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How a Lillie Knox Investment Award helped redesign customer experience for A La Carte Catering & Cakes, Inc.

Sisters Valerie and Michelle became business partners when they decided to purchase A La Carte Catering and Cakes in 2008. Their vision was to infuse their passion for food, family, and service into the well-established catering company they took over. With hard work and dedication, Valerie and Michelle have continued to grow the business year after year. Throughout the years, their family-owned business has served various clients in different industries and sizes – ranging from small gatherings or small meetings to events with hundreds of people. Needing to find a way to amp up their online

How a Lillie Knox Investment Award helped Star Wellness better serve their clients

Star Wellness is an industry leading certified WBE with over 15 years of experience in providing onsite biometric screenings, vaccinations, & vascular ultrasounds to employees for the early detection and prevention of disease. They provide turn-key solutions for onsite any employee wellness screening needs. With the increase in demand for the COVID-19 Vaccination, their team needed a way to update their scheduling system to meet the need. Read more below about how winning a Lillie Knox Investment Award has helped their business be more efficient when it comes to serving their clients. 1. What

How a Lillie Knox Investment Award streamlined Gifting with Sol

Anne Mitchell, a 4th generation El Paso, Texan, launched a private label line of salsas representing El Paso that later blossomed into a retail souvenir store. During the pandemic, companies were looking for ways to better connect with their employees and customers. Leading Anne to launch Gifting with Sol. Shipping a “whole lotta party” to front doors across the nation. Since expanding her services, Anne and her team found a need to merge their business processes in order to make room to better serve their customers. It was then that she applied and won a 2021 Lillie Knox Investment Award

How a Lillie Knox Investment Award transformed Firemans Paving Contractors

Firemans Paving Contractors is woman-owned and operated by a FireFighter Wife, Renee Gilmore. From new paving construction to repairs, replacement and maintenance of existing surfaces, Firemans Paving Contractors is a full-service company located in Fort Worth, Texas, and serving the DFW metroplex. Renee and her team received their WBENC certification in 2016, and have been involved in our community ever since. Like so many in our community, their team saw the ups and downs of life in a pandemic. Not letting this slow them down, Firemans Paving Contractors continued to strategize new ways to

Working with WBEs to Build Your Business

Sweta Pandey is the president and CEO of Dutech Systems, Inc. , a global IT consulting firm that specializes in IT Staffing, IT Consulting, SOW and project-based solutions. Dutech Systems has been a certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) and member of the Women’s Business Council – Southwest (WBCS) since 2019. Since becoming certified, Sweta has become a very involved member of WBCS as an event sponsor, volunteer on our Austin committee, and frequent attendee to WBCS Events. Dutech Systems won both state and federal government contracts, as well as several Fortune 500 corporate contracts
Michelle Ray

Utilizing WBE Certification for RFPs and Bidding

Michelle Ray is the CEO of Absolute Facility Solutions, a consulting group that specializes in the implementation of facility management software and support services including product development, product consulting, training, data normalization, need assessments, field surveys, and CAD & BIM services.
Melinda Zito O’Brien, Energy Utility Group

WBCS Member Creates Program to Help WBEs Reduce Energy Costs

Melinda Zito O’Brien, Founder and Owner of Energy Utility Group, started working in the energy sector after seeing a new opportunity emerge as energy became deregulated in the U.S. And now she’s on a mission to help fellow Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) reduce their energy costs while incorporating sustainability into their operations.
Molly Sandlin

Networking is Essential to Success with WBE Certification

"Attending events such as Harvesting Partnerships and Power to Potential have provided the opportunity to introduce me and my business to corporations that I may not otherwise have had the chance to meet. A recent introduction to a Sustaining (Corporate) Member at an event led to a conversation that eventually turned into a contract." - Molly Sandlin, President of CAET Project Management Consultants

Taking Full Advantage of Your WBCS Membership

Renee Gilmore is the President of a women-owned and operated firefighter company, Firemans Paving Contractors. Located in Fort Worth, the company proudly services the DFW area and has been WBCS certified for 3 years. Renee serves on our Parade of Stars Gala Committee and was also a 2018 Lillie Knox Recipient. We reached out to her to discuss how certification and the Lillie Knox Investment Award has helped her business grow.