The Greater Women’s Business Council® (GWBC®), one of the Southeast’s largest certification and development resource organizations for women business enterprises (WBEs), hosted its annual LACE (Ladies Achieving Continuous Excellence) Awards at the Georgia Aquarium on Friday, November 3.

More than 240 people attended the black-tie gala which featured a gourmet dinner, entertainment and a silent auction with items that included “Power Lunches” with top Atlanta CEOs like Carol Tomé of UPS and Michelle Nunn of CARE.

The largest and final event of the year for GWBC, the LACE Awards focused on honoring GWBC-certified women-owned businesses for their business achievements as well as GWBC’s corporate partners for their exemplary contributions to furthering the success of these WBEs.

“The LACE Awards celebrate our corporate partners and more than 1,200 certified women-owned businesses for their success and positive influence throughout the year,” said GWBC President and CEO Roz Lewis. “The LACE honorees set the standard for success. This incredible group of winners is not only inspirational, but also make significant economic impact throughout our region of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.”

During the event, Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman read a proclamation honoring GWBC for championing the advancement of women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs by “standing as a beacon of empowerment through certification and resource development – all of which contribute to the economic vitality of the community.”

2023 LACE Award Winners

Corporation of the Year – randstad
The award is given to a corporation that has created significant advancement in breaking down barriers that impede WBEs from gaining fair access to procurement opportunities, including supplier development activities, financial assistance and strategic alliance counseling.

Advocate of the Year, Corporation – T.J. Lewis, Ally Financial
This award goes to a supplier diversity practitioner, procurement professional or buyer who is a current employee of a corporate GWBC member, and is selected for extraordinary efforts in inspiring, engaging and empowering GWBC certified WBEs.

Buyer of the Year – Nino Campos, randstad
This award is given to a buyer, procurement professional or a supplier diversity practitioner who is a current employee of a corporate GWBC member, selected for instituting programs that offer equal access for GWBC-certified WBEs and attained world-class quality in its supplier diversity process.

The Voice Award – UPS
The Voice Award goes to a corporation selected by GWBC WBEs that has exhibited the most significant progress in creating a voice and platform for GWBC-certified WBEs to gain fair access to procurement opportunities.

Advocate of the Year, WBE – Sushumna Roy Jalajam, Softpath System LLC
This award is given to a GWBC-certified WBE business owner (CEO/President) or an employee of a GWBC-certified WBE, recognized and honored for their proven methods in mentoring, coaching and supporting women-owned businesses.

Trailblazer Award
These awards go to GWBC-certified WBE owners (CEO/President) based upon being a pillar of their community, contributing their time and talent with a proven track record of mentoring, partnerships, volunteerism and supporting other WBEs.

- Trailblazer Award: Category I (Annual Sales under $1 Million) – Yaminah Childress, YANY Beauty

- Trailblazer Award: Category III (Annual Sales $5 - $10 Million) – Moira Vetter, Modo Modo Agency

- Trailblazer Award: Category VII (Annual Sales $50 Million - $100 Million) – Julie Haley, Edge Solutions LLC

According to GWBC Board Chair and Truist Senior Vice President and Head of Supplier Diversity Dr. Lissa Miller, “The contributions of women businesses in Georgia, North and South Carolina go beyond economic impact, helping to create generational wealth and more robust communities. Our goal is to continue to create even more opportunities for women-owned businesses next year and beyond.”

In addition, GWBC recognized the board members who work tirelessly year-round to help move the organization forward, including:

Lissa Miller, Truist Financial Corporation – Chair
Stephanie Pulliam, AT&T – Secretary
Dwan H. Armstrong, The Clorox Company – Parliamentarian
Sesley Brown, Accenture
Danielle Cheung, Bank of America
Anita Davis, Praxis Strategic Solutions
Patrick Dierberger, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Tameka Harper, The Coca-Cola Company
Sushumna Roy Jalajam, Softpath System
Sheila Jordan, Knowledge Architects
Greg Munoz, Sonoco
Kanchana Raman, Avacend
Tai Roberson, Wells Fargo
Stephanie Vera, BMW Manufacturing Co.