The program, in its 16th year, provides talented women entrepreneurs with scalable companies in the U.S. and Canada with resources to grow.
New York – Ernst & Young LLP (EY) is proud to announce the 23 founders from 20 companies who were selected for the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ North America (Winning Women) Class of 2023. Now in its 16th year, the program identifies high-potential entrepreneurs in the United States and Canada and connects them with the networks and resources they need to accelerate growth and scale their businesses. Participants receive customized executive education, introductions and access to the Winning Women community around the world, as well as the entirety of the EY global entrepreneurial ecosystem, including members of the Entrepreneur Of The Year® and EY Entrepreneurs Access Network (EAN) programs.
“Women founders contribute trillions to the US economy, and studies have shown that when women are empowered, the economy grows,” said EY Americas Industry and Solutions Leader Cheryl Grise, who also serves as the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women North America Program Executive Sponsor. “At EY, we believe that a rising tide lifts all boats, so the success of women impacts the success of every business,” said Grise. “Over the last 16 years, the Winning Women program has intentionally addressed societal gender-based challenges that often confront women entrepreneurs by providing these phenomenally talented businesspeople with greater access, guidance and knowledge, which are the tools they need to continue to break the mold, inspire innovation and be shamelessly ambitious. I welcome these women to the fold and look forward to seeing them do even bigger and greater things.”
Members of the Winning Women Class of 2023 have ambition, creativity and a desire to build a better world in common. They are tackling problems from inclusivity, to offering healthier products and food, to solving for complex health care issues. Others are bringing to the table innovative solutions in supply chain, data management, marketing and more. The founders selected for the program display unparalleled ingenuity, business prowess, ambition in crafting solutions and a formidable can-do attitude that allowed them to break from the pack of their peers to stand out.
“2023 has been filled with many economic ups and downs – from geopolitical unrest, to interrupted supply chains, to inflation – there has been plenty to make consumers tighten their belts” said Maranda Bruckner, EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women North America Program Leader. “I applaud these business leaders for not only surviving these challenges, but exceeding growth and profit expectations when others did not. They are outstanding examples of being unstoppable and shifting entire industries. We are excited to have them in the program, and deeply congratulate them on this recognition.”
The EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women North America program serves women business owners who are founding CEOs of any US or Canadian privately held company. Company revenues typically range from at least $2m to $30m annually. The EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women program participants become part of a global peer community, which includes more than 900 entrepreneurs in 55 countries and on every continent.
“Every year, I am so pleased to welcome the newest class of the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women North America program, who are not only incredible leaders in their organizations but also in their communities,” said Lee Henderson, Americas EY Private Leader. “It is an honor to provide these best-in-class founders with resources and access to EY’s vast entrepreneurial ecosystem to help them scale, attract talent and disrupt industries. I am always excited to see where these entrepreneurs go next. I already know it’s only up from here.”
The Class of 2023 will be officially recognized in November at the Strategic Growth Forum®, one of the nation’s most prestigious events for ambitious, high-growth, market-leading business leaders.
The members of the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women North America Class of 2023 are:
North America Class of 2023
GF Immigration Law – Abogada Julia | Giulia Fantacci – Miami Beach, Fla.
GF Immigration Law – Abogada Julia (GFI) is one of the largest humanitarian immigration law firms focused predominantly on fighting for and aiding undocumented human trafficking victims in obtaining legal status in the US. Mission-driven and with a client-centered approach, GFI deploys cutting-edge technology with highly specialized legal skills and a proprietary method to enable clients to obtain their legal status and pave a path to legal residency.
Across the Board Game, LLC | Kim McDaniel – St. Louis, Mo.
Across the Board is a family-owned and -operated workshop specializing in high-quality, handcrafted, unique wooden board games that bring families and friends together to connect with one another in a world where everything has gone digital. Ranging from reinventions of old classics, to licensed sports themed, to drinking games, Across the Board is proudly Made in America and has something for everyone.
Applied Development, LLC | Kimberly Citizen – Prince George’s County, Md.
Applied Development empowers people of all abilities to share their brilliance in the workplace through the thoughtful integration of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in its delivery models. Applied Development provides critical communication access through reasonable accommodations and inclusive strategic communication strategies and strives not just for accessibility but for true belonging by crafting communication strategies that create equitable access and empower, uplift and unite.
Blume | Taran and Bunny Ghatrora – Surrey, Canada
Blume creates award-winning, clean and uncomplicated skincare for Gen Z and beyond. Formulated with acne-prone and sensitive skin in mind, Blume is on a mission to give confidence back to the 60% of young “womxn” who say their self-esteem plummets when they go through puberty.
Future Family | Claire Tomkins – San Francisco, Calif.
Future Family is a FinTech platform for family building in the US. The company offers consumers easy digital financing plans for IVF and egg freezing with built-in payments and support services, including digital coaching and concierge care. Future Family has built the largest private network of fertility clinics in the US with over 600 on platform and coverage in the Top 40 metros in the US.
Made with Local | Sheena Russell – Windsor, Canada.
Made with Local is on a mission to raise the bar for sustainable snacking. For over a decade, the company has been crafting irresistibly delicious, nourishing foods that satisfy discerning taste buds while cultivating community impact. Pioneering the local food movement in CPG, Made with Local is known for its gluten-free Real Food Bars, packed with 100% whole-food goodness.
Mamaya Health | Amy Green – Nashville, Tenn.
Mamaya Health helps women find healing and wholeness during the perinatal period by making highly specialized counselling more accessible and affordable. With an initial focus on Tennessee, it aims to reduce maternal mortality throughout the state, country and world.
Milano Di Rouge | Milan Harris – Marietta, Ga.
Milano Di Rouge is a premium lifestyle clothing brand that symbolizes hope, community and inspiration, and encourages dreamers to manifest their aspirations. Beyond fashion, Milano Di Rouge serves as a source of motivation, urging individuals to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. Its signature blend of luxury and streetwear embodies a world where dreams come true.
Mixhers | Jess Toolson – Springville, Utah
Mixhers is an innovative supplement company created by women, for women. It’s on a mission to provide highly absorbable and hormone-friendly nutritional therapy conveniently packaged in delicious drink mix packets. With more than 2.7 million packets sold, Mixhers’ powerhouse hero product, Hertime, is designed to support menstrual health, alleviate PMS symptoms and naturally balance hormones.
Omy Laboratories | Rachelle Séguin and Andrea Gomez – Quebec City, Canada
Omy Laboratories stands as the pioneering Canadian lab, introducing personalized dermocosmetics. SkinIA, their AI software co-developed with dermatologists, AI experts and chemists, revolutionizes skin analysis. Through a photo and brief queries, Omy Laboratories pinpoints clients’ exact needs, tailoring products to their preferences and skin issues. With over 8,000 eco-friendly, vegan cream and serum formulas, all crafted in Quebec, they redefine skincare.
Packed with Purpose | Leeatt Rothschild – Chicago, Ill.
Packed with Purpose embeds social and environmental impact into the everyday act of gift giving. Its curated gift boxes source products from over 140+ purpose-driven organizations that transform more than 750,000 lives, resulting in a unique gifting experience that is as inspiring as it is impressive.
Partner Forces | Jenny Stone – Arlington, Va.
Partner Forces is a management consulting firm that helps government and commercial clients manage risk, enhance security and strengthen mission impact. Its team of cross-sector experts specializes in risk and resilience, data analytics, management consulting and mission support. Partner Forces maximizes the power of partnership, protects critical infrastructure and helps national security and industry partners tackle their most pressing challenges by crafting smart and practical solutions that consider the evolving risk landscape and help solve for the greater good.
pH-D Feminine Health | Deeannah Seymour – Nashville, Tenn.
pH-D Feminine Health has helped millions of women worldwide, establishing itself as one of the top-selling feminine care brands. Pioneering a whole new category in the retail industry, its holistic #1 Doctor-Recommended products are available at every major retailer across the US and Canada, in over 50,000 stores. pH-D operates with a mission to reduce the stigmas surrounding vaginal health.
Pod Foods | Larissa Russell and Fiona Lee – Austin, Texas
Pod Foods is a full-service B2B marketplace platform in the grocery supply chain, connecting CPG brands with grocery retailers.
Pointer Construction Group | Devrie Weliver – Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Pointer Construction Group, LLC is a firm owned by a service-disabled veteran that provides a full array of design/build, construction management and general contracting services. The team’s experience covers a broad range of industrial, commercial, health care and multi-family residential applications in the private sector and for government agencies. Pointer’s team of construction management professionals has specialized experience performing complex projects and is “Best in Class” in serving its clients.
Sampler | Marie Chevrier – Toronto, Canada.
Sampler delivers data-driven product experiences that create personalized relationships between people and brands. Sampler is known for having digitized the product sampling space. Its clients include over 1,000 CPG brands as well as leading retailers.
Sercante | Andrea Tarrell – Roswell, Ga.
Sercante helps marketing teams be successful on the Salesforce platform by supporting implementation, strategy, managed services, consulting, staff augmentation and training across a broad range of Salesforce products – including Marketing Cloud, Data Cloud, Einstein, Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Analytics and more. Sercante sets a vision and bridges the gap from “what is” to “what could be” for clients’ marketing and sales operations.
Steelhead Tubular, LLC | Katie Thompson – Houston, Texas
Steelhead Tubular is a dynamic and rapidly growing pipe distributor with a passion for excellence. The company’s expertise lies in providing top-grade pipe, fittings and accessories to various industries. With a customer-centric approach, Steelhead Tubular prioritizes customer needs and ensures on-time delivery to keep projects on track. Its dedicated team of professionals offers personalized support, guiding customers toward the best solutions for their applications.
Veda Data Solutions | Meghan Gaffney – Madison, Wis.
Veda Data blends science and imagination to solve health care’s most complex data issues. Its solutions increase productivity, enable compliance and empower health care businesses to focus on delivering care. Veda’s platform requires no technical skills or system changes because the team envisions a future for health care where data isn’t a barrier — it’s an opportunity.
WorkWhile | Jarah Euston – San Francisco, Calif.
WorkWhile is an hourly labor marketplace for flexible work that matches workers to shifts that fit their skills, schedule and location. It uses behavioral analysis, feedback loops and powerful machine learning models to help identify the most reliable hourly workers and supports them with perks not available at traditional hourly wage jobs. Employers leverage WorkWhile for a high-quality, reliable workforce that they can scale up or down as needed.
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About EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ The EY organization is committed to seeing women lead. EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ is a global program for successful entrepreneurs whose successful businesses show more potential to scale. Through access to global EY networks throughout the entrepreneurial ecosystem, pioneering founders on every continent secure the resources, advice and connections they need to scale their businesses sustainably. This one-of-a-kind community of founders is rewriting rules and remaking markets. Visit ey.com/us/winningwomen.
About EY Private
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