Top 100 Woman-Led Businesses in Massachusetts

October 25, 2006
 

The Center for Women’s Leadership at Babson College and The Commonwealth Institute hosted its fifth annual “Top 100 Woman-Led Businesses in Massachusetts” celebration this October.  The companies in this year’s research study generated $10 billion for our economy and employed over 21,000 people in Massachusetts.

The annual revenue growth of woman-led businesses responding to the study is striking.  Since 2004, more than 55% grew by more than 5% while fully 80% grew by at least 1%.  In comparison with the 2% growth rate of the Massachusetts economy overall, the revenue growth of woman-led businesses is significant.

On hand to celebrate the achievements of the Top 100 women were TCI Members, Board of Directors, Advisory Boards, and corporate sponsors, including event sponsors Deloitte, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, and Mintz Levin.  Keynote speaker Ami Kaplan, Deputy Managing Partner for the Northeast region of Deloitte, congratulated the women’s success and offered lessons learned from her own career, including:

• Recognize opportunities – some come in brown paper packages
• Technical skills are important, but relationship-building skills will be the foundation of your success
• There is power in the teams and partners we select – choose wisely.  Focus not only on today but on what’s coming next
• Listen to your clients’ needs ... really listen!  It really is all about them.
• Mentors are everywhere and you should have more then one.   Choose wisely and invest in these relationships.
• Develop an extensive network, and not just with the obvious people.  When you need help for a big project, you’ll need support from all levels in the company, the community and from your friends!
• Be a mentor – help grow the next generation.
• Risk-taking is a learned skill – you have to practice.
• There are no wasted life experiences.  Every experience prepares you for the next – you just need to figure out how to apply them.

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