Jacquelyn A. Ottman, author, international speaker and founder of J. Ottman Consulting, is considered by many to be the foremost expert on green marketing and eco-innovation. With over 20 years of experience, she is a pioneer in environmental-friendly building. She has provided sustainability solutions to more than 60 Fortune 500 corporations, as well as entrepreneurial firms and government agencies. Jacquelyn wrote three books on the subject long before today's green marketers had even heard the term. Her book, Green Marketing: Opportunity for Innovation 2nd Edition, is called the "definitive work on the subject" by the American Marketing Association. It was named one of the top business books of the year and has been translated into six languages. She was co-chair and keynote speaker for SustainableBrands ’08, the leading conference on the topic.

Roxanne Quimby and Burt Shavitz, co-founders of Burt’s Bee’s Inc., started making beeswax candles in Maine in 1984, as a by-product of Burt’s honey business. At their first craft fair, they sold candles totaling $200. By the end of the first year, sales rose to $20,000. A few years later, after discovering a 19th century book of home-made personal care recipes, they were making half a million candles a year, as well as natural soaps and perfumes. By 2006, Burt Bee’s was the leading manufacturer of earth-friendly natural personal care products, with sales topping $250 million. They currently manufacture over 150 products, which are carried in nearly 30,000 retail outlets in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, Hong Kong and Taiwan. She helped conserve 185,000 acres of Maine forest land through personal purchases and her relationship with The Nature Conservatory. Roxanne sold the company in 2003 for more than $140 million.

Adele Wechsler, founder and designer of The Adele Wechsler Collection, was born and raised in Durban, South Africa. There she studied fashion design at the renowned Natal Technikon. After starting her career, she married and immigrated to Canada. The Adele Wechsler Collection originally became synonymous with streamlined, light-weight, alternative wedding gowns. Following success in this arena, she created her eco-couture line of wedding gowns by using vegetable-dyed fabrics. Hidden unexpected organic elements, like the exotic hibiscus, the orchid or delicate pansies and lilies appear as embroidered applications and hand-crafted flowers. Her gowns prove that eco-friendly can be elegant, modern, fashion-conscious and timeless. Adele also introduced her Hello Africa collection comprised of gowns that incorporate a humanitarian component with women in Africa doing the beadwork while earning fair-trade wages.

Lisa Kivirist, co-owner of the Inn Serendipity Bed & Breakfast, embodies the growing "ecopreneuring" movement: innovative entrepreneurs who successfully blend business with making the world a better place. Lisa and her husband own the award-winning Inn Serendipity Bed & Breakfast, which is totally powered by the wind and sun. It features vegetarian breakfasts prepared with ingredients harvested from the Inn's organic gardens. The innkeepers have co-authored three books on how to start a green business or green the one you have: ECOpreneuring, Rural Renaissance and Edible Earth Vegetarian Cookbook. In addition to being a distinguished W.K. Kellogg Food & Society Policy Fellow, she directs Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service’s (MOSES) Rural Women's Project, an innovative initiative designed to raise the voice of women in agriculture by providing networking, training and support.

Dawne Burke and Patricia Feldman, co-founders of Green Quizine, know how important it is for kids to eat healthy lunches at school. Green Quizine menus are organic and all natural foods that contain no pesticides or preservatives. Students select what they want to order. Wraps, salads and grilled brie sandwiches are just some of the items available. Everything Green Quizine uses is fresh and most of the produce is even grown in Florida. The meals, which include a main course and side item, cost between $4.50 and $5.00. Currently they only work with private schools delivering several hundred meals at lunch time Monday through Thursday. Dawne and Patricia believe in their mission of continuing to develop a green business that provides healthy lunch alternatives for the community’s children.

Jackie Budgell, Environmental Systems Manager (ESM) of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Hotel in Canada, knows that hotels around the globe are competing for customers in a changing world that is demanding green. A recent survey found almost 20 percent of travelers choose hotels because of their environmental practices, including housekeeping services that only use non-toxic cleaning agents. In 2008, the Green Building Council had only certified four U.S. hotels as "green," while more than 800 office buildings had its seal of approval. Jackie was a key component in establishing benchmarks to building energy-efficient hotels. Jackie's book, Simply Green Parties, provides tips to hotels and families on throwing green parties. A few of her environmentally friendly suggestions are: creating e-vites rather than mailed invitations; serving organic and locally grown food; and using recyclable plates, utensils, decorations and centerpieces.

Alexis Miensen (left) and Jennifer Dundas (right), co-proprietresses of Blue Marble Ice Cream, decided to make their retail establishment eco-friendly. Having a green business required a commitment and considerably more education, research, time, effort and money than going the conventional route. They used all non-toxic materials in the build-out of the shop. The ice cream is made on a farm by a fourth-generation ice cream maker, who uses only dairy from organic, grass-fed cows and organically grown sugar. All serveware is biodegradable. Children are fascinated by the spoons, which are made of corn rather than plastic. Many take samples to show their teachers. In turn, the teachers are introducing the corn spoons to their school cafeteria’s staff. Alexis’ and Jennifer’s philosophy is showing people, especially the young how, with just small, simple changes, they can help the world around them.

Gay Browne, founder of Greenopia, is a lifelong asthmatic. She began her green journey when she was looking for ways to improve her and her children’s environment. Gay built the first green home in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades in 1994. In researching and working with green home developers, interior designers and furniture dealers, she found that there was a wealth of green options, but no easy way to find them. In 2005, Gay developed a guide to help people green their lives on a daily basis. Greenopia, which conducts extensive research on the companies in their guides, are in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City. She plans on producing guides for more than 20 other cities including Chicago, Denver, Seattle and Portland.

Elizabeth A. D. Powers, a principal at O'Brien & Company, is a Certified Sustainable Building Advisor LEED Accredited Professional. Elizabeth has provided business management, project development, project management and sustainable building consulting for O'Brien & Company since 2001. Her current job responsibilities include managing the green building and Leadership Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) consulting team at O’Brien & Company and conducting training programs. She provides technical and research assistance in low-impact development, storm water management, green building materials and sustainable construction practices. She is a graduate of the Sustainable Building Advisor Certificate program at Seattle Central Community College, an instructor for the "Sustainable Construction Management" session of the program and is completing a degree in Landscape Architecture.

Beth Colleton, Vice President of Green Is Universal at NBC, rolled out a massive, multi-platform programming and community affairs effort November 16th - 23rd. Throughout the week, "Green Your Routine” offered more than 150 hours of environmentally themed programming that educated consumers on easy, practical and economical ways to be green. Additionally, she also oversees NBCU's ongoing effort to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, by implementing more energy efficient practices within the company, across its operations and facilities. Beth also participates annually in the "Hollywood Goes Green" conference, which addresses environmental issues in entertainment and media. Prior to NBC, Beth was head of corporate social responsibility for the National Football League for 15 years. She was responsible for building one of the most comprehensive philanthropic agendas in the industry.

Deborah Zastocki, President and CEO of Chilton Memorial Hospital, is the 2008 recipient of the Garden State Woman of the Year "Gets It" award.

Sandra James, CEO of Private Eyes, Inc., was named one of the 2009 Women's Business Enterprise Stars by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council.

Angela Otis, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of U.S. Insurance Group Sales and Distribution, and Karen Phelan, Vice President of New Business, Life Underwriting and Top Blue Services, U.S. Insurance Group Risk Management, are MassMutual Financial Group’s AAX MVPs for 2008.

Louise H. Courtelis, a successful international businesswoman, noted philanthropist and longtime supporter of higher education was one of three inductees to the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame. The other two are Senator Gwen Margolis, whose historic achievements in office have paved the way for many other women and Betty Sembler, who has spent more than three decades fighting the war on drugs. In 1976, she and her husband became founding members of Straight, Inc., a nonprofit drug treatment program that has helped more than 12,000 young people across the country.

Sheila Brooks, SRB Communications, LLC, received the prestigious Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise Award.  The award pays tribute to outstanding women and minority business owners in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Debbie Richman has a new position at La Duni Bakery in Dallas and was in charge of producing their Christmas exhibit at North Park Center.

Julie S. Waldron, owner of Proforma Total Business, has been named "Protégé of the Year" by the Allstate Minority and Women Emerging Entrepreneurs Program, a joint venture by the University at Buffalo School of Management's Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and the UB Center for Urban Studies.

Julie Gordon of Teaneck is the 2009 recipient of the Women’s Excellence in Leadership Award from the Alfred University Women’s Leadership Center in New York.