Certification Offers Advantage in Increasingly Competitive Global Marketplace
Washington, D.C. (December 4, 2014) – The winners of the 2014 Done Deals™ Challenge were announced today at the Women Presidents’ Educational Organization (WPEO) annual Washington, D.C. Breakthrough Breakfast. These awards acknowledge a variety of contracts completed during the challenge period between the Washington, D.C. region’s certified Women Business Enterprises (WBEs), corporate members and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
A total of 3,000 contracts were completed among WBEs, corporate members and the Commonwealth of Virginia during the challenge period from April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014. This year corporate members reported a 20% increase in the number of Done Deals™ with WPEO-certified WBEs.
Held for the first time in 2005, the Done Deals™ Challenge measures, acknowledges and recognizes the impact that WPEO has had on significantly increasing business opportunities for all constituents. Awards criteria include the highest number, dollar amount or cumulative value of deals reported.
The purpose of the WPEO Done DealsTM challenge program is to provide validation of the successful contracting and business opportunities that can result from the marketing, advocacy and educational support WPEO provides to WPEO-certified WBE and corporate members. The public sector often finds ideal vendors and suppliers among certified WBEs, while WBEs frequently identify opportunities to do business with each other.
“For the past fifteen years, providing more business opportunities for certified Women Business Enterprises is one of the primary ways in which the WPEO mission is activated. Today we have nearly 1,700 certified WBEs in the New York and Washington, D.C. regions. The Done Deals™ Challenge enables us to measure the competitive advantage WPEO can provide in identifying business opportunities that translate into contracting activity,” said Dr. Marsha Firestone, WPEO Founder and President.
The 2014 Done Deals™ Award Winners are:
- Freddie Mac – Corporate Opportunity Award
- Corporate Member that submits the most Done Deals™ with WPEO-certified WBEs
- Bank of America – Corporate Champion Award
- Corporate Member that submits the highest cumulative value of Done Deals™ with WPEO-certified WBEs
- Exhibit Edge, Inc. – WBE Connection Award
- WBE that reports the most Done Deals™ with other WPEO-certified WBEs
- MCPADNET, Inc. – WBE Done Deals Champion Award
- WPEO certified WBE that reports the largest number of Done Deals™ with WPEO Corporate Members
- O-Riordan Bethel Law Firm – WBE to Public Sector with Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
- WPEO-certified WBE that submits the most Done Deals™ with the Commonwealth of Virginia
WPEO Board Chair Eliseo Rojas, Vice President & Chief Procurement Officer of The Interpublic Group, said, “Global brands are recognizing the strong potential for supplier diversity as a competitive advantage to help them grow their businesses, build brand awareness and enhance customer loyalty.”
“We are very pleased with the significant number of contracts reported in our territory this past year, illustrating the valuable and profitable business opportunities that can result for all parties involved,” said Sandra Eberhard, Executive Director of the WPEO branch in Washington, D.C.
This year’s D.C. Breakthrough Breakfast sponsors include:
- Prestige Sponsor: Dominion Resources, Inc.
- Corporate Lead Sponsors: Avis Budget Group; Capital One; Freddie Mac
- WBE Lead Sponsors: 1st Choice, LLC; The Hamilton Group; The Event Planning Group
- Print and Design Sponsors: Exhibit Edge, Inc.; MCPADNET, Inc.; The Sutter Group
About the Women Presidents’ Educational Organization:
The Women Presidents’ Educational Organization (WPEO) is a regional affiliate of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nation’s premier third-party certification organization for women-owned businesses. The mission of the WPEO is to create increased access to business opportunities for WBEs. Its programs develop skills and knowledge for WBEs, advocate in the public and private sectors, foster relationships between WBEs, corporations and the government, and provide certification services.
WPEO provides full service third-party certification to women entrepreneurs in the New York, Northern New Jersey (including Princeton and points north), Southern Connecticut and the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia areas. WPEO is incorporated in the state of New York and is recognized as a 501(c) (3) organization. For more information please visit www.wpeo.us.
