Washington’s Top Female Leaders

Three years ago, SmartCEO founded a program with a goal of recognizing 25 female CEOs who are not only growing successful companies, but who are also giving back to the community through philanthropy. Both require hard work and determination and are worthy of praise. In searching for a fitting name for such a program, we chose Bravo! – the cheer that echoes through the crowd at an opera house after an outstanding performance by a talented individual. The term seemed to encompass the spirit of this prestigious award.

There’s just one small snag. “Bravo” is used to praise male performers, and this award is for women. Hence, the change to Brava! – the term used to praise a female performer. It is a fitting year to make such a change. In 2009, for the first time in history, women are projected to become the majority gender of the U.S. workforce. Demographers studying the recession (which is tending to be slightly harsher on male workers) believe this will occur sometime this fall.

Besides entering the majority, women are also undeniably making progress in executive suites across the land. Witness the handing over of the CEO role at Xerox last month to Ursula Burns, who became the first African-American woman to ever grab the helm of a Fortune 500 company. In another Fortune 500 first, she assumed the role from another woman, Anne Mulcahy, who is widely praised for helping bring back Xerox from the brink of collapse. And while the percent of corporate officers who are female is still small (about 16 percent), for corporate America, change is clearly in the air.

Such changes first occur at the grassroots level, in the attitudes and methods of smaller companies and non-profit organizations from which the largest companies often draft managerial talent.

This year’s Brava! winners are no strangers to managing through periods of change. We were struck by how these 25 women have adapted to the difficult economic conditions of 2009 without losing sight of the importance of community giving. The women business owners profiled in the pages that follow contribute to over 150 charity organizations and events throughout the Washington, DC, area. The winning companies collectively employ more than 5,200 individuals and generate $500 million in revenue. The 25 winners have been employed with their current companies for more than 300 years collectively, the average tenure being 15 years.

SmartCEO asked the winners a variety of questions about moments of discovery, the importance of community service, tales of memorable customers and how they have helped shape and maintain company culture.

For Wanda Alexander, president and CEO of Horizon Consulting Inc., giving back to the community is a cornerstone of her business.

“Helping people has always been a passion, and it is a privilege to make a difference in someone’s life,” she says. “I choose to support organizations that provide direction and leadership to youth and also serve as a mentor to minority women business owners in different industries. At Horizon, community outreach is a key component of our commitment to giving back to the five communities in which we operate.”

The women business owners are also leading Greater Washington’s economic future through their innovation and tenacity. Cynthia de Lorenzi, founder and “chief diva” of Success in the City, says making an difference means letting go.

“An effective CEO must lead and know when to let go and trust others with business goals,” she says. “My business-savvy board of directors and advisors is not afraid to question and push back on ideas and initiatives. This robust debate has created an organization of ‘we’ and ‘us,’ not ‘me’ and ‘my.’”

To be considered for the Brava! program, nominees must provide tangible examples of how they have successfully shaped their companies and contributed to the community through philanthropic acts. Nominees must also be in their current role for at least one year and be headquartered in the Greater Washington area. Nominees are evaluated by an independent committee of business leaders.

This year’s winners represent a variety of industries, including manufacturing, employment, Web site design, education and marketing.

Winners: 

Carmen Larsen
AQUAS, Inc.
www.aquasinc.com

Layla Masri
Bean Creative - Funktional Web Design
www.beancreative.com

Lynda Ellis
Capitol Concierge, Inc.
www.capitolconcierge.com

Elma Levy
Dovel Technologies, Inc.
www.doveltech.com

Sandra S. Garrett
Global Research Services, LLC
www.grs-cro.com

Karen Zuckerman
Hirshorn Zuckerman Design Group, Inc. (HZDG)
www.hzdg.com

Wanda Alexander
Horizon Consulting, Inc.
www.horizon-inc.com

Catherine Thomas
Kinetix Technology Partners, LLC
www.kinetixtechnology.com

Katie Sleep
List Innovative Solutions, Inc.
www.listinc.com

Judy E. Ackerman
Montgomery College
www.montgomerycollege.edu

Min Cho
Nova Datacom, LLC
www.novadatacom.com

Canjor Reed
Nutrition, Inc.

Marcia Silverman
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
www.ogilvypr.com

Laila Rossi
Platinum Solutions, Inc.
www.platinumsolutions.com

Kerrie Wilson
Reston Interfaith
www.restoninterfaith.org

Robyn Sachs
RMR & Associates, Inc.
www.rmr.com

Lynette Spano
SCI Consulting Services, Inc.
www.sciworld.com

Ludy Green
Second Chance Employment Services
www.scesnet.org

Elizabeth Shea
SpeakerBox Communications
www.speakerboxpr.com

Deborah Murphy
Standard Supplies, Inc.
www.standardsupplies.com

Cynthia De Lorenzi
Success in the City
www.successinthecity.org

Arlene A. Pietranton
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
www.asha.org

Emily Greene
VIVA Creative
www.vivacreative.com

Phyllis Caldwell
Washington Area Women's Foundation
www.thewomensfoundation.org

Risë Birnbaum
zcomm
www.zpr.com