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Press Release
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS-LOS ANGELES (NAWBO-LA)
TO HOST HIGHLY ANTICIPATED 21st ANNUAL LEADERSHIP AND LEGACY AWARDS LUNCHEON
Gala Event in Honor of Women Business Leaders to Take Place Friday,
March 16, 2007 at Beverly Hilton Hotel
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(LOS ANGELES) February 5, 2007 – The Los Angeles chapter of the National
Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO-LA) and the Enterprise Institute
of NAWBO-LA, announced today that this year’s highly anticipated 21st
Annual NAWBO-LA Leadership and Legacy Awards Luncheon will take place from 11:00
a.m. to 2.00 p.m Friday, March 16, 2007 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Presented
by Union Bank of California, the annual NAWBO-LA Awards Luncheon gives tribute
to top achievers among women leaders who have established a legacy of entrepreneurial
excellence and contributed significantly to the community.
The National Association of Women Business Owners® (NAWBO®), the voice
of America's 10.6 million women-owned businesses, is the only dues-based national
organization that represents the interests of all women entrepreneurs across
all industries.
Each year, the luncheon organized by the powerhouse Los Angeles chapter of
NAWBO attracts more than 1,200 women business owners, community leaders, media,
dignitaries and celebrities who gather to salute the achievements of leading
businesswomen. NAWBO-LA plans to honor seven such highly accomplished women
in 2007.
“The unique role that we play in the business community is one that we
take seriously,” said Helen Han, CEO of NAWBO-LA. “We are not merely
organizing an event – our goal is to highlight the power and influence
of women entrepreneurs. By sharing the success stories of each of our honorees,
we have the unique opportunity to further our mission of propelling women into
economic, social and political spheres of leadership and to create a legacy
for the next generation of women.”
This year’s theme of Owning the Future
speaks to the fact that entrepreneurs not only own their own businesses, they
take ownership of their membership experience, and in a greater sense embrace
their responsibility as stewards of a future above and beyond themselves. For
women entrepreneurs, that future includes NAWBO-LA, the larger community of
women business owners and society as a whole.
“It is truly an honor and a privilege to serve as this year’s event
chair,” said Laura Yamanaka, NAWBO-LA event chair/president-elect and
president of teamCFO, Inc. “Each woman business owner we will honor this
year has earned our respect by virtue of her own individual success. Yet a common
thread uniting this year’s honorees is that whether their spheres of influence
lay in business, social services, the public sector, or their immediate circles
of family and faith, all the women embrace a collective responsibility for the
future.”
The five NAWBO-LA honorees for 2007 are:
Leadership Award/WBO of the Year: Nancy Silverton, founder
of La Brea Bakery and co-owner of Pizzeria Mozza;
Legacy Award: Faye Washington, CEO of the YWCA of Greater
Los Angeles;
Civic Leader of the Year: The Honorable Wendy Greuel, 2nd
District Council Member of the Los Angeles City Council;
Corporate Partner of the Year: Southern California Gas Company and
San Diego Gas & Electric – represented by president and CEO,
Debra L. Reed; and
Inspiration Award: Ajaya Williams, founder and designer of
AJ KUSTOMZ.
The two inductees to the NAWBO-LA Hall of Fame are:
Maria de Lourdes Sobrino, founder and CEO of LuLu’s
Dessert Corp.; and
Kimberly Rakis, president of Premier Building Maintenance
Services.
NAWBO-LA’s annual awards luncheon is a joint fundraising event for both
the chapter and the Enterprise Institute. Event sponsors include: Union Bank
of California (Platinum Sponsor); PDQ Careers Group (Legacy Partner); Southern
California Edison and Washington Mutual (Gold Sponsors); Toyota Motor Sales
USA, Inc. (Silver Sponsor); and Guardian Life Insurance, Hilton Hotels Corporation,
Metro, Microsoft Corporation and Wachovia Corporation (Bronze Sponsors).
Emmy Award-winning KCAL 9 News co-anchor Sylvia Lopez will serve as the mistress
of ceremonies. The event is scheduled for Friday, March 16, 2007 with a networking
reception to be held from 11:00 to 11:50 a.m. and the awards luncheon from 12:00
to 2:00 p.m. at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, 9876 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills,
CA 90210. Valet parking will be provided for $14 and self parking will also
be available at a cost of $9. Event tickets can be purchased online at www.nawbola.org
for $175 (NAWBO-LA members receive a $25 discount). Attendance is limited and
early registration is strongly encouraged.
About NAWBO-LA
Founded in 1979, NAWBO-LA is one of the largest and fastest-growing chapters
of the National Association of Women Business Owners, an organization that strives
to empower and enable women entrepreneurs into economic, political and social
spheres of leadership. Representing more than 335,000 women-owned businesses
in Los Angeles and Long Beach, employing more than 700,000 people, and generating
more than $113 billion in annual revenues, women entrepreneurs have become an
increasingly active and powerful force shaping the economic and political landscape
of Southern California. The Enterprise Institute of NAWBO-LA is a 501(c)3 tax
exempt charitable organization dedicated to accelerating initiatives and research
that promote the entrepreneurship of women worldwide.
Together, NAWBO-LA and the Enterprise Institute work closely to ensure that
women business owners are recognized as a public policy voice to be reckoned
with, as a formidable economic force, and as effective agents for change in
the dynamic business environment that is Southern California.
For more information about NAWBO-LA or the Enterprise Institute, please visit
www.nawbola.org or call (213) 622-3200.
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