning Women. The North American competition and executive leadership program identifies a select group of high-potential women entrepreneurs whose businesses show real potential to scale — and then helps them do it. This is the first year the program has included women from Canada.
"Kelsey and Corin are savvy business owners who prove Canadian entrepreneurs are a force to be reckoned with not only in this country, but around the world," says Carrie Marchitto, EY's Entrepreneurial Winning Women leader in Canada. "Entrepreneurs — and women — play a vital role in any healthy and vibrant economy, creating jobs and driving growth. But despite robust growth in the early stages, many women entrepreneurs struggle to find the resources needed to continue to scale their businesses towards market leadership."
"Entrepreneurial Winning Women helps to bridge that 'missing middle'," explains Marchitto. "By providing the right information, networks and guidance, EY helps these talented women access capital, identify strong business advisors and put the processes in place to radically expand their companies."
This year's group of Entrepreneurial Winning Women includes 12 companies with services that range from personalized medicine to jet aircraft charters to cyber security. Along with the two Canadians, this year's diverse class represents some of the most innovative women entrepreneurs in business today. Cumulatively, the 12 Winning Women employ almost 400 people, and have annual sales totaling nearly $150 million.
"I think it's a tremendous opportunity for any woman to be recognized by EY, never mind the opportunity to connect with so many other amazing women and fabulous mentors through the network that EY has provided for me," says Kelsey Ramsden, President, Belvedere Place Development, Ltd. "The learning will be pivotal to take this business past the tens of millions mark and to build it in a way that will bridge generations. I am just downright grateful."
"EY has opened up a wonderful opportunity with this program for women of all ages and experiences," says Corin Mullins, CEO, Holy Crap Cereal. "Just to be recognized by EY is humbling and to be among these self-made women is truly amazing. I'm thankful for the wonderful knowledge that I will take home with me to move my company to the next level."
According to an independent assessment by Babson College, participant companies have an average growth of nearly 50% per year and a corresponding 26% average growth in the number of jobs they provide.
"Women represent tremendous untapped business potential. Initiatives like these are critical, and we're so pleased to have Canadian women in the program this year," adds Marchitto.
Ramsden and Mullins will be honoured for being selected as part of the 2013 class of Entrepreneurial Winning Women at Canada's EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2013 National gala, on 27 November 2013 in Toronto. The gala will culminate EY Canada's 20th anniversary of celebrating the country's brightest entrepreneurs, and Canada's EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2013 will be announced.
The 2013 winners are:
Canada:
Kelsey Ramsden, President | Belvedere Place Development Ltd
(London, Ontario, Canada) Belvedere Place Development is a nine-year-old general and civil contractor with a reputation for delivering projects on-time and on-budget. The company began with small roadway projects and now constructs large-scale infrastructure, including roads, bridges, underground works, treatment plants and airports. Expanding globally, Belvedere is on track to continue expansion from Western Canada and the Caribbean into emerging markets, where fast-growing populations mean high demand for infrastructure development.
Corin Mullins, CEO | Holy Crap Cereal
(Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada) Holy Crap Cereal is the world's most amazing breakfast cereal. The handmade, certified organic, non-genetically modified, allergen-free cereal line was born in 2009 from the desire for a great-tasting cereal safe for people with food allergies. Now, Holy Crap Cereal products are sold in over 2,500 stores and are favorites of athletes, diabetics, celiacs, dieters and even astronauts, who brought the cereal with them to the International Space Station.
US:
Raegan Moya-Jones, Co-Founder and CEO | aden + anais, Inc.
(New York, New York) aden + anais has built a successful global brand on one of the most classic baby products: muslin swaddling blankets, which are light-weight and perfect for keeping babies cool in summer and warm in winter. From a home-based business launched in 2006, aden + anais has grown to more than 4,500 retail clients, including Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Harrods and Babies R Us, with a growing worldwide distribution network that spans 61 countries across Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Retailers are clamoring for the company's rapidly expanding product line that is a favorite among moms everywhere, including Beyoncé and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.
Julia Beardwood, Founding Partner | Beardwood & Co LLC
(New York, New York) Beardwood & Co, founded in 2004, has made its mark taking an uncommon approach to product branding and advertising: eliciting emotional reactions based on needs, wants and dreams, and putting clients' end-users at the center of its campaigns. Today the company has some of the highest levels of customer satisfaction in the industry and counts among its clients a roster of globally known consumer products, nonprofits and business-to-business brands. The company hopes to leverage its clients' branding and advertising successes (and its own blossoming reputation) to further entrench itself as a leading agency-of-choice worldwide.
Denise Wilson, President and CEO | Desert Jet
(Palm Springs, California) Desert Jet is a full-service aircraft management, charter and maintenance company. Structured as the private car service of the sky, private flyers can use Desert Jet's services as they need, with no requirements like buying a fractional share, jet card or membership. Aircraft under asset management with Desert Jet benefit from increased operational safety with the option to earn revenue. A three-time Inc. 500|5000 list honoree, the company has grown over 600% in the last three years and has its sights on further expansion.
Karri Bass, CEO | Illumination Research
(Cincinnati, Ohio) Illumination is a market research and strategy consulting firm that conducts customer research throughout the world to help businesses create ideas to fuel growth. The company's clients include many of the world's largest consumer products companies and retailers, including Procter & Gamble, Nestle and Pepsi. It has a track record of delivering better and faster research through its unique capabilities and team of experts. The eight-year-old business is rapidly gaining ground, with significant global expansion plans to serve its multinational clients.
Jamie Kern Lima | IT Cosmetics
(Jersey City, New Jersey) IT Cosmetics is one of the fastest growing cosmetics companies in America. The innovative business works with leading plastic surgeons to infuse anti-aging technology into high-performance makeup and skin care products that solve women's beauty concerns and help them look and feel their most beautiful. Established in 2008, IT has received 200+ press placements in 2013 alone including TODAY Show, Allure, CEW, WWD, InStyle, W, Glamour, People StyleWatch, Marie Claire, MORE and The New York Times. IT is sold on QVC as well as in 600+ ULTA Beauty stores nationwide and on itcosmetics.com with 2013 sales of over $60 million. IT's truly your beauty, but better®!
Adrienne Choma | Saladax Biomedical, Inc.
(Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) Saladax develops and commercializes novel diagnostic assays for the practical delivery of personalized medicine, including improved cancer drug dosing and early Alzheimer's detection. The nine-year-old company's ultimate goal is replacing the current standard of care in cancer drug dosing with more precise dosing methods, resulting in a better quality of life, fewer adverse side effects and improved treatment results for chemotherapy patients.
Jennifer Blumin | Skylight Group
(New York, New York) With six properties, Skylight Group is New York's largest event venue management firm, brokering access to otherwise inaccessible spaces for a roster of clients that includes Google, Nike and Ralph Lauren. With the rise of global media, Skylight has grown in tandem with its clients, enabling them to create experiential narratives that expand an event from the 300 people in a room to the 300,000 watching across the world. Alone in its niche, Skylight Group has seen 100% growth in the last year, enabling the company to lead its Fortune 500 clients into the future of events as an invaluable part of marketing today.
Joy Taylor | TayganPoint Consulting Group
(Lambertville, New Jersey) TayganPoint Consulting Group, established in 2009, is a niche management consulting company focused on helping pharmaceutical, health care, financial services and energy organizations improve their efficiency and overall business performance. TayganPoint's team of process experts have a reputation for hands-on service and deep sector expertise. This deep knowledge of its clients' business needs allows the company to continue to grow its client portfolio and expand into new markets.
Dr. Lisa Williams | World of EPI, LLC
(Chula Vista, California) The World of EPI, which teaches multicultural understanding among children, was founded on the belief that all children deserve access to authentic, multicultural dolls that encourage dreams, promote intelligence and open their hearts to beauty of all types. Founded with a line of books in 2005, the World of EPI is now a multi-faceted business that includes the Positive Perfect doll line with plans to expand into animation.
Phyllis W. Newhouse | Xtreme Solutions, Inc.
(Atlanta, Georgia) Xtreme Solutions, founded in 2002, is an end-to-end IT services and solutions provider, with offerings that range from IT business consulting to state-of-the-art cyber security consulting and forensic analysis. The company employs 23% of the world's certified ethical hackers and network security professionals to help secure its clients' private networks and prevent cyber-attacks. The company plans to create a larger global presence and platform for new international customers, supported in part by strategic alliances with large companies to help serve smaller businesses.
The distinguished 2013 panel of independent judges for the Entrepreneurial Winning Women program included:
- Cynthia Cohen, CEO, Strategic Mindshare
- Laurie Cunnington, President, Ward Williston Oil Company
- Leslie Firtell, President & CEO, Tower Legal Solutions
- Harold Mills, CEO, ZeroChaos
- Mike Cohen, Managing General Partner, VGPartners
The Entrepreneurial Winning Women program is conducted in collaboration with several organizations that encourage the development of women-owned businesses, including the Women Presidents' Organization (WPO), the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), The Committee of 200 (C200), the Kauffman Foundation and Babson College's Center for Women's Leadership. For more information on the program, visit www.ey.com/ca/entrepreneurialwinningwomen.
About EY's Strategic Growth Markets practice
EY's Strategic Growth Markets practice guides Canadian entrepreneurs by delivering integrated services tailored to their goals and needs at every stage of the business lifecycle. We are the world's leader in advising, guiding and recognizing the entrepreneurs who propel the economy - and community - forward.
For more information, please visit ey.com/ca/Entrepreneurs.
About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.
For more information, please visit ey.com/ca.
EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.
SOURCE: EY (Ernst & Young)
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