Family Service League

Women to Talk Business at Friday’s Executive Leadership Event

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Women are steadily increasing their ranks among business leaders overall.

Yet despite growing numbers, female entrepreneurs still face challenges in the corporate workplace.

They confront hurdles in striking the right work-life balance. They often need to look harder to obtain the right kind of mentoring. And the pandemic further complicated women’s pathways to business success.

What are the solutions? What best practices can we point to? And how does this all play out on Long Island?

This Friday morning, November 19, we’ll have an opportunity to get some answers.

A panel of high-achieving Long Island businesswomen will talk through issues like this at HIA-LI’s 11th Annual “Women Leading the Way” executive leadership event. It takes place at the LGBT Network at 125 Kennedy Drive, Suite 100 in Hauppauge. 

The panel, running from 8:00 am to 10:00 am, will be moderated by Domenique Camacho-Moran, a Partner with Farrell Fritz PC. Panelists include Lisa Mirabile, President and CEO of Vertigo Media Group; Karen Boorshtein, President and CEO of Family Service League; Lauren Nichols, President of 3G Warehouse, Inc.; and Natalie Wright, Suffolk County’s Commissioner of Economic Development and Planning.

Happily, the numbers for women executives are encouraging. Looking at census bureau data, the number of women-owned businesses nationwide increased 21 percent between 2014 and 2019, while all businesses increased nine percent. More than ten million women-owned firms generated $1.9 trillion in sales and employed 13 million people.

The idea that HIA-LI should host an annual forum to tackle woman-centered business issues was originally suggested by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in 2010.

“Women Leading the Way” also features a craft fair.

Attendees may take part in person or via Zoom. The registration fee is $50 for in-person attendance, and $25 for virtual participation.

Vendors wishing to exhibit at the craft fair should contact HIA-LI at 631-543-5355.

The event is sponsored by Farrell Fritz, PC; People’s Alliance Federal Credit Union; Campolo, Middleton McCormick, LLP; Brookhaven National Laboratory; the LGBT Network; Signwave; City National Bank; LITimes.org; Mark Grossman Public Relations; WSHU Public Radio; and IHOP. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Anthony Forgione at aforgione@hia-li.org.

Per CDC guidelines, those not fully vaccinated will be required to wear a face mask.

To register, go to https://www.hia-li.org/events/hia-lis-11th-annual-womens-leadership-program/ or call 631-543-5355. I look forward to seeing you then!

Celebrate, Honor, and Flourish

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Over 24 years ago we had a vision to recognize excellence in Long Island business, and the HIA-LI Business Achievement Awards were born.

It is more critical today than ever before that we highlight this HIA-LI business growth initiative and celebrate and honor these Long Island businesses, particularly in light of so many businesses being courted off of Long Island by other communities.

We here at HIA-LI are committed to doing everything in our power to keep Long Island businesses here and to keep them flourishing.

The recipients of the Business Achievement Awards were judged in four categories; Large, Small, Rookie of the Year, and Not-for-Profits.

All companies in each category were judged on their accomplishments, positive employee relations, giving back to the Long Island community, revenue and profitability trends, and their overall innovation in business strategy.

Often, our member companies will ask, “What is the secret to success for these companies?” Well, there doesn’t seem to be a secret.  Because regardless of the industry, they all seem to have several things in common:

  • They are optimistic about the future.
  • They have good people in place and know how to celebrate them.
  • They are focused, particularly in this economy, on the development of their good people and on streamlining – doing things differently to make their company more effective.
  • They realize that if they are not constantly doing things better and more effectively, they can lose out in this economy to someone who is!

Lee Iacocca once said, “The most successful businesspeople are the ones who hold onto the old just as long as it’s good and grab onto the new just as soon as it’s better.”

Our Business Achievement Award recipients are great examples of that type of passion and commitment in a very competitive business environment.

These are the 2018 HIA-LI Business Achievement Award recipients who were honored on September 20th at the Crest Hollow Country Club: