12th Annual
Do you know a woman business owner who has an inspirational story of struggle and success to tell? If so, nominate that person for the Starkey Entrepreneurial Women Award. To nominate, complete an application today! Log on to www.indianapolismonthly.com/sewa, submit your application online or print out form and submit by fax or mail. Nomination deadline is April 14, 2015.
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CONGRATULATIONS!
Deborah Wood,
Founder, Owner, and CEO of DWA Healthcare Communications Group, is the 2014 winner of the 11th Annual Starkey Entrepreneurial Woman Award. Deborah Wood is the founder, owner and Chief Executive Officer of DWA Healthcare Communications Group (“DWA”), headquartered in Carmel, Indiana. After 10 years in senior management with Fortune 500 companies, Deborah wanted to pursue a course where her work would positively impact others on a larger scale. Inspired by the healthcare industry’s power to transform lives for the better, she started DWA in 1994 in the spare bedroom of her home with one employee…herself. Today, DWA has 185 employees and is an industry leader in medical marketing and education, supporting numerous Fortune 500 companies and multi-billion dollar brands. The DWA corporate group includes Avant Healthcare and CME Enterprise. The two adjectives that best describe Deborah are passionate and persistent. She is passionate in her beliefs and enthusiasm for DWA and in positively transforming the quality of patient care. Deborah can be described as persistent because she is tenacious in her pursuit of excellence both in and out of the workplace. She is constantly seeking opportunities for professional development that will positively impact the company. She is a community leader with prominent roles in organizations such as the United Way, the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and St. Vincent Hospital, where she is President of the Board of Directors. Deborah and her staff actively give back to the community with time, talent and other resources to more than 15 local non-profit organizations.
1st RUNNER-UP - Martha Hoover
Patachou Inc. (Café Patachou, petite chou, Napolese, GELO, Public Greens) Martha Hoover is a pioneer and innovator of the independent restaurateurs. Martha has had the ability to adapt, persevere and keep moving forward with all her innovative ideas and incredibly hard work ethic. She is constant about looking inward and asking herself what else she can do to be better, to create, inspire and educate. Martha never gives up with a courage and spirit that speaks and inspires many women and men on a daily basis. Martha is brilliant about her branding and exemplifies how entrepreneurs need to learn from teachable moments to get to the next successful place in life, business and in the home. What is constant is her ability to ask herself if she did her best or can she learn more. She exemplifies humbleness and courage and an unbelievable work ethic.
2nd RUNNER-UP - Darlene Mezzetta Mezzetta Construction Services, Inc.
Darlene has been involved in top-level management and leadership in the construction industry since 1978 and successfully built and maintained a multi-million dollar construction firm in a very competitive and financially unstable industry since 1999. Under Darlene’s leadership as President and CEO, Mezzetta Construction Services, Inc., was named an Emerging Business Contract Recipient by the Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee. In April 2012, Darlene and Mezzeta Construction Services, Inc., were recognized by the New Wishard (Eskenazi Health) Project Diversity Team and the City of Indianapolis for their contribution in construction of the Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital. The company, now a national, city and state certified MBE, WBE and DBE, has grown to include her husband, Remo, oldest son, Luciano, and youngest son, Anthony, and 49 other employees. Mezzetta was recently ranked by the Indianapolis Business Journal as one of the largest Indianapolis-area minority-owned businesses. For more information on the 2014 winner and runner ups, please go to www.harrisonmoberly.com/sewa.
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2014 SPIRIT AWARD WINNERS
(A Focus on the Fight Against Human Trafficking) Anita Ramasastry Anita Ramasastry is the UW Law Foundation Professor of Law at the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle. She teaches and researches in the areas of commercial law, international law, law and development and business and human rights. Anita has worked actively for battered women and children, and trafficking survivors for over twenty years, having founded the Immigrant Families Advocacy Project at the University of Washington, which pairs law students with pro bono attorneys to represent trafficking victims as well as battered immigrant women married to U.S. citizens. She has been active with the Uniform Law Commission, being appointed from the State of Washington in 2002 and has served on numerous drafting and study committees. Most recently, she served as Vice Chair and Reporter for the drafting committee that produced the Uniform Act on the Prevention of and Remedies for Human Trafficking. Anita currently serves as Chair of the Committee on Scope and Program for the Uniform Law Commission and is a member of the Executive Committee. She is a graduate of Harvard College, Harvard Law School and the University of Sydney.
Jaycee Dugard Jaycee Dugard was kidnapped outside of her home in South Lake Tahoe, California, on June 10, 1991, at age 11. Her captor, convicted rapist Phillip Garrido, raped Jaycee repeatedly, fed her countless lies and impregnated her twice (she gave birth to two daughters at ages 14 and 17). Renamed “Alyssa,” Jaycee spent 18 years in captivity, living in a backyard shack at the home of Garrido and his wife, Nancy Garrido. Jaycee escaped captivity in August 2009, when security officers from UC Berkeley conducted a background check on Phillip Garrido and discovered that he had no records of children. Phillip and Nancy Garrido were arrested on August 26, 2009, and Jaycee was reunited with her mother, Terry Probyn. In July 2011, Jaycee Dugard courageously published a harrowing memoir, A Stolen Life, about her years spent with the Garridos.
Michael Houghton Mike is an attorney practicing with the law firm Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP, in Wilmington, Delaware. Mike’s practice involves the representation of governmental entities, and he represents banks, trust companies, insurance companies and public utilities in commercial transactions and before regulatory authorities and government entities. Mike is Co-Chair of the ULC Drafting Committee to Revise the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act, legislation which forms the basis for the law of unclaimed property for over 40 states. Mike is the Immediate Past-President of the Uniform Law Commission (“ULC”). During Mike’s tenure as President of the ULC, the Commission finished its work on the Uniform Act on Prevention of and Remedies for Human Trafficking.
Steve Wilborn Steve Wilborn is an attorney whose career has included the private practice of law, association management, and both elective and appointed government service. After establishing a “small town” law practice Steve was twice elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives. He then served as General Assembly; and later as Executive Director of a major trade association. Most recently Steve has served in the dual capacity as Chair of the Kentucky Unemployment Insurance Commission and as Interim Executive Director of the newly created Kentucky Commission on Proprietary Education. Steve is a life member of the Uniform Law Commission. He has just completed service as Chair of the Uniform Act on Prevention of and Remedies for Human Trafficking; and previously served as Chair of the Uniform Military and Overseas Voting Act.
PREVIOUS WINNERS 2004 | Marie Stanley Protection Plus Inc.
2009 | Nancy Ford/Winters Branches for Disabilities Only Inc.
2005 | Abigail Lawlis Kuzma Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic
2010 | Barbara Gilbert Barbara’s New Beginnings
2006 | Ann Day Day Furs Inc.
2011 | Crystal Scott Talking Time Learning Center
2007 | Billie Dragoo RepuCare/RepuStaff LLC
2012 | Kate Bova Drury The Flying Cupcake
2008 | Jannett Keesling Keys to Work Inc.
2013 | Tina McIntosh Joy’s House
After graduating from the University of Evansville in 1976 as its outstanding senior woman, Marti Starkey went on to attend the IU School of Law – Indianapolis (now the Robert H. McKinney School of Law). In 1982, after graduation and a federal clerkship, she joined a progressive law firm which allowed her to build her trust and estate practice from scratch. Marti eventually took her practice and started her own trust and estate boutique law firm in 1999. During this time, Marti noticed that most entrepreneurial awards were given to male business owners. Recognizing that many female business owners were doing heroic work and deserved to be honored, Marti decided in 1998 to start an entrepreneurial woman award, thus the Starkey Entrepreneurial Woman Award was born. After Marti merged her law firm into Harrison & Moberly, LLP, they proudly continue this wonderful tradition. Marti is an Equity Partner at Harrison & Moberly and chairs the Trust & Estate Practice Group. In 2010, the YWCA named Marti as the “Woman of the Year in Law.” Marti was named as an Indiana Super Lawyer each year from 2004 through 2012, and in 2010, she was named as one of the top 25 female attorneys in Indiana. Indianapolis Monthly magazine gave Marti a “Best in Client Service Award” and a “Top Money Manager Award.” Marti also serves the State of Indiana on the Uniform Law Commission (ULC), being appointed in 1990 by then Governor Evan Bayh and serving under every Indiana Governor since. In 1993, Governor Bayh named Marti to serve as the Chair of Indiana’s ULC delegation. The ULC also honored Marti in 1996 by naming her as the first female to ever serve as a national Division Chair of this prestigious 123 year old organization. Marti has served on its drafting committee of the Uniform Trust Code, the Uniform Power of Attorney Act and the review committee of the Health Care Decisions Act. She currently serves on the Joint Editorial Board for Uniform Trust and Estate Acts, Drafting Commitee for the Uniform Act on Divided Trusteeship, and as a Trustee of the Uniform Law Foundation. The inspiration for the Starkey Entrepreneurial Woman Award derived from one of Marti’s long-time clients, Helen E. Marschke (right). Helen, a restaurateur and business owner, managed her own financial affairs well into her late 90s. Helen passed away in 1998 at the age of 97, at which time Marti expressed her desire to Helen’s family to create this award in Helen’s memory.
2015 STARKEY ENTREPRENEURIAL WOMAN AWARD
Do you know an inspirational female business owner? To nominate, log on www.indianapolismonthly.com/sewa