2017 BRAVO! AWARDS
NAWBO San Diego hosts the BRAVO! Awards every May to celebrate the accomplishments of women entrepreneurs throughout the region. We commemorate the achievements of all our nominees at this festive evening event, which features a dynamic keynote speaker, and present the awards “Oscar-style” to delighted recipients.
Our 2017 awards featured an energetic keynote presentation from Lisa Sasevich – owner and CEO of The Invisible Close. Sasevich shared how to be a successful woman business owner and give back to the community; in Lisa's words, to "lift as you climb." A silent auction held during the festivities raised scholarship funds for women business students at San Diego City College.
Congratulations to our 2017 BRAVO! Award winners:
Woman Business Owner of the Year Award
Janis Stevens, Innovative Tub Solutions
Janis Stevens is President and CEO of Innovative Tub Solutions, whose goal is to help customers resolve their tub issues with speed, precision and minimal disruption to hotel operations, leaving their guests and staff with an outstanding impression. Janis is a resourceful leader and business owner who has rebounded from a challenging time to double the size of her business in the past year. She’s gearing her company toward eco friendly solutions, finding new ways to fix old problems, and making sure to lead by example. She continues to fight homelessness by volunteering at the Second Harvest Food Bank and Feeding America.
Women's Advocate of the Year Award
Kara Horat, Connect for Success
In 2015, Kara Horat founded Connect for Success which creates environments that enable mutually successful relationships for female entrepreneurs across the county. She helps women develop greater confidence, camaraderie and connections to grow their businesses. Kara’s personal engagement ensures the growth of female companies in warm and fun environments and provides scholarships to aspiring female entrepreneurs.
Trailblazer Award
Alexandra Linyard, 1218 App Team
Alex is the co-founder and president 1218 App Team, a boutique custom software development agency that works with clients to propel their business using Cloud and Mobile technology. 1218 App Team also developed my1218apps, a terrific series of mobile apps to increase engagement in associations, groups and camps. NAWBO San Diego uses her app and is the first of the NAWBO chapters to do so. We love how it keeps us all connected.
Signature Award
Debra Hubers, La Vita Compounding Pharmacy
Deb Hubers co-founded La Vita Compounding Pharmacy, a leader in innovating personalized medicine solutions. She has pioneered a new approach to living a healthy life by creating a compounding pharmacy that prepares medications by mixing raw ingredients to custom formulate a medication that results in an exact dosage and strength for each individual patient. La Vita is one of the most respected and sought after personalized medicine providers on the west coast.
Green Community Award
Kelly Afsahi, Biozenic LLC
Kelly Afsahi has a passion for going green and bringing nature into indoor spaces. She believes corporate green spaces will help enhance productivity, health, and wellbeing of their employees. Kelly's extensive entrepreneurial and rich cultural experiences enable her to provide distinctive design through living art, vertical gardens, and preserved walls that are truly magical.
Rising Star Award
Nicole Sutton, Nexus Search Group
Nicole is founder of Nexus Search Group, a boutique search firm that specializes in the permanent placement of attorneys and legal support professionals. Labeled a client service star by her clients, Nicole is a resourceful problem solver. Overcoming significant personal challenges while raising 2 children and starting a new business, Nicole has persevered where others would have given up.
Corporate Leader Award
Karen Harrison, Bank of America
Karen Harrison was ranked #1 nationwide Small Business Banking Manager in 2014, 2015 and achieved 82% improvements in funded credit and 71% higher sales revenue among 700 bankers nationwide. Karen gives back to her San Diego community in many ways. She is Executive Sponsor of Bank of America Community Volunteers in San Diego, logging more than 18,000 hours of community service as a team, and more than 300 hours personally, participating in fundraisers, food drives, building homes for Habitat for Humanity, beach clean-up, small business workshops, animal rescue and more.
Corporate Leader Award
Jaymee Lomax, San Diego Gas & Electric
Jaymee Lomax is a Senior Diversity Advisor for SDG&E, a Sempra Energy utility. For the past nine years, SDG&E has exceeded the overall Diverse Business Enterprise percentage goals set by the California Public Utility Commission and she is proud of the fact that 43 percent of the company’s purchases in 2016 were with diverse businesses. Jaymee shares her expertise by serving on Executive Boards and committees for organizations including Asian Business Association, Cal Asian, NAWBO, and National Elite SDVOB Network. Jaymee also holds the position of Chairperson for Women Business Enterprise Council - West and has received numerous awards and nominations in recognition of her support in the diversity arena.
Click below to view past winners: (links coming soon)
2016 BRAVO! Award Winners
2015 BRAVO! Award Winners
2014 BRAVO! Award Winners
2013 BRAVO! Award Winners
2012 BRAVO! Award Winners
2011 BRAVO! Award Winners
2010 BRAVO! Award Winners
2009 BRAVO! Award Winners
