Enterprising Women

2006 Enterprising Women of the Year Winners — Over $1 Million and Up to $5 Million in Revenues

Issue: Vol. 7, No. 3

JANICE HAMILTON is a pioneer in the field of education marketing. Her New York City-based company, JMH Education, is a creative communication company that helps clients enhance their brands and reach their customers through education. The firm delivers educational campaigns through respected, credible community leaders and teachers. One campaign for a major client, Colgate, educated parents around the globe about tooth brushing with her firm’s “Bright Smiles, Bright Futures” global education program.

Janice is actively involved in the WPO, and the Advisory Boards for both the Center for Women’s Business Research, and Enterprising Women magazine, as well as a number of other organizations locally and nationally. She developed a mentoring program for the Kansas State University College of Human Ecology and has personally mentored a number of women in this program.

Janice Hamilton
JMH Education
New York, NY

MARY QUIGG recently celebrated her company’s 20th anniversary and has made that important transition from working in her company to working on her company. She promoted herself to CEO and hired an experienced COO (a woman) to execute the company’s day-to-day business strategy. Vandover, the firm she founded, focuses on global workforce mobility solutions — including career management and relocation transition services. Her client base includes Fortune 500 companies, government entities and small-medium sized businesses. Based in St. Louis, MO, the company had 2005 revenues of $4.1 million. Partnering with Prudential Relocation, her firm created a Web site for people in transition after 9/11 and a similar site was developed last year for hurricane victims.

Mary is an active WPO member and gives back through mentoring and a variety of community service projects.

Mary Quigg
Vandover
St. Louis, MO

PAMELA WASHINGTON says the phrase that motivates her is “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” She has used that inspiration to build a $1.3 million dollar business in the commercial cleaning industry. Based in Las Vegas, A-1 Janitorial Services handles floor care, carpet cleaning, upholstery and drapery cleaning, and construction clean up, among other services.

Pam gives back through her involvement in NAWBO, the WPO, the National Minority Supplier Development Council, and a number of other organizations. Her five-year goal is to provide her employees with the best medical and dental benefits, subsidized child care, and employee stock
options so that she is the employer of choice in every market her company serves.

Pamela Washington
A-1 Janitorial Services
Las Vegas, NV

DONNA CHILDS was in the World Trade Center when the planes struck the Towers on the morning of 9/11. She was safely evacuated by police boat. Her company was also affected, but suffered no loss of life or injuries. Today, she gives back by helping other small businesses prepare for disaster. Prior to starting her company, Childs Capital LLC, Donna lived in Zurich and was a senior executive of the Swiss Reinsurance Group, which reinsures major disasters around the world. The business continuity plan she had in place before 9/11 made all the difference. Her insurance claim was paid in three days, her employees were trained, and her critical data was backed up and accessible offsite. Donna’s company now works in the area of international economic development, catalyzing enterprise development in poor communities around the world. Recent projects include working in sub-Saharan Africa and China.

Donna is actively involved in Columbia Women in Business, an alumnae mentoring program of the Columbia Business School, where Donna received her MBA.

Donna Childs
Childs Capital LLC
New York, NY

AMY NICHOLS has a business she loves in an industry that provides lots of wet kisses. As the owner of Happy Tails Dog Spa, she successfully launched two dog day care businesses in Tysons Corner, VA and Washington, DC. She franchised her successful concept and has already sold six to other women entrepreneurs. Her goal is to sell 140 franchises in the next five years.

A strong supporter of the National Women’s Business Center in Washington, DC, she is a member of the Center’s CEO Council. Amy started K-9 Support, Inc., a charitable arm of her company, to support working dogs of all types — from seeing eye dogs to rescue dogs and military dogs. She has sent more than 1,500 pounds of supplies and more than $15,000 in contributions to aid working dogs in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Amy Nichols
Happy Tails Dog Spa
Tysons Corner, VA

(This article is reprinted from the 2006 Enterprising Women of the Year edition (Vol. 7, No. 3) of Enterprising Women magazine. Copyright 2006, Enterprising Women Inc. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited, except by express permission of the publisher.)

return to top

1135 Kildaire Farm Rd., Suite 200 | Cary, NC | 27511
Phone: (919) 362-1551 | Fax: (919) 362-9898
© 2002-2007, Enterprising Women