Gina F. Rubel

Gina F. Rubel, Esq. President and CEO Furia Rubel Communications, Inc. Founded: 2002 Certifying Council:Women’s Business Enterprise Council-PA-DE-sNJ

What started out as a solo consultancy business has evolved into a nearly $1 million agency with six
full-time employees and five parttime employees. Since 2002, Furia Rubel has enjoyed 500 percent growth while serving the community through President and CEO Gina Rubel’s pro bono, mentoring and educational efforts.Today, Furia Rubel provides expert strategic planning and public relations services to law firms, property management groups, educational institutions, business-to-business companies and non-profits both at home and abroad. Significant past and present clients include Focus Express Mail Pharmacy, GlaxoSmithKline, Parente Randolph, Rohm and Haas, Simon Properties Group, The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (USA), The Hepatitis B Foundation,The National Kidney Foundation of the Delaware Valley, The Union City Board of Education and White and Williams, LLP. Rubel has secured media attention for her clients from such outlets as “Good Morning America,” “The Today Show,” Family Circle, The Wall Street Journal, The National Law Journal and The New York Times. www.furiarubel.com

Julia Rhodes

Julia Rhodes CEO KleenSlate Concepts Founded: 2001 Certifying Council: Astra Women’s Business Alliance

KleenSlate Concepts is a successful international product development company that invents, patents,
markets, and distributes fun, interactive communication tools all over the world. Julia Rhodes, CEO of KleenSlate Concepts,was saluted as one of Women’s Business Enterprise National Council’s 2007 Women-Owned Business Stars. In just seven years, Rhodes has built a thriving company of award-winning products and services, which landed contracts with Office Depot, Staples and School Specialty. “We have tripled our sales in 2007,” she said.“We have added four employees in distribution, and a new office in Shanghai [China] with a staff of five, and we have increased our distribution channels and crossed into new industries and niche markets.” KleenSlate has recently ventured into the ad specialty and private branding markets; the Foray brand from Office Depot now appears on KleenSlate’s Attachable Erasers and Johnson & Johnson chose KleenSlates’ marker/eraser to promote their brand to dentists. www.kleenslate.com

Debra McDonald

Debra McDonald President Corporate Events & Occasions, LLC Founded: 2001 Certifying Council:Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance

Nearly doubling staff in 2007 to accommodate new business and opportunities, it stands to be the best
year to date for this Houston-based Fast Track WBE. Each year, Corporate Events & Occasions’ growth increases, from $50,000 the first year in gross annual sales to $1.2 million in 2007.

The fullservice corporate event planning company is owned, operated and staffed completely by women. Debra McDonald personally mentors another young woman in business and partners with various vendors that are WBEs. Professional memberships include Meeting Professional International (Dallas & Houston chapters), International Special Events Society,where McDonald serves as Web site manager on the communication committee, and WBEA.Corporate Events & Occasions has provided the housing and registration assistance for the 2007 and 2008 Women in Business Conferences for the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. www.corporateoccasions.biz

Bari Lyman

Bari Lyman President BreakthroughIT Founded: 2000 Certifying Council:Women’s Business Development Center - Florida

BreakthroughIT is a full-service recruiting firm serving Fortune 100 companies across the United States. Candidates sourced and placed span across the organization including IT, engineering,marketing,accounting,finance,aerospace,manufacturing and engineering.

BreakthroughIT has grown on average between 35 and 40 percent every year since inception and has gained major clients including Pfizer, Honeywell, SRA International, Fox News, Manpower and Procure Staff. With bleeding-edge technology,Bari Lyman and her company are able to perform effective searches and present only quality candidates with the right skills to cement strong relationships that exceed clients’ expectations.

Exceeding expectations has won not only more clients, but recognition from these clients as well. In 2004, Pfizer CIT ranked BreakthroughIT in the top 10 percent of 200 recruiting firms and in 2007 ranked it as the No. 2 performing vendor for Pfizer’s CIT division.

In 2005, Manpower engaged the company to work with Bank of America and awarded additional clients including IBM,Abbott Laboratories,E*Trade, AON,Accenture and Underwriters Laboratories. Manpower also named BreakthroughIT a diversity partner in 2006 and awarded the company with the 2007 Outstanding Achievement Award. www.breakthroughit.com

Sharon Kopin

Sharon Kopin
President
Pavilion Enterprizes, LTD
Founded: 2004
Certifying Council:Women’s Business DevelopmentCenter – Chicago
With a clientele including Wal- Mart,Walgreens, JCPenney, Las VegasHilton, Agua Caliente and Harrah’sEntertainment, it’s clear that this Fast Track WBE has come a long way in three years. Sharon
Kopin’s multi-faceted company,Pavilion Enterprizes, LTD, customizes product orders for each client, and Kopin’s team is constantly creating new and innovative products for the market. A recent product that has been in the making for the past eight months is the SmartPlay Card. This rewards solution card allows customers such as casino-goers to choose how to spend points won, the same way an ATM card allows you topurchase from wherever you like. In addition, each casino is given the chance to customize an ordering Web site with a catalogue of over 10,000 items. The company also has customized employee retention and incentive programs geared to different professions. This year should be an even bigger and better year for Pavilion, with sale goals of over $3 million and hopes to go international.
www.pavilionenterprizesltd.com

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