Winners will be announced at Dec. 7 conference
MADISON, WI. NOV. 14, 2023 – Seventeen Wisconsin companies and individuals have been named as finalists for the 2023 MARKETPLACE Governor’s Awards, which honor Wisconsin businesses owned by minorities, women and service-disabled veterans, and their advocates.
Winners will be announced at the Governor’s Awards Luncheon on Thursday, Dec. 7, at the 42nd annual MARKETPLACE: the Governor’s Conference on Diverse Business Development. The event will be held at the Baird Center in Milwaukee with the support of more than 20 sponsors.
Awards are given to Wisconsin companies that are certified as a minority-owned business enterprise (MBE), woman-owned business enterprises (WBE) or disabled veteran-owned businesses (DVB), as well as individuals who work to support these businesses.
The finalists in the Outstanding Business Award category for MBE, WBE, DVB are:
Abaxent LLC – Pewaukee
Beyond Words Productions – Edgerton
Camo Crew Junk Removal – Butler
OH Snap! By Shell Photography – Glendale
SBS Tax LLC – Pewaukee
The Foster Lane – Milwaukee
The finalists in the Diverse Business Champion of the Year Award category are:
Anisha Jackson, American Family Insurance Group – Madison
Xi Lu Lorentz, Chou and Lu Law – Middleton
James Methu, Gilbane Building Company – Milwaukee
The finalists in the CEO of the Year Award category are:
Rashi Arora Khosla, MARS Solutions Group – Waukesha
Rob Pero, Perodigm Media – Cambridge
The finalists in the Thought Leadership Excellence Award category are:
Deirdra Kendrix, DC Global Group – Milwaukee
Sherri Jordan, Envision the Ladder – Wauwatosa
The finalists in Best Workplace of the Year Award category are:
Crawford Evaluation Group – Waukesha
Red Shoes Inc – Appleton
Vendi Advertising – La Crosse
MARKETPLACE will take place in-person Dec. 6-7 at the Baird Center in Milwaukee and virtually on Dec. 5 for The Contracting Academy (TCA) sessions. Businesses can register at: marketplacewisconsin.com.
Entering its 42nd year, MARKETPLACE helps Wisconsin businesses learn about contracting with state, federal and local agencies as well as corporations, which represent billions of dollars of annual purchasing power. During the conference, participants connect with government and corporate buyers as well as other small businesses and service providers through networking sessions, virtual workshops, panel discussions, buyer meetings and more.
While MARKETPLACE is open to all Wisconsin business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, conference content is specifically crafted for small, minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned and LGBTQ-owned business enterprises and HUBZone businesses. These companies can connect with resources and potentially make a deal or lay the framework for a future contract.
MARKETPLACE Wisconsin is presented by Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and is supported by more than 20 sponsors. To register and learn more about the conference and register online, visit marketplacewisconsin.com.
