Women's Business Council

07/17/2024

On June 27, 2024, Northwest Ohio Women’s Business Council (WBC) hosted its Women’s Entrepreneurial Distinction Ovation Award (WEDO) ceremony in at the Huntington Center. During this ceremony, we recognized the excellence and stories of 5 diverse women entrepreneurs. Our goal with the WEDO Awards is to help promote, support, and celebrate women’s entrepreneurship in our community. The WBC announced five awardees for the Women’s Entrepreneurial Distinction Ovation (WEDO) Award:

⭐Sabriyah Davis with Destination Picnic for Rising Star

⭐Angela Decker with Angela Decker, Re/max Preferred Associates for Second Act

⭐Erin Wiley with The Willow Center for Thriver

⭐Sonia Flunder-McNair with SONIA Organics for Trailblazer

⭐Kelly Savage with Savage & Associates for Legend

A big thank you to Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce for empowering our program, our incredible partners for supporting the WEDO Awards:

Engage Studio Architects
The Andersons, Inc.
Savage and Associates
University of Toledo Medical Center
TARTA
Sena Mourad Friedman
Meg Ressner + Associates
Huntington
Imagine901
GDB Law
Valentine Theater
Schramm's Flowers & Gifts
Bon Secours Mercy Health Careers
Sandy Spang
FocusCFO
KeyBank
Buckeye Broadband
Kristine Malik Consulting
Design By Forage
Elevate People Solutions
Premise Financial Group
Simplicity Sounds
Knapp & Associates
NWO Business Mentoring Program
Orange Peel Productions, Inc.

📸
Photos taken by: Belle&Bee Photography LLC

On June 27, 2024, Northwest Ohio Women’s Business Council (WBC) hosted its Women’s Entrepreneurial Distinction Ovation Award (WEDO) ceremony in at the Huntington Center. During this ceremony, we recognized the excellence and stories of 5 diverse women entrepreneurs. Our goal with the WEDO Awards is to help promote, support, and celebrate women’s entrepreneurship in our community. The WBC announced five awardees for the Women’s Entrepreneurial Distinction Ovation (WEDO) Award:
⭐Sabriyah Davis with Destination Picnic for Rising Star
⭐Angela Decker with Angela Decker, Re/max Preferred Associates for Second Act
⭐Erin Wiley with The Willow Center for Thriver
⭐Sonia Flunder-McNair with SONIA Organics for Trailblazer
⭐Kelly Savage with Savage & Associates for Legend
A big thank you to Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce for empowering our program, our incredible partners for supporting the WEDO Awards:
Engage Studio Architects
The Andersons, Inc.
Savage and Associates
University of Toledo Medical Center
TARTA
Sena Mourad Friedman
Meg Ressner + Associates
Huntington
Imagine901
GDB Law
Valentine Theater
Schramm's Flowers & Gifts
Bon Secours Mercy Health Careers
Sandy Spang
FocusCFO
KeyBank
Buckeye Broadband
Kristine Malik Consulting
Design By Forage
Elevate People Solutions
Premise Financial Group
Simplicity Sounds
Knapp & Associates
NWO Business Mentoring Program
Orange Peel Productions, Inc.
📸
Photos taken by: Belle&Bee Photography LLC

07/17/2024

06/25/2024

🌟 The countdown begins! 🌟

Join us THIS THURSDAY from 4-7:30 PM at the Huntington Center for the WEDO Awards! Let's come together to celebrate these incredible women entrepreneurs who are making a difference in our community.

Don't miss the chance to be inspired and uplifted by their stories of triumph and innovation. Check out this amazing interview on WTOL11 with Women of Toledo's Board President, Kathryn M Tucker, and Thriver Awardee, Erin Wiley with The Willow Center, to get a sneak peek into the magic of what to expect at the award ceremony!

Be sure to register and purchase your tickets here: https://www.womenoftoledo.org/events/womens-business-council-we-do-celebration-1

The "We-Do" awards are on Thursday, June 27 at the Huntington Center from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

06/21/2024

And last but not least, meet our Legend!

Kelly Savage is a part-owner, accredited investment fiduciary, and investment advisor representative for Savage and Associates. She uses her 30+ years of expertise to help clients achieve their goals. From an endearing quote by her late father and company founder, John F. Savage, she believes her job is "to serve, not to be served." As a result, Kelly loves giving back to the community that has done so much for her. She has served on numerous boards including the American Cancer Society , Harbor, and The University of Toledo s Athletic Committee, to name a few. Because her father died of leukemia, and her mother has beaten non-Hodgkin's lymphoma twice, Kelly was inspired to run, and later named, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society 2021 Woman of the Year after raising almost $180,000 to help find a cure. Kelly graduated from Notre Dame Academy (NDA) in 1986, and from The University of Toledo (UT) in 1990 where she played college basketball. She ranks among several top 10 all-time Rockets women's basketball categories, including scoring, assists, free throws, minutes played, and remains the all-time leader in made three-point field goals. She is a member of the UT, NDA and City of Toledo Hall of Fame. She and her husband, Kim, reside in Maumee, Ohio.

The WEDO Awards is less than a week away! Be sure to register and purchase a ticket to support women entrepreneurs: https://www.nwowbc.com/

06/17/2024

Introducing our ✨Thriver✨: Erin Wiley with The Willow Center!

Erin Wiley, MA, LPCC, is a Licensed Clinical Psychotherapist in both Ohio and Florida. She is the founder of The Willow Center, a group family counseling practice with three locations: Toledo, Bowling Green, and Oregon, Ohio; and Willow Bay Counseling in Seminole, Florida. She leads a team of over thirty licensed therapists in their mutual goal of meeting the counseling needs of the people and families of Northwest Ohio, Southeast Michigan and Southwest Florida. The clinical focus of her clinical work is marriage, family, parenting, and relationships. Her most recent areas of research include the management and regulation of emotions; healing trauma, and creating vibrant, happy, and healthy marriages.

Erin has served as a speaker for a number of schools and organizations across the country; and has taught undergraduate classes at Michigan State University and The University of Toledoas well as graduate-level courses in marriage & family counseling at Bowling Green State University. She serves as an on-air consultant- for journalists who are seeking the point of view of a mental health professional- for news pieces on WBGU, WUPW 36, WTVG 13abc, and WTOL 11 in Toledo, Ohio. She regularly appears in a mental health segment The Nine, a local morning talk show on WTVG. Her thoughts on mental and emotional health have been published in Newsweek, O: The Oprah Magazine, American Counseling Association publication: Counseling Today, Men’s Health, and on various sites online like BuzzFeed and Experian.com. She was a featured therapist on TLC’s reality show “Lost In Transition.” Erin has extensive training in the Gottman Relationship Counseling method and in two trauma modalities: EMDR and Internal Family Systems.

Learn more about Erin's story and register to celebrate her at the WEDO Award ceremony, June 27: https://www.nwowbc.com/awardees

06/14/2024

Meet our ✨Trailblazer✨

Sonia Flunder-Mcnair with SONIA Organics!

Sonia Flunder-McNair is the CEO and founder of SONIA Organics and SOrganics ®️ which offers health, hygiene, and beauty products. She also leads Urban Wholistics, a nonprofit focused on environmental justice and community self-sufficiency. Sonia has been instrumental in creating Tatum Park , a holistic green space in Toledo, through collaborations with various local organizations. Sonia is dedicated to improving community health and sustainability.

Want to learn more about our Awardees? Register and join us for the WEDO Awards June 27: https://www.womenoftoledo.org/events/womens-business-council-we-do-celebration-1

06/13/2024

Introducing our ✨Second Act ✨

Angela Decker, Re/max Preferred Associates 🏘️

Meet Angela Decker, the dynamic Broker and Owner of RE/MAX Preferred Associates. Her vibrant career in real estate is built on a foundation of two decades of diverse professional experiences.

Angela’s real estate voyage began in 2013 with property management and quickly escalated to her becoming a licensed real estate professional by 2016. Her pursuit of excellence didn’t stop there; she achieved her Broker’s License in 2020 and embraced ownership in 2021. Angela’s professional journey is adorned with accolades, including the Tomorrow's Leader Today (TLT) award and an alumni status from the Northwest Ohio Realtors Leadership Academy.

Her leadership prowess is exemplified by her active role in the Northwest Ohio Realtors and her service on numerous committees within that organization. Collaborating with business partner John Mangas, she serves as a non-competing broker, a role that enables her to concentrate on nurturing her agents’ growth through focused coaching & mentoring, comprehensive training, and unwavering support. This distinctive approach to leadership has been instrumental in securing RE/MAX Preferred Associates the honor of being a Top Workplace for nine consecutive years, while also cultivating a team of the industry’s most productive agents.

Angela’s commitment to the community is equally impressive. RE/MAX Preferred Associates proudly supports the Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals raising nearly $600,000 through their annual Cinco de Mayo fundraiser. Angela’s dedication to empowering entrepreneurial-minded REALTORS® in Northwest Ohio is unwavering, as she continues to guide and mentor with integrity and expertise. Her bio is a testament to her energetic, professional, and community-focused approach to real estate.

Learn more about Angela's story and register to celebrate her at the WEDO Award ceremony, June 27: https://www.nwowbc.com/awardees

06/11/2024

✨Introducing our Rising Star ✨

Sabriyah Davis with Destination Picnic! 🧺

Sabriyah Davis, a proud Toledo native, is the visionary behind a flourishing luxury picnic business dedicated to crafting unforgettable moments for her clients. With a heart for her community, Sabriyah channels her success into giving back, regularly donating to local scholarship funds and auctions. Beyond her thriving enterprise, she is a dynamic force in the arts, designing costumes for theatrical productions, planning public-themed events, and choreographing performances—all in her spare time. Sabriyah’s passion for creating exceptional experiences extends from her business to her community involvement, making a lasting impact on both fronts.

Ready to celebrate these amazing awardees? Join us and register June 27 here: https://www.womenoftoledo.org/events/womens-business-council-we-do-celebration-1

06/04/2024

The✨ moment ✨you all have been waiting for!

Five incredible, inspiring women entrepreneurs from our community have been chosen to receive the WEDO Awards!

Our amazing judges, Nikki Odom, Pamela J. Moore, Destiny Allen Mitchell and Aly Sterling carefully selected the awardees for the Rising Star, Legend, Second Act, Trailblazer, and Thriver Awards.

We’re thankful for this opportunity to shine a spotlight on women entrepreneurs who are elevating the market! Be sure to join us on June 27 at the Huntington Center for the Awards Ceremony.

Purchase tickets and support your local women business entrepreneurs by registering at https://www.womenoftoledo.org/events/womens-business-council-we-do-celebration-1 for the WEDO Awards 🌟 For more details and to learn more about these incredible women, be sure to follow along!

04/15/2024

Last but certainly not least, introducing our 2024 WEDO Awards Judge: Aly Sterling!

Aly is the president and founder of Aly Sterling Philanthropy, a national consulting firm that helps nonprofits, individuals and families, foundations, and corporations meet their philanthropic goals and positively impact their communities. In 2023, Aly and the firm were named the inaugural winners of The University of Toledo Family Business Center’s Doing Right for the Future of Humankind award. In 2018 Aly and the firm were inducted into the Northwest Ohio Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. Aly serves on various local, regional, and national boards, holds a master’s degree from the University of Toledo, and proudly teaches a course on women and entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility at Bowling Green State University. In 2020, Aly published a book about her experiences transcending personal and professional barriers to becoming a female entrepreneur titled, 37: The Year I Stopped Making Excuses, Embraced My Power & Launched My Million-Dollar Business. Aly tries to split her time between Ohio and South Carolina, and enjoys spending time with her family, playing tennis, traveling, and finding small ways to improve the human condition.

Want to learn more about WEDO Awards? Visit: nwowbc.com

04/12/2024

Meet our 2024 WEDO Award Judge: Pamela Moore: A Leader in Incubation and Business Operations!

Pamela Moore, a distinguished leader in the field of incubation and business operations, embarked on her professional journey with The University of Toledo in 2004. Her exceptional leadership skills and business acumen have led to numerous promotions within the institution, particularly within the Office of Research & Sponsored Programs. Pamela’s expertise is further enhanced by her academic credentials. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Applied Organizational Technology from the University of Toledo, a testament to her commitment to continuous learning and professional development. In 2021, Pamela took on the role of Director of Incubation and Business Operations. In this capacity, she oversees the Business Incubator and Minority Business Development Center, demonstrating her ability to manage complex operations and drive business growth. Simultaneously, Pamela serves as the Principal Investigator of the Entrepreneurial Services Provider Program grant through JumpStart Inc. This role sees her collaborating with esteemed partners such as ProMedica Innovations and Bon Secours Mercy Health Careers, further showcasing her ability to foster strategic partnerships and lead collaborative initiatives. Pamela’s career is characterized by her dedication to her work, her ability to lead and inspire, and her commitment to fostering business growth and innovation. Her story continues to unfold as she makes significant contributions to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in NWO.

Want to learn more about the WEDO Awards? Visit: https://www.nwowbc.com/

04/10/2024

Introducing 2024 WEDO Awards judge: Destiny Allen Mitchell!

As an Economic Development Program Officer, Destiny is responsible for supporting a wide range of small business and business development organizations support initiatives; focusing on helping partners strengthen their services to support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, women, and veteran entrepreneurs and building inclusive small business ecosystems in communities across the country. Before joining Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) LISC, Destiny worked as an Economic Development Specialist in Southern Maryland supporting economic development, business engagement, community development, and entrepreneurial ecosystem-building initiatives. Destiny is passionate about relationship building and being a community convener and connector. Destiny holds a master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the The University of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Want to learn more about the WEDO Awards? Visit: https://www.nwowbc.com/