Inspired performers: to build a profitable business, our nominees started out with solution-oriented ideas.This year, we celebrate a group of entrepreneurs who were inspired to turn their innovative solutions into successful businesses. The winners of the Black Enterprise Small Business Awards will be announced at the 11th annual Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference, hosted by General Motors, May 17--20, at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas. Look for more coverage on blackenterprise.com and further recognition of the winners' accomplishments in the September 2006 issue. EMERGING COMPANY OF THE YEAR NOMINEES This award recognizes businesses that have poised themselves for growth by carving out a special business niche or by adopting creative marketing techniques. International Catastrophe Solutions Type of Business Disaster Recovery CEO/President Corey Location Atlanta After the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. in the Gulf Coast region, private companies were lining up to help with the recovery process. International Catastrophe Solutions, a disaster recovery company, was one of the first to arrive. Corey Pitts, 36, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of ICS (1) (Internet Connection Sharing) A Windows feature that enables two or more computers to share one Internet connection. First introduced in Windows 98 Second Edition, sharing is accomplished with network address translation (NAT), which is the common method. , and his technicians were in Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi to help commercial enterprises--including several hotels-clean up their properties. ICS has partnered with Marriott, Radisson, Crowne Plaza This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. , Sheraton, and Holiday Inn hotels. The company cleaned and sanitized san·i·tize tr.v. san·i·tized, san·i·tiz·ing, san·i·tiz·es 1. To make sanitary, as by cleaning or disinfecting. 2. some hotels so aid workers and government officials had places to stay during the arduous cleanup and rebuilding efforts. Pitts directs a mobile emergency response unit that specializes in fire and water restoration, dehumidification, mold remediation, and asbestos removal. Last year, the 80-employee company posted $37 million in revenues. Warm Spirit Inc. Type of Business Direct Selling Direct selling is the marketing of products or services to consumers through sales tactics including presentations, demonstrations, and phone calls. It is sometimes also considered to be a sale that does not utilize a "middle man" such as a retail outlets, distributors or brokers. CEO/President & Co-Founder Nadine Thompson Location Exeter, NH Nadine Thompson will tell you that Warm Spirit is not your average beauty-and-wellness company. Her unique direct-sales business--selling products at home gatherings, one-on-one, or through catalogs--was initially created to empower African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. women, an audience Thompson felt was underserved as both consumers and entrepreneurs. Warm Spirit, founded in 1999 by Thompson, 44, and Daniel Wolf, produces a comprehensive collection of nature-based beauty and healthcare products. Supplies are sold through a diverse nationwide network of more than 20,000 independent consultants, who earn income from personal direct sales and sales of consultants they recruit into the company. Boosted by a phenomenal period of growth and end-of-year sales, the Exeter, New Hampshire-based firm reported income for 2005 at nearly $15 million. Sales for 2006 are projected to be well over $20 million. Global Professional Solutions Type of Business Information Technology CEO/President Frank J. Stuart Location Alexandria, VA Frank J. Stuart has successfully capitalized on the increasing need for security in the U.S. to catapult his firm, Global Professional Solutions, into this $40 billion marketplace. GPS specializes in program management and information technology support--from systems development and deployment to information collection and intelligence analysis. Stuart, the 45-year-old president and CEO who founded the Alexandria, Virginia-based company in 1995, announced in January 2005 that the firm's new initiative was to achieve ISO (1) See ISO speed. (2) (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, www.iso.ch) An organization that sets international standards, founded in 1946. The U.S. member body is ANSI. 9001:2000 Quality Management System certification, a feat the firm accomplished in nine months. GPS' personnel certification initiative paid great dividends, as the company achieved $15 million in revenues for 2005. New contracts are expected to help GPS generate revenues of $27 million in 2006. BUSINESS INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR NOMINEES This award recognizes companies that have set trends and broken new ground in a particular industry. Tap It FAME Inc. Type of Business Digital Entertainment CEO/Owner Jonathon Alexander Location Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. What has been missing for independent artists, until now, is a fresh approach to getting their work out to the masses. Jonathon Alexander, CEO of Tap It FAME, an online artist portal, is making this happen by changing the dynamics of the industry. Alexander is the creator of an innovative Internet service that allows emerging artists to showcase their talent without catering to major labels. Alexander, 41, developed www.tapitfame.com, to provide an outlet for emerging artists by allowing them to upload, display, market, and sell their work. For the service, artists pay $9.95 (for the basic package) plus merchant services Merchant services is the name given in the United States to a broad category of financial services intended for use by businesses. In its most specific use, it usually refers to the service that enables a business to accept a transaction payment by use of the customer's credit or fees. Artists set the prices for their work and are able to circumvent the 40% to 70% of gross sales Gross Sales A measure of overall sales that isn't adjusted for customer discounts or returns, calculated simply by adding all sales invoices, and not including operating expenses, cost of goods sold, payment of taxes, or any other charge. charged by most online music sites, says Alexander. Special site features include a patent-pending Fame Tracker search engine of singers, bands, artists, and designers. Before launching Tap It FAME (an acronym that stands for fashion, art, music, and entertainment) in August 2005, Alexander spent about 18 months researching the idea, traveling the world, and talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to" lecture, speech rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to artists and consumers about online music. Now that Tap It FAME has completed its beta-testing phase, the company expects to make $700,000 by the end of this year. Alexander, who is on target to list 30,000 artists in his database by mid-2006, is continuing his goal--to revolutionize the way people listen to and buy music. Life Enhancing Dentistry Type of Business Cosmetic and Neuromuscular Dentistry Neuromuscular dentistry is a medical paradigm in which TM Joints, masticatory muscles and central nervous system mechanisms follow generic physiologic and anatomic laws applicable to all musculoskeletal systems. Founder, President & CEO Dr. Lynn DI Locklear, DDS (1) (Digital Data Storage) See DAT. (2) (Data Dictionary System) See QuickBuild and OpenDDS. (3) (Dataphone Digital S Location Washington, D.C. After Dr. Lynn Locklear completes dental work on her patients, they usually leave with a smile--not because they are pleased with the bill. Many who have undergone Locklear's state-of-the-art neuromuscular neuromuscular /neu·ro·mus·cu·lar/ (-mus´ku-ler) pertaining to nerves and muscles, or to the relationship between them. neu·ro·mus·cu·lar adj. 1. treatment report an increased sense of well-being and comfort. Locklear, 42, ranks among 1% of dentists trained in the cutting-edge field of neuro-muscular dentistry. She has extensive training in this emerging field of dentistry, which is based on establishing the proper alignment of the jaw and facial muscles facial muscles, n See muscles, facial. . When the jaw is misaligned mis·a·ligned adj. Incorrectly aligned. mis  a·lign ment n. , both hard and soft tissues are affected, which can cause headaches, jaw pain, and neck and shoulder pain. To relieve these symptoms, neuro-muscular dentistry can be applied to place the jaw in its optimal position. Through the application of this unique dental process, Locklear is able to provide her clients with exceptional aesthetic results, while additionally relieving the pain of joint dysfunction, migraine headaches, and numerous other conditions. Locklear, who has been practicing dentistry in Washington, D.C., since 1992, transformed her traditional practice into Life-Enhancing Dentistry in 2002. Since that time, her practice has seen revenues grow from $710,000 in 2003 to more than $1 million in 2005. The company expects continued growth in 2006. Locklear has completed more than 350 hours of post-graduate training at the Las Vegas Institute
African Ancestry Type of Business DNA-based Genealogy Tests Founders Rick Kittles Rick Antonius Kittles (born in Sylvania, Georgia, United States) is an American biologist specializing in human genetics. He is of African American ancestry, and achieved renown in the 1990s for his pioneering work in tracing the ancestry of African Americans via DNA testing. and Gina Paige Location Washington, DC Do you know what part of Africa your ancestors came from? Rick Kirtles can tell you. Like many African Americans, Kitties wanted to trace his ancestry. But getting started was not easy--until now. Three years ago, Kirtles and his partner, Gina Paige, started Maryland-based African Ancestry, which uses DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. technology to provide a bridge to the past for people of African descent. The company sells DNA-based ancestry test kits for $349 each, which can pinpoint where in Africa a client's ancestors came from. Clients use swabs to wipe inside their cheeks and return the DNA samples via express service. African Ancestry then sends samples to Sorenson Genomics, a Salt Lake City-based laboratory that processes the swabs to determine their DNA genotyping and sequencing. The key to the success of African Ancestry is the company's comprehensive genetic African lineage database, a repository of molecular blueprints of African peoples created by Kirtles, who has an extensive experience and expertise studying genetic variations in the African diaspora The African diaspora is the diaspora created by the movements and cultures of Africans and their descendants throughout the world, to places such as the Americas, (including the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America) Europe and Asia. . Paige, who serves as president, is optimistic about the company's growth potential and the impact it's making within the black community. "Our company is transforming the lives of African Americans because they are finding a part of their family history that they thought they lost forever," says Paige. African Ancestry's revenues totaled $450,000 in 2005 and is expected to total $850,000 in 2006. RISING STAR AWARD NOMINEES This award recognizes individuals, aged 21-35, whose outstanding skills, professionalism, and perseverance have established them as future business leaders. Roadstarr Motorsports Type of Business Car Customization Founders Hassan and Hussein Iddrissu & John Spio Location Los Angeles Whether it's a custom-made cab for their Porsche GTC GTC See: Good 'til cancelled order GTC See good-till-canceled order (GTC). 45 or 20-inch Maya GR5 wheels for their Ferrari F430 Spyder, car enthusiasts want more from their rides. When celebrities want to find a place that can modify their exotic cars, all roads All Roads is a 2001 interactive fiction game by Jon Ingold that placed first at the 2001 Interactive Fiction Competition. It also won the XYZZY Awards for Best Game, Best Setting and Best Story and was nominated for Best Individual Puzzle and Best Writing. lead to Roadstarr Motorsports, one of the most sought after automobile customization shops in Los Angeles. Hassan Iddrissu, 28, a native of Ghana, decided to turn his love of stylish cars as a teen into a business. In 2001, he opened Roadstarr Motorsports, a luxury car customization service with his twin brother, Hussein, and cousin, John Spio. Now, the three dynamic entrepreneurs have combined their passion for high-end European cars with the lucrative opportunities found in the exploding landscape of automotive accessories and car customization. Each day, Roadstarr customizes at least five to seven high-end European automobiles that come through their shop, such as BMW BMW in full Bayerische Motoren Werke AG German automaker. Founded as an aircraft engine manufacturer in 1916, the company assumed the name Bayerische Motoren Werke and became known for its high-speed motorcycles in the 1920s. , Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Land Rover See LANRover. , and Lamborghini. And the company's clientele reflects it. Roadstarr's celebrity roster includes European soccer star David Beckham Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. , Shaquille O'Neal, Ben Affleck, and rapper Ludacris, to name a few. Glamour and glitz glitz Informal n. Ostentatious showiness; flashiness: "a garish barrage of show-biz glitz" Peter G. Davis. tr.v. aside, Roadstarr Motorsports projected revenues of about $4 million in 2005, up from $3.8 million the year before. With the two new locations set to open, the company expects to reap as much as $7 million this year. Diversity City Media Inc. Type of Business Marketing and Public Relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most CEO/President Dante Lee Location Columbus, OH If a press release about your company's new development gets picked up by a media channel, the coverage can turn into a public relations bonanza. When black-owned businesses and organizations want to get noticed by black media, Dante Lee provides them the news outlet they need. Lee is the 25-year-old CEO and president of Diversity City Media Inc., a multi-cultural marketing and public relations firm that operates Black PR.com, an extensive press release distribution service, and BlackNews.com, the online portal for African American news and issues. Lee launched BlackPR.com in 2001 as a response to a growing demand from celebrity authors, black organizations, and other companies that were seeking press coverage. Now, BlackPR.com, which distributes to 221 black newspapers and 83 magazines, sends out daily press releases to more than 40,000 contacts. With clients such as Black Entertainment Television, McDonald's, and Marriott, Diversity City generated revenues of $450,000 in 2005. This year, the company expects to generate $1 million. In addition to running Diversity Media, Lee found the time to write a book. In September 2005, he released How To Think Big ... When You're Small ($12.95; LIGATT Publishing), which offers a comprehensive set of 24 keys to success in life and business. AllHipHop.com Type of business Entertainment & Lifestyle Website Chuck Creekmur and Greg Watkins Location New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. For millions of hip-hop fans looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. the inside scoop on the hottest rappers in the industry, AllHipHop.com is your source. Proclaiming itself the "world's most dangerous site," AllHipHop.com has become one of the most widely read Internet sources for hip-hop news, reviews, and industry insight. The driving forces behind AllHipHop.com are founders Chuck "Jigsaw" Creekmur and "Grouchy grouch·y adj. grouch·i·er, grouch·i·est Tending to complain or grumble; peevish or grumpy. grouch i·ly adv. " Greg Watkins, who have emerged as credible experts, speaking on all facets of hip-hop culture. By maintaining the journalistic integrity of AllHipHop.com, Creekmur, 34, and Watkins, 32, are changing how the culture is covered. These aspiring media moguls have combined their musical knowledge with an aggressive style of journalism to offer a balanced and thorough view of hip-hop. AllHipHop.com, which delivers over 27 million page views per month, is regularly tapped for social and cultural commentary by major national and international media outlets, including CNN CNN or Cable News Network Subsidiary company of Turner Broadcasting Systems. It was created by Ted Turner in 1980 to present 24-hour live news broadcasts, using satellites to transmit reports from news bureaus around the world. , The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times, USA Today, and Reuters. Since its launch in 1998, the company has shown signs of steady growth throughout the years. Sales reached in excess of $550,000 in 2005 and 2006 sales are expected to surpass the $1 million mark. TEENPRENEUR AWARD NOMINEES This award recognizes entrepreneurs age 18 and under who serve as role models and are committed to advancing the rich tradition of black business achievement. EDEN Eden, in the Bible Eden, in the Bible. 1 Son of Joah. 2 Priest. Perhaps this is the same as (1.) 3 See Eden, Garden of. 4 Unidentified trading center, possibly in Mesopotamia. Body Works Type of Business Hair Care Principal Jasmine Lawrence Location Mount Laurel, NJ Initially, Jasmine Lawrence's plan was to create an all natural hair care product that really worked. Now, this 14-year-old CEO is establishing distribution channels and negotiating prices with suppliers for her successful company, EDEN Body Works. Motivated by her own desire for hair care products without harsh chemicals, the Mount Laurel, New Jersey, resident founded EDEN Body Works in 2004 after being selected to attend a business camp sponsored by the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, also referred to as NFTE (pronounced Nifty) or Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship . Under Lawrence's leadership, EDEN Body Works has experienced tremendous growth with a rapidly expanding customer base. Her products, such as the jojoba jojoba (h  ·hōˑ·b all natural hair oil spray, are currently being sold in seven states. The line is being expanded to include other hair and beauty products, such as shampoo and conditioners, hair gels, and skin moisturizers moisturizershydroscopic agents, applied to the skin and hair, as creams, rinses or shampoos, to increase hydration of the stratum corneum. Examples are propylene glycol, glycerine and lactate. . EDEN Body Work's natural hair off products are sold to retailers, beauty/braiding salons, and barber shops for their use and resale to their customers. Gross revenues for 2005 were $15,150. Future plans include the addition of e-commerce capabilities. www.EDENBodyWorks.net. Drive Safe Type of Business Driver Safety Notification Signs Principal CEO Chestina Perry Location Columbia, SC Chestina Perry, 18, recalls the pressure she faced when learning how to drive three years ago. Her inexperience behind the wheel drew horn blowing, fist shaking, and vulgar gestures from impatient drivers in busy traffic. But the safety-conscious teenager found a creative way to turn her difficult driving experience into a business opportunity. Perry came up with the idea of asking her mother, Winnie, to make some magnetic signs that would keep other motorists from getting angry while she was on the road. Using a sign that read "New Driver in Training--Please Be Patient" made her driving experience much safer. Other drivers began to react by giving Perry room to maneuver safely in traffic. In March 2004, Perry, along with her three nieces, started a family business called Drive Safe, which makes and sells a variety of magnetic signs for cars with messages promoting careful driving. The teenage CEO's oldest niece Tiffanie, 12, is the president; Twana, 11, is the vice president; and Victoria, 10, is in charge of customer relations. Since its launch, the Columbia, South Carolina-based company is experiencing tremendous success. Drive Safe, which generated $3,000 in sales last year, was awarded the official patent for Driver Safety Notification Signs in February 2005. Honeecakes Bakery Type of Business Homemade Cake Bakery Principal Andrea Dashiell Location Forestville, Md For Andrea Dashiell, starting her own bakery business had a lot to do with her grandmother, who she said taught her to think independently and use her imagination. Now, that wisdom is evident in how the 18-year-old operates Honeecakes Bakery, which produces quality, affordable homemade cakes and pies. Dashiell launched Honeecakes in November 2004 to satisfy the sweet tooth of members of her church and others in the community. "My business has grown tremendously through word-of-mouth," says Dashiell. People who sample her cakes at school and church functions call by phone to place orders for everything from sweet potato pound cake to apple pies. Dashiell has extended her product line by adding mini-cakes for individual snacking. Once her baking business started to take hold, Dashiell improved her skills by obtaining a Food Handlers Certification license from Prince George's Community College Prince George's Community College is a community college located in the community of Largo in unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1958, Prince George's Community College will soon celebrate 50 years of serving Prince George's County and . Dashiell learned the basics of business when she got involved with the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship program at Suitland High School in 2004. She earned first place in the organization's In-Class Business Plan Competition and success has followed the aspiring college student ever since. In 2005, the Forestville, Maryland-based Honeecakes revenues reached $3,000. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion