Bev Gray & Marlene KelleyAn Unexpected Partnership BetweenExhibits South and Exhibit Edge

JULY/AUgUSt 2014REPORT

FEATURESCorporate spotliGht: Marriott, MaCy’s and

loCKheed Martin

national ConferenCe & Business fair reCap

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

CALENDAR OF EVENTSTHIS CALENDAR INCLUDES EVENTS HOSTED BY WBENC’S REGIONAL PARTNER ORGANIZATIONSAND STRATEGIC PARTNERS. VISIT WBENC’S ONLINE CALENDAR FOR MORE EVENTS.

August 14, 2014open for Government Contracts: summit for successWashington, District of Columbia.Click here for details.

August 14, 2014WBeC-West how to Catapult your Business: secrets to successful Matchmaking & ConnectionsDenver, Colo.Click here for details.

August 15, 2014WBeC south - Gulf Coast regional eventBiloxi, Miss.Click here for details.

August 19, 2014Challengeher raleighRaleigh, N.C.Click here for details.

August 19, 2014Wpeo-ny Brown Bag lunch with the hartford New York, N.Y.Click here for details.

August 20, 2014Challengeher CharlotteCharlotte, N.C.Click here for details.

August 20, 2014Wpeo-dC Brown Bag lunch with Washington Gas & en engineeringWashington, District of ColumbiaClick here for details.

August 21, 2014Joint WBdC-Mn / nCMsdC procurement Meeting hosted by supervaluEden Prairie, Minn.Click here for details.

August 21, 2014WBea discover leadership Game Changer programBellaire, TexasClick here for details.

August 21, 2014WBdC Connecting to Corporations seriesKansas City, Mo.Click here for details.

August 21, 2014WBeC south - huntsville regional eventHuntsville, Ala.Click here for details.

August 22, 2014WBdC Connecting to Corporations seriesSt. Louis, Mo.Click here for details.

August 27, 2014lBa Minority Women’s Business ConferenceBurbank, Calif.Click here for details.

August 28, 2014Meet astra at the federal reserve Bank at san franciscoSan Francisco, Calif..Click here for details.

August 28, 2014the power Conference: Women doing BusinessNorth Bethesda, Md.Click here for details.

September 3-6, 2014naWiC annual Meeting & education ConferenceIndianapolis, Ind.Click here for details.

September 3–5, 2014WBeC-West strategic procurement opportunity ConferenceLas Vegas, Nev.Click here for details.

September 4, 2014WBC southwest 2014 harvesting partnershipsDallas, TexasClick here for details.

September 8-9, 2014 naWBo Women’s Business ConferenceIndianapolis, Ind.Click here for details.

September 10, 2014WBeC south - tennessee Women’s Business ConferenceMemphis, Tenn.Click here for details.

September 10, 2014WBeC pa-de-snJ listening to your BusinessPhiladelphia, Pa.Click here for details.

September 10, 201411th national latina symposiumWashington, district of ColumbiaClick here for details.

September 11-13, 2014Go for the Greens Business development Conference for WomenOrlando, Fla.Click here for details.

September 12, 2014CWe Women Business leaders Conference Framingham, Mass.Click here for details.

September 12, 2014Wpeo-ny annual Breakthrough Breakfast & procurement fairNew York, N.Y.Click here for details.

September 16, 2014WBCs Border Connect, fronterasEl Paso, TexasClick here for details.

September 16, 2014Wpeo-dC Bank of america Capital access agendaWashington, District of ColumbiaClick here for details.

September 17, 2014astra Connect to success - networking & MatchmakingSan Ramon, Calif.Click here for details.

September 17, 2014WBdC-Chicago 28th annual entrepreneurial Woman’s ConferenceChicago, Ill.Click here for details.

September 18, 2014Wpeo-dC Brown Bag lunch with Washington Gas and infrasourceWashington, District of ColumbiaClick here for details.

September 19, 2014WBeC pa-de-snJ annual awards luncheonPhiladelphia, Pa.Click here for details.

September 21-24, 20142014 naMWolf annual Meeting & law firm expoPhiladelphia, Pa.Click here for details.

September 21-23, 2014ushCC national ConventionSalt Lake City, UtahClick here for details.

September 25, 2014WBCs turning Global Cost to a Global advantage: the supply Chain influenceTulsa, Okla.Click here for details.

September 29, 2014GWBC power of partnering Marketplace & Wave scholarship Golf tournament Atlanta, Ga.Click here for details.

September 29, 20142014 usBln 17th annual national ConferenceOrlando, Fla.Click here for details.

September 29-30, 2014WBeC-Great lakes 14th annual Women’s Business ConferenceNovi, Mich.Click here for details.

NEw CORPORATE MEMbERS: Bi-lo holdingSdAvid MichAEl & co., inc.lEo BURnETT USAMillERcooRS

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT

EDITORIAL TEAMEDITOR-IN-ChIEFPat Birmingham

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTAllison Gibson

PROjECT MANAgER, MARkETINgLaura Rehbehn

PRODuCTION AND DESIgNLimb Design

PhOTOgRAPhyKathy AndersonLinda JohnsonLife Touch Portrait StudiosStokes Creative Group

wRITERSPaige AdamsSenior Director, Development and Corporate Relations

Judy BradtGovernment Programs Manager

Kim JonesManager, Corporate Member Services

Brenda LoubePrincipal/Founder of Corporate Fitness Works

Pamela Prince-EasonPresident and CEO

Lynthia RomneyRomneyCom, LLC

Candace WatermanChief of Staff

LaKesha WhiteSenior Compliance Manager

TAbLE OF CONTENTS: JULY/AUGUST EDITION OF THE PRESIDENT’S REPORT

PRESidEnT’S MESSAgE 4

FEATURES

Congratulations Ms. Kathy Homeyer 5

National Conference & Business Fair in Philadelphia Recap 6

Corporate Spotlight: America’s Top Corporations: Marriott, Macy’s, Lockheed Martin 12

cERTiFicATion

Focus on the Forum: Two Exhibit Companies Join Forces 14

Actuated Medical Receives SBA’s Prestigious Tibbetts Award 18

govERnMEnT SPoTlighT

Pinpoint Your Best Prospects: Sweet Spots Before Long Shots 20

oPPoRTUniTiES

The Creative Team Behind the New Women Owned Logo 22

Alison Gutterman: Proud to Support Women in the Global Economy 24 with the new Women Owned Business Logo

EngAgEMEnT

Sandra Eberhard Recognized for her Advocacy on Behalf of WBEs in Maryland 26

RESoURcES

How to Request Capital from the Professional Investor: Top 10 Things You Must Do 28

Women on Wellness: Post Conference and Vacation Debriefing 30

Advertisers’ index:

2015 Summit & Salute 3WBENC Store 11Go for the Greens 17Legacy Bracelet 27WBENC Insights 29Wine Club 32

SEE YOU IN BAlTiMoRE

SAVETHE DATE

MARCH 18–19, 2015BALTIMORE, MD

2015 SUMMiT & SAlUTE

PRESIDENT’S MESSAgE

Each year the WBENC National Conference & Business Fair continues to grow and expand opportunities for all in the WBENC network, and this year was no exception. Our tremendous roster of 2014 sponsors, our partnership with WBEC PA-DE-sNJ and the 2014 Host Committee all contributed to making the conference a record breaking event. There were 3,363 attendees and 334 exhibitors on the Business Fair floor – the most in the 15 year history of our National Conference!

The four Co-Chairs, Arbill, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Ernst & Young LLP and IPAK were true leaders in making the conference a success, including the panel at the Kickoff Luncheon where they shared valuable insights with conference attendees. Our Diamond sponsors Campbell Soup Company, Dell Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, UPS, and Walmart Stores, Inc. set the bar high through their initiatives that strongly engaged attendees.

For the first year, WBENC launched the conference mobile app providing attendees with access to the latest information on sessions, sponsor list, exhibitor map, attendee directory, and social media updates. With 1798 downloads, this app was well received and provided users with a better conference experience. A diverse collective of professionals and experts from around the nation came together to share valuable knowledge and insights with women business owners and corporate representatives through 24 unique work sessions.

The Business Fair Luncheon featured a historic moment in WBENC and WEConnect history with the announcement of the new Women Owned Logo. The new initiative is a result of Walmart’s commitment to women’s economic empowerment and will bring retail consumer recognition of certified women’s business enterprises not just in Walmart stores across the nation, but in a growing range of retail outlets. The logo will begin appearing on Walmart shelves next month and we look forward to continuing to further the initiative with the help of the WBENC network. Be sure to be on the lookout for products with the logo on store shelves everywhere!

This year we had a record breaking number of MatchMaker meetings with more than 120 Corporate and Government Members participating in over 1400 meetings with WBEs. Having experienced the evolution of the program, I cannot tell you how proud I am of the WBENC team for the overall commitment to create, manage and deliver the best matchmaking experience at the National level.

The surveys are in and you loved the keynote speaker, Randi Zuckerberg. Her clear message: technology is great but can become complicated resonated with all. She explored ten trends in technology and entrepreneurship before she capped off her performance by singing a song about Pinterest.

We proudly honored Ms. Eyvon Austin of The Coca-Cola Company and Mr. Larry Caldwell of PepsiCo with the WBENC Applause Award. At the Tribute dinner we recognized Ms. Kathy Homeyer as she received the distinguished William J. Alcorn Leadership Award from WBENC’s own Bill Alcorn. And finally, WBEC PA-DE-sNJ seized the moment to recognize the leadership of their President, Ms. Geri Swift, with a Living Legacy Award.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Philadelphia. Thank you for your enthusiasm, thank you for connecting and reaching out to one another, and thank you all for your on-going commitment to Join Forces and Succeed Together. You are the true reason our Conference continues to be a success. We look forward to hearing of the long-term successes stories of relationships started and advanced during your time in Philadelphia.

Plan now to attend the WBENC Summit & Salute in Baltimore from March 18-19, 2015 and see you in Austin, Texas from June 23-25, 2015 for yet another fantastic National Conference & Business Fair!

Best,Pamela Prince-EasonWBENC President and CEO

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CONgRATuLATIONS MS. kAThy hOMEyERRECIPIENT OF THE WILLIAM J. ALCORN LEADERSHIP AWARD

KATHY AND DALE HOMEYER

During the Tribute! Dinner and Awards Ceremony, Ms. Kathy Homeyer, Director, Supplier Diversity, UPS, graciously accepted the William J. Alcorn Leadership Award presented to her by Bill Alcorn. In her remarks, Homeyer spoke of her journey from UPS driver to her current role as the Supplier Diversity Director including the incredible support from her husband and family, as well as her amazing community within UPS.

“UPS has made this a fun and a rewarding job because of the support from the CEO level to all the UPS partners,” she noted.

She ended her remarks with a touching story about a WBE company based in New York called Diversity Partners whose business was destroyed on 9-11. A week after the tragedy Bill, a UPS commodity buyer, reached out to Adrian Guglielmo, the owner of Diversity Partners, to see what UPS could do to support Guglielmo. Bill asked Guglielmo what UPS could do to get Diversity Partners back to work, looking to purchase something to make people feel secure again. Guglielmo immediately suggested a Teddy Bear. Bill placed the order on the spot, and the order was enough to give Guglielmo the funds needed to restart her company. Years later she was able to sell her business and today continues to work with another WBENC-Certified WBE. Homeyer closed this story by remarking

“Just remember, we are all WBENC – so don’t forget those little gestures can make a world of difference!”

That evening attendees were each able to take home their own UPS Teddy Bear.

Homeyer is a courageous and valued member of the WBENC community. In addition to her role at UPS she also serves as Treasurer and board member for WBENC and is on the board of the Women’s Business Council, Southwest.

Pamela Prince-Eason, Benita Fortner, Kathy Homeyer and Bill Alcorn

Original UPS Teddy Bear and Alcorn Award

FEATURES

Workshop programming provided a lot of opportunityto pick up new information

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett gives remarks at

the Business Fair Breakfast

FEATURES

NATIONAL CONFERENCE & buSINESS FAIR IN PhILADELPhIA RECAP

RPO Leadership Team helps kick off the conference.

2014 Co-Chair Panel (Left to Right: Moderator Sandra Leung, General Counsel, BMS; Julie Copeland, President, Arbill;

Farryn Melton, SVP & CPO, BMS; Theresa Harrison, Americas Director of Supplier Diversity, EY; Karen Primak, CEO, IPAK)

Celebrating Philly’s Firsts during the Welcome Reception

Gerti Swift, President WBEC PA-DE-sNJ, Host Council, welcomes

attendees to Philadelphia

Pamela Prince-Eason, President & CEO, WBENC

Attendees bidding on items during the Silent Auction

MiKaela Wardlaw Lemmon,Vice President, Member Services,

Sam’s Club announces the new Women Owned Logo with Pamela Prince-Eason and Elizabeth Vazquez, CEO & Founder

of WEConnect International

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The Hegemen String Band performs

The Hegemen String Band welcomes in the Business Fair

Pamela Prince-Eason donning the Mummer’s hat

CPO Panel hosted on theBusiness Fair Floor

hIghTLIghTS FROM ThE buSINESS FAIR FLOOR

Cielo Chocolates sponsored by The Pursuit of Excellence

The Yacht Rock Revue kept attendeesdancing all night long

Presenting the Applause Award(Left to Right: Benita Fortner, Chair WBENC

Board; Larry Caldwell, VP IT & Corporate Services Procurement, PepsiCo; Eyvon Austin, Global Supplier Diversity Director, The Coca-

Cola Company; Pamela Prince-Eason, President & CEO, WBENC)

Trans-Expedite Saves the chocolates!

Did you get to taste the decadent Cielo chocolates at the Night at the Museum in Philadelphia? Well, it took “Joining Forces” to get the chocolates to the art museum in time. Through an unfortunate delay almost 800 pieces of Cielo chocolates destined for Philadelphia were stranded in Dallas, Texas the day before the event.

With everybody hard at work trying to find a solution to transport the chocolates, Mark Galvan, the President and Chief Strategy Office for the Pursuit of Excellence, the sponsor who provided the chocolates, sat in on the workshop “Doing Business Globally as a WBE” which featured President and CEO of Trans-Expedite, Keeli Jernigan. Galvan sitting, listening to the panel, realized that the solution was sitting right in front of him – Jernigan’s team could help. He immediately texted his team to connect with Trans-Expedite and have them arrange to transport the chocolates. By “Joining Forces” with Trans-Expedite the Pursuit of Excellence’s delicious treats arrived with time to spare and were enjoyed by happy attendees all night.

http://www.pursuitofexcellenceinc.com/http://www.trans-expedite.com/

Keynote Randi Zuckerberg, CEO, Zuckerberg Media joined us for an exciting discussion on

trends in technology

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Geri Swift recognized with Living Legacy Award(Left to Right: Benita Fortner, Chair, WBENC Board; Pamela

Prince-Eason, President & CEO, WBENC; Geri Swift, President WBEC PA-DE-sNJ; Cindy Towers, CEO, JuriSolutions; Peggy

Del Fabro, CEO, M. Davis & Sons; Mary Fox Donnelly, President & CEO, Encompass Elements; Linda S. Gloss, Chair, WBDC

Board of Directors; George Ehrgott, Chair, WBEC PA-DE-sNJ; Julie Copeland, President, Arbill; Karen Primak CEO, IPAK)

The Host Committee (Left to Right, Front Row: Peggy Del Fabbro, M. Davis & Sons;

Michele McHenry, Laser Lab, Inc.; Cindy Towers, JuriSolutions; Vivian Isaak, Magnum Group; Mary Meder, Harmelin Media;

Back Row: Ginny Heron-Doerr, ProShred Security; Katrin Hillner, PCN; Kimberly Springsteen-Abbott, Commonwealth

Capital Corp; Mary Fox Donnelly, Encompass Elements; Maureen O’Connor, LEM Products Inc; Judith Zimmermann,

The Artcraft Group; Joanne Peterson, Abator Information Services Inc; Mary Jo Gaumer, CableLinks, Inc.)

Future WBEs participating in the Student Entrepreneur Programunderwritten by Shell

Over 1400 MatchMaker Meetings were held on Wednesday.

Alexzandria Johnson, Howard University, ‘14, the winner of the Student Entrepreneur Program competition gives remarks at Tribute! Dinner

Raíces culturales latinoamericanas at the night at the Museum

During the Business Fair Evening Reception at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Campbell Soup Company helped bring attendees to their feet by sponsoring two incredible cultural performing groups, La Familia Rojas and Kùlú Mèlé African Dance and Drum Ensemble.

The two groups are a part of Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas, Inc., a nonprofit arts and culture organization whose mission is to support, promote and increase public awareness of the richness, beauty and diversity of Latin American cultures and their roots through performing and visual arts, and dynamic educational programs.

Raíces presents cultural showcases, workshops and performances at conventions, colleges & universities; museums & libraries; elementary, middle & high schools; art and music fairs, festivals & outdoor events; senior citizens center as well as business and private functions reaching thousands of children, youth, adults and seniors.

The evening at the museum was kicked off by La Familia Rojas, Philadelphia’s oldest Puerto Rican folkloric dance company. The eleven-member, multi-generational ensemble includes drummers, dancers, singers and vejigantes. They perform the African-Puerto Rican traditional dance bomba, in which the dancers interact with the drummers while at the same time the drummers mimic the dancer’s every move on the barril, a single-headed wooden barrel drum.

Later in the evening the Kùlú Mèlé African Dance and Drum Ensemble performed. The company preserves and presents African dance traditions rooted in the cultures and aesthetic values of the African Diaspora, drawing from the music and movement forms of Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, Nigeria, Guinea, Ghana and the Senegambia region as well as African-American vernacular traditions.

“Each dance tells a story that anyone can relate to,” according to Kùlú Mèlé Artistic Director Dorothy Wilkie. “Many of the dances we perform are in the Yoruba tradition from Nigeria by way of Cuba. Others are from West African countries, including Senegal, Gambia and Guinea,” Ms. Wilkie continued. “I fell in love with traditional Yoruba dance many years ago when I studied with Enrique Admiral, a Cuban exile, who was a master dancer and drummer. I hope audiences will be transported and uplifted by the beauty and energy of the dances as I was then.”

For more information on Raices Culturales visit www.raicesculturales.org

We invite you to shop on our newly designed website and feel free to contact our exclusive provider for even more creative ideas on how to brand your business!business!

We are excited to launch our premier line of WBENC products to engage our community and bring awareness to the WBENC brand.

FEATURES

CORPORATE SPOTLIghT:AMERICA’S TOP CORPORATIONS

This year 45 corporations were named to the list of America’s Top Corporations for Women’s Business Enterprises. The following series highlights these organizations’ programs and their efforts to advance the development of women’s businesses. This month we find out more about the programs at Marriott, Macy s''' ' , and Lockheed Martin, all first-time awardees. Over the coming months we will hear from all of the 2013 Top Corporations.

Q. in considering your strategy and work in women’s business development and growth, what program or initiative are you most proud of?MarriottOverall, we are proud of the tremendous strides our Global Supplier Diversity program has made since its inception in 1997. Specifically, we are proud of the number of Women-Business Enterprises (WBEs) that we have been able to engage, support, develop, and partner with to over the past 2+ decades. We are also proud of our recent commitment to the Clinton Global Initiative, where in partnership with over 20 global corporations and organizations, we have committed to collectively spend at least $1.5 billion with and mentor/develop at least 15,000 women owned businesses outside of the United States over the next 5 years.

Macy’sWe are very proud of our overall commitment to growing business relationships with women owned businesses and in particular, The Workshop at Macy’s, which focuses on the development of retail vendors. Several of our executives are members of an internal Employee Resource Group known as Women at Macy’s (WAM), 100 Wise Women Network, and Bad Girls Ventures (BGV). We also support multiple causes that are especially important to women. Macy’s donated more than $30 Million towards Thanks For Sharing; Shop For A Cause, Reading Is Fundamental, Go Red For Women and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin is proud to have received the 2014 Catalyst Award, the first aerospace and defense firm to ever receive the honor. Our winning initiative, Women Accelerating Tomorrow, encompasses a variety of programs, processes and tools to support women’s advancement as part of a strategic effort to attract, develop, and retain diverse talent in a highly technical and engineering-focused industry.

’

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Q: What is next on the horizon?MarriottWe will continue focusing on growing and expanding our Global Supplier Diversity program. Specifically, we will continue to focus on maintaining and strengthening our existing, as well as establishing new, WBE partnerships domestically. Additionally, as our program expands to each of our continents, and goals are set in each continent, the focus on WBEs outside of the United States will increase.

Macy’sWe plan to continue our support of WBENC on a national and regional basis. We also want to increase the number of “Meet Me” at Macy’s’ focused MWBE match maker events we host in some of our key markets.

Lockheed MartinDiversity is vital to the future success of our business, as the best ideas and the greatest innovations come from individuals and teams that actively seek out different points of view. When we encourage and embrace different ways of thinking, we create an environment without the boundaries of convention or the limits of the status quo. We will continue our focus on strengthening our pipeline of talented women, as a diverse workforce has a transformational impact on business, communities, and lives.

Q: What issues do you think are important to tackle in the future?MarriottMarriott does not view Supplier Diversity as an initiative, rather a core business practice. As such, we will continue to raise the bar, showcasing the value diverse-owned businesses bring to our global supply chain, encouraging our decision makers and prime suppliers to pursue more opportunities with WBEs and other diverse-owned businesses. As with many companies, our ability to track data in a streamlined manner will be a challenge we will continue to focus on.

Macy’sMacy’s will continue to build an inclusive supplier base that embodies, embraces and reflects Macy’s culture and philosophy regarding diversity, sustainability and respect.

Lockheed MartinChange happens when leaders embrace the full human capital available to their organizations. It is critical for leaders to go beyond mentoring and promote qualified women, supporting their growth and development at the most senior levels.

For more information on Marriott: For more information see http://www.marriott.com/diversity/corporate-diversity.mi

For more information on Macy’s: http://macysinc.com

For more information on lockheed Martin: http://www.lockheedmartin.com

FOCuS ON FORuM:TwO ExhIbIT COMPANIES jOIN FORCESThe two companies’ profiles look very similar on paper – they both design and build custom exhibits for the trade show industry. They both provide trade show management. They both do the construction, warehousing, large format printing and creation of exhibits, they both store customer exhibits and they’re both WBENC-Certified. On paper they may look like competitors, but Marlene Kelly from Exhibits South and Bev Gray from Exhibit Edge found a way to Join Forces this past June for the National Conference & Business Fair.

CERTIFICATION

MARLENE KELLYPresident and CEOExhibits South

The two met for the first time in 2009 at the Summit and Salute where Kelly was recognized as a Star for the Greater Women’s Business Council. Gray watched her video along with the other award winners and wanted to meet her.

“I caught her by the bar and I asked her ‘How do you become a star?’”

Kelly told her to just get involved at the local level, work a lot at the local level and that she would be recognized. Gray followed those words of wisdom and in 2013 she was recognized as the Star for Women Presidents’ Educational Organization - DC.They later started to connect through the Forum, Kelly joining in 2006 and Gray in 2013. They would say hello to each other in passing and eventually ended up serving on the same committee. At first they were worried about having such directly competing companies on the same committee, but as Kelly notes,

“We realized that it’s a big old world out there, and we’re just two little pieces of it.”

The more they talked about it the more they realized they were not actually competitors.

“A lot of people like to do business with who is closest because in the trade show industry people want to touch, and feel, and look, and review [the exhibits]” explains Kelly, “you’ve always got to look at the big picture of this and I think that is what Bev and I have been able to do.”

Knowing that Exhibits South’s clientele, were mainly larger corporations with headquarters in Atlanta, and Exhibit Edge’s clientele, were mainly federal government contractors, they realized they were not competing against each other and they started looking for possible ways they could work together.

As the WBENC Conference approached an opportunity emerged. Since Exhibit Edge is based in the DC region, Gray maintains Union contracts because many of the convention centers and hotels in her region are unionized.

WWW.WBENC.ORG » JULY/AUGUST EDITION 2014 » 15

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

“We can hire directly from the union hall versus having to hire an installation and dismantle company that installs and dismantles trade show exhibits.”

Gray hoped that because of her good reputation in the DC union that she might be able to hire directly from the Philadelphia union as well, and told Kelly about her plans. Kelly told her that if it worked out she would use Exhibit Edge as her labor company, in the end it worked out.

“Our prices were very competitive compared to everyone else,” said Gray, “Philadelphia is a very high dollar market, we really worked hard to keep our prices down and more competitive to not only help our clients but to also help Marlene’s clients and keep her clients happy.”

In the end, both Exhibit Edge and Exhibits South provided their services to a total of eighteen customers, and their services were handled almost entirely by WBEs.

Kelly says it was possible to build the relationship she and Gray shares because of WBENC.

“We would not have known each other if it had not been for WBENC. There are great relationships that start through the certification because of the fantastic networking. No, you’re not going to do business with someone if you don’t know them and you haven’t vetted them and you haven’t connected with them. And that is what Bev and I have done over the years, we have gotten to know each other. I feel that, as a Forum, one of the things we’ve focused on is trying to share opportunities for using each other’s suppliers and this is just the prefect example.”

BEV GRAYPresident and CEOExhibit Edge

In looking for potential business partners Gray says:

“You definitely have to find another woman business owner that you like and that is willing to do it. I know when I talk to other companies I can feel the cold shoulder.There is enough business to go around for everybody, as long as you’re doing the right thing, you have a good message, you have a good reputation, there is enough work. I don’t think people should feel threatened, if you’re an exhibit company in California or Phoenix and you’re women owned, I won’t be doing business out there.”

Both Gray and Kelly are already looking to the future for other ways to work together, including teaming up on some of the larger RFPs.

“I can’t wait till somebody brings something to me and Bev and says ‘I’d like your two companies to come up with a plan for me,’” says Kelly.

Until then, they will utilize each other as suppliers whenever possible and have actually begun to use each other as resources for industry and general business advice.

“I was involved in an RFP and when the RFP first came out there were some insurance requirements that were not in line with the exhibit industry, they were in line with the company’s industry. I wanted to make sure what I was thinking was on track before I commented back to this corporation, so I called Marlene,” says Gray.

Kelly was in agreement, so Gray confidently went back to the corporation about the requirements and in the end the requirements were changed appropriately.

They love having each other as a resource.

“In the past I’ve really not had someone in my own industry that I could talk to like that,” says Kelly. Gray adds “we’ve talked about the struggles of the industry, the struggles of our companies, it’s really good to know you’re not alone.”

http://www.exhibitssouth.com/http://www.exhibitedge.com/

Innovate. Collaborate. Celebrate.Save the Date • Sept. 11-13 7th annual business conferenceDisney’s BoardWalk Resort•Orlando, FL

Access to decision-makers at major corporations and government agencies: •  UPS•  Disney•  Ernst & Young•  Florida Blue/Blue Cross•  CHEP•  United Airlines•  Duke Energy•  Florida Department of Transportation•  Moffitt Cancer Center•  Lockheed Martin•  NASA•  Avis Budget•  Comprehensive Health Services•  IBM•  TYCO•  Wyndham•  and others

Educational programming that skips the 101 level and goes to 303 level and beyond:•   Procurement and contracting trends•   Hiring and retaining the best •   Collaboration across borders•   Innovations in funding for growth•   Building a sustainability profile•   Leadership in the face of overwhelm 

Open seating at meals and cocktail events to allow maximum time for mingling. 

A boutique setting limited to 250 attendees so you and your company can really stand out.

www.goforthegreens.orgCheck us out on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter

Go for the Greens is produced by Go for the Greens Foundation Inc.,  a Florida nonprofit operated by volunteers.

Title Sponsors

2014Meet one-on-onewith corporate

and governmentrepresentatives

Give your business the competitive

edge . . . in a fun, creative setting

Golf networking event for players at any level – options of 9 and 18 holes

Top Event Sponsors and Partners

Title Partners

CERTIFICATION

ACTuATED MEDICAL RECEIVES SbA’S PRESTIgIOuS TIbbETTS AwARD

In 2006, Maureen L. Mulvihill, PH.D., was the Director of R&D at a small technology firm developing piezoelectric actuation devices. After speaking with several doctors about clinical needs, she discussed with her boss the idea of integrating their technology into medical devices. He did not share the same vision. So she had to make a choice – continue to work at the firm or pursue her vision to bring Innovative Motion® to medical devices. She went home and said to her husband “there is an unmet clinical need that we need to solve”.

The bottom line, they knew innovative motion technologies integrated into medical devices could improve patient outcomes. They also knew there was a market vacuum that they could fill. So Actuated Medical was born with a strong focus to incorporate leading edge actuation technology into medical devices to improve patient outcomes. With great ideas in hand, but in need of research and development funds, they submitted two Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants, one to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and one to the National Science Foundation (NSF), both of which were awarded.

SBIR funding enables entrepreneurs with high tech innovation ideas to apply for non-dilutive R/R&D funding. The SBIR program is structured in three phases. Phase I, funding of normally $150k, is intended to establish the technical merit, feasibility, and commercial potential of the proposed idea. Upon successful results in Phase I, the company can apply for Phase II, normally $1M. The ultimate goal is to move a project into Phase III, commercialization. Phase III funds come from other non-SBIR sources (i.e., private investors, product sales, other federal monies). The program is administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA). It is a highly competitive with only about 10% of proposals being funded.

“SBIRs are for small businesses with ideas that require capital assistance to bring to commercialization.” said Mulvihill.

Upon receiving the NSF funding, the AMI team got to work researching and developing a device to clear clogged feeding tubes. Feeding tubes have an clogging rate of 25%, and other unclogging solutions are not only time consuming but only work less than 50% of the time. TubeClear®, a device that unclogs feeding tubes in-patient, in minutes was FDA cleared in 2012. By clearing clogged feeding tubes, TubeClear enables healthcare practitioners to stay focused on patient care and not hardware issues.

TubeClear was Actuated Medical’s first Phase II grant. In fact, it was one of a handful of SBIR Phase II technologies that has been commercialized.

Mulvihill noted, “Out of all the firms that get SBIR funding, only a small number actually achieve commercialization of the technologies. It’s a very difficult process. For us to commercialize, we had to get FDA clearance, patent the technologies, engage sales and marketing partners, and scale-up our manufacturing.”

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT

MAUREEN MULVIHILLPresident and CEOActuated Medical, Inc.

Mulvihill and her team have commercialized not just one, but two of Actuated Medical’s earliest Phase II grants with many more on the way. They continue to apply for and be awarded SBIR grants and are currently working on six proposals right now.

As a result of their hard work and commercial success, Actuated Medical was selected by the SBA as a 2014 Tibbetts Award for SBIR Excellence in commercialization. The SBA presents these national awards to companies who exemplify the very best of the SBIR program. Actuated Medical and the other 24 winners attended a White House Awards Program this June. The Tibbetts Award winners are selected based on the economic impact of their technological innovation, and the extent to which that innovation served federal R&D needs, encouraged diverse participation, and increased the commercialization of federal research.

Mulvihill says Actuated Medical’s success comes from their persistent focus on real-world applications of technology and consistent commitment to commercialization. With the five awarded SBIR Phase II programs the team is currently working on, Mulvihill pushes each one to a goal of sales, regulatory clearance, and/or commercial partner engagement.

“Each project has its own set of challenges and complexities, but we have to believe we’re going to be successful in some way on each one and keep pushing. It’s all about persistence and focusing on your goals.”

From a business perspective, one of the major benefits to the SBIR program is that the grant is non-dilutive. The company retains the equity and the intellectual property of their technologies as well as the commercialization revenues. Mulvihill encourages other small businesses out there to take advantage of the SBIR program.

“You can start a company using the SBIR program, but you have to be focused on more than the initial funding. It’s all about commercialization. You have to be focused on the end point.”

For example, early in the company’s history Mulvihill had Actuated Medical become ISO certified.

“It means we’re able to manufacture our own product without having to outsource, and we are able to keep those revenues in house,” she explains.

Another key to Actuated Medical’s success has been developing deep relationships with medical experts and clinicians. This ensures the devices they create meet clinical needs. They work with universities that have testing facilities, major hospital systems, and worldwide partners for commercialization. Finally, Actuated Medical became WBENC-Certified in 2009 and in 2011 Mulvihill attended the Tuck-WBENC Executive Program. Both have had a huge impact on the company. Mulvihill developed lasting relationships with the other women in her class and now utilizes several as suppliers.Mulvihill is quite proud of Actuated Medical’s success and summarized their efforts with this:

“Everything from SBIR funding, to our dedication and focus, to WBENC training, has made a huge impact on both me and our company. I wholeheartedly recommend the SBIR program to any company looking to fund their R&D efforts.”

For more informationon Actuated Medical: http://www.actuatedmedical.com/

For more informationon the SBIR program: http://www.sbir.gov

Business owners understandably get frustrated and give up on the federal market when their efforts don’t bring results.

The best clues to your top federal prospects can be right in front of you! As you develop your federal business plan for the year ahead, your answers to these questions will help your team focus your precious bid and proposal resources on opportunities that are a strong fit for your company.

1. Who are your best customers today?

Past performance is extremely attractive to government buyers, and even more so to large prime contractors with whom your company might need to partner to reach those buyers.

You know who they are: they pay you on time, they come back for more, they refer their friends to you. It’s fine if your best customers are commercial rather than government; what matters most is the next question…

2. What are their common characteristics?

Take a look at the last couple of years of sales in those profitable lines of business, and the nature of your contracts with those clients. What patterns do you see with respect to:

• Location: Where is the decision-maker located? Where do you perform the service, or where do your orders most often ship to? Even if you could serve clients all over the United States, if you put dots on a map to represent contracts with today’s most profitable clients, where would they cluster?

• Contract Size: How much is the order or contract worth? How many people do you place, or how many units do they order? In other words, what size of contract or order is most typical, and could you easily do another 10 or 20 just like that?

• Duration: How long do your contracts run with those sweet spot clients? Is it a one-time order? One-year blanket purchase agreement? A two-year base with five one-year options?

Successful companies often give top priority to opportunities that look a lot like work they do for their current clients.

GOVERNMENT SPOTLIGHT

PINPOINT yOuR bEST PROSPECTS: SwEET SPOTS bEFORE LONg ShOTSHighlights from the presentation by Judy Bradt on federal contracting success at the 2014 National Conference & Business Fair in Philadelphia.

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT

3. What problems do you solve for them?

Rather than thinking about what your company makes or the service you perform, think about what your customers are actually buying!

Customers – including government purchasers – buy from vendors because they need products and services to solve their problems, deliver their missions, and meet their program and operational goals.

How would you answer the question, “What problems do you solve for your top customers?”

4. Which three federal departments or agencies have similar problems?

Are your clients in the health care industry? Financial services? Property management? Which federal agencies perform functions or have missions that are most similar to the clients who already love what you do, and are willing to be great references for you?

Look for examples of your past performance that can show a federal buyer how recently you’ve solved a problem very much like theirs for a client who looks a lot like them – in terms of size, scale, location, and mission.

Three federal agencies or programs is plenty to start with. Any more than that, and it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the effort it takes to develop the relationships that lead to opportunities.

5. Finally, consider a focus on your most profitable lines of business.

Why? After all the time and resources it’s going to take to win a federal contract you also want that revenue to grow your company. Otherwise, it could take years to generate the high sales volumes you need for low-margin products or services to show the results you want.

Once you have answers to those questions, consider letting go of the opportunities that are long shots. Your federal market research and business development will be much more efficient. Watch how your results change.

OPPORTUNITIES

ThE CREATIVE TEAM bEhINDThE NEw wOMEN OwNED LOgO“Men shop like hunters and women shop like fisherman,” explains Ann Macdonald, President of Rouge 24, a branding and packaging firm. “Men know exactly what they’re going in for, they go straight to that item, and they do not deliberate. Women, they go in and they want to be informed purchasers, and they really study the packaging, they read the copy and they will stand there in the store a compare features and prices.” As an expert in brand management and packaging, Macdonald spends a lot of time making sure she understands her consumers.

ANN MACDONALDPresidentRouge 24

Macdonald began her career working as an art director for magazines, before working freelance with traditional advertising agencies. While working in freelance she was offered and opportunity to work with the PBS show Word World, working to direct the brand, “to basically figure out what the brand identity was and then make sure all of printed materials and packaging were in-line with that brand experience.” It was her first contact with brand management, and she was hooked.

“I had an opportunity to effect what a brand voice was, to listen to the client, hear how they felt about the brand, what they were looking for and so I felt like my brand work was more satisfying just for me personally to be able to accurately reflect what the client was looking for and what they wanted out of a brand.”

Macdonald focused the rest of her freelance work on brand management and long the way she began working on individual projects for Walmart, building a strong and regular business relationship with them. Her relationship with them was so strong and regular that she actually had to begin hiring other designers in the industry that she knew were great creatives to assist with the workload, and without explicit planning she had begun Rouge 24. Since officially filing the paperwork for Rouge 24 five years ago, the business has doubled every year and has grown to a team of 18. Today, the company still keeps its focus on branding and packaging.

“Our core competencies really lay in creating the brand and then generating packaging designs that support that vision.”

As a designer, Macdonald is keenly aware of the consumer.

“One of the questions I always ask my clients is ‘who is your target?’, because we want to make sure that whatever packaging we are developing is obviously visually geared towards that buying demographic. When you are designing packaging you cannot be all things to all people, you have got to pick a lane.”

Knowing this, Macdonald studies the current dynamics of purchasing power.

“Well it is a very different world now than it was in the 1950s and 1960s and women have a lot more purchasing power now. Women are really impacting a tremendous amount of finances in the market place.”

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT

With women making 85% of the buying decisions Macdonald realized the impact the packaging design could have on a product’s success.

“For most of my designs that are going into the marketplace, the sweet spot that we need to hit is with the female shopper.”

She began tailoring her designs to increase her clients possibility in the marketplace, at which point she realized the significance of her being a 100% women owned business.

“This is something I very passionately believe in, so what can I do to stand on that, promote that, make that a very clear communication can know how they can benefit based on our knowledge of their shopper?”

She did research, learned about WBENC, and in 2012 Rouge 24 became WBENC-Certified.

When MiKaela Wardlaw Lemmon, senior director of Women’s Economic Empowerment at Walmart began looking for an agency to develop the new Women Owned Business logo a colleague pointed her towards Rouge 24. Macdonald was thrilled at the opportunity to be a part of the new initiative.

“I have for a very long time been very interested in not just women-business owners but women in the workplace and the impact that women have in the market place.”

At the beginning of the project, Macdonald set out to determine an initial direction from the leadership behind the new logo.

“What people definitely didn’t like or did like, pink can be a fairly controversial color, some people love it, some don’t, are we doing pink? Or are we opening it up? What kind of graphics do you like to see?”

Other parameters were set as well, the logo had to be able to shrink down very small without losing its detail, it had to be able to be incorporated into many different packaging designs and the team wished for it to have a mark that at some point could stand alone. With those features in mind the Rouge 24 team started creating a variety of options for the logo that incorporated an iconic mark into part of the typographic lockup.

Rouge 24 worked with WBENC, WEConnect International and Walmart to evolve the new design until it satisfied all of the original goals and could be sent off to be rigorously consumer-tested. The final logo made its debut at WBENC’s National Conference and Business Fair in June and will begin appearing on store shelves in Walmart this September. WBEs interested in using the Women Owned logo can find more information about its usage in WBENCLink.

http://www.rouge24.com/

ALISON guTTERMAN: PROuD TO SuPPORT wOMEN IN ThE gLObAL ECONOMy wITh ThE NEw wOMEN OwNED buSINESS LOgOAlison Gutterman is President and CEO of Jelmar LLC., a third-generation consumer and industrial cleaning products company. The company makes both the CLR® and Tarn-X® brands of products which are American-made, environmentally friendly, and specially formulated to solve tough and delicate household cleaning problems. These products are sold in hardware, do-it-yourself, grocery and drug chains, throughout the US, Canada, Mexico and Australia.

A dynamic innovator, Gutterman runs her business with an eye to the future.In keeping with this innovative spirit and a commitment to enable women to contribute meaningfully to the economy, Gutterman will be one of the first WBEs to utilize the Women Owned Business logo, on CLR products. For example, the logo will be featured on a billboard in August advertising CLR products on a major thoroughfare in Florida.

“I believe this logo will be beneficial in highlighting the many well run companies who have great products and services that we use on a daily basis. It will showcase the innovation that grandmothers, mothers, sisters, and daughters use to solve everyday problems,” she says.

While she believes that any product or service must compete based on its superior level of quality or value to the consumer, Gutterman makes the case that the logo should be visible to help advance women’s business growth.

“I am very passionate about the role of women in the global economy and the importance of consumers knowing that women are major contributors to the entrepreneurial marketplace throughout the world,” she says. “This is especially crucial for us to understand due to the lack of women’s representation on major corporate boards and government.”

Additionally, Gutterman points out that every great company started with an idea of how to do something better. When women start companies that bring a new product or service to the marketplace – from cleaner energy to technology, consumers should be aware of that.

Certified as a WBENC-Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) since 2010, Gutterman has pursued new markets and marketing for Jelmar throughout her career at the company. While the vast majority of the company’s sales come from retail stores in the U.S. and Canada, she sees the opportunity to bring the products to the jan/san and industrial market – from cleaning coffee pots in airline fleets to shower heads in hotels.

OPPORTUNITIES

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ALISON GUTTERMANPresident and CEOJelmar, LLC.

She has also advanced her company’s established advertising program to include social media and mobile applications. Their recent survey on Americans’ cleaning habits landed CLR products on the “Today” show.

Gutterman joined the family business twenty years ago after graduating from Syracuse University with a major in speech communications. Her first job was reading customer service letters, a valuable introduction to a business that has since required her to stay ahead of and meet customers’ needs.

Since then she has worked in all areas of the company and rose to become President in 2008 and more recently CEO. Gutterman is a member of C200. She is on the Advisory Board of ENACTUS, an international non-profit that brings together academic and business leaders to enable students to create and implement community empowerment projects around the globe. She completed an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management in 2002.

She is also committed to seeing girls all over the world become well educated and participate in the economy.

“This logo may inspire young girls to dream and create businesses that can change the world.”

For more information, visit http://www.jelmar.com/

WBENC President and CEO Pamela Prince-Eason was a guest speaker on Ct Small Business tool Kit Podcast, listen to her remarks and check out other podcasts at:

http://www.bizfilings.com/toolkit/podcasts.aspx

ENGAGEMENT

SANDRA EbERhARD RECOgNIzEDFOR hER ADVOCACy ON bEhALF OF wbES IN MARyLANDThis spring Sandra Eberhard, Executive Director, WPEO-DC, was honored by the Maryland Washington Minority Companies Association (MWMCA), for her work on behalf of The Women Presidents’ Educational Organization (WPEO), recognized as the Best Organization for Women’s Business Enterprises.

SANDRA EBERHARDExecutive DirectorWPEO-DC

“I am proud to receive this award on behalf of The Women Presidents’ Educational Organization, and support its commitment to furthering the success of women owned businesses and the value of third-party certification,” said Ms. Eberhard.

Ms. Eberhard was recognized at the 2014 11th Annual Spring Breakfast Meeting/Business Showcase Expo where she received a citation from Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, a certificate of Congressional Recognition from the House of Representatives and a Certificate of Merit from U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, who cited her “outstanding commitment to diversity in business f or all sectors of Government and Private business.”

“Sandra has done an exceptional job leading our WPEO-DC office during a time of unprecedented growth,” said WPEO founder and President Dr. Marsha Firestone.

“Our operation supports women business enterprises that generate more than $3.1 billion in revenue and employ more than 30,000 in Maryland, Virginia and the Washington, D.C. area,” she added.

For more information on WPEO, visit http://wpeo.us/

Isn’t it time to start your Legacy®?

Order Your WBENC Legacy® Onlinewww.thedwgroup.com/wbenclegacy

1-800-704-0546

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The Bracelet as individual as you are.

WBENC has created the Legacy Bracelet as a statement of your participation and ongoing support of our organization.

Each beautiful hand-crafted sterling silver bead represents different aspects of WBENC that have made it the progressive and respected organization that it is today.

Whether you are new to certification, membership or supplier diversity and women’s entrepreneurship, you can build your own beautiful piece of jewelry that will tell the story of how you’re engaged with WBENC.

ABoUT vAlERiE FREEMAnValerie Freeman is the founder and CEO of Texas based Imprimis Group (Imprimis Staffing, Freeman+Leonard, BravoTech, and Human Capital Solutions), leading suppliers of staffing, recruiting, human resources and outsourcing services. She has built one of the largest independently owned staffing companies in Texas. Learn more about Valerie and Imprimis: http://www.imprimis.com/

PREPARE a brief Investment Summary that is so compelling to outsiders that they will want to read your business plan.

REMEMBER your audience when preparing the Investment Summary and Business Plan, as all professional investors have profiles of their preferred types of investments.

STATE how much money you are asking for and what type of investment – equity vs. preferred stock vs. debt.

STATE how much money you have already raised and who has invested – define them as strategic, angel or founders.

TEll what you plan to do with the money – buy equipment, add staff, buy another business, conduct R&D, etc. and be specific.

ExPlAin how the new money will make your company grow.

TEll tell them up front what type of return they can expect — all investors want to know what’s in it for them.

givE compelling reasons why the investment in you and your company is worthwhile – do you have a stellar management team that can deliver, do you have networks, industry credential, awards to establish your credibility.

convincE investors that the right time is right now – not later, not yesterday.

hiRE outside professional help for your business plan or financial models if you are not skilled.

RESOURCES

hOw TO REquEST CAPITAL FROM ThE PROFESSIONAL INVESTOR

TOP 10 ThINgS yOu MuST DOA recap of the NCBF Workshop presented by Valerie Freeman

WBENC INSIGHTS Access It Today! WBENC Insights is a password-protected site for WBENC-

Certified WBEs, Regional Partner Organizations, and

National Corporate and Government Members with

information on industry forecasts, procurement trends,

government contracting, and skill building.

If you have not yet created an account please check all mail

folders for a message from our media partner, MobilePaks,

a VIA Company, with instructions on how to login to your

account.

Additional information about WBENC Insights can be found

under Resources at www.wbenc.org.

NEW INSIGHTS

MATCHMAKING 101 WEBINAR

+ TIPSHEET

2014 WBE STARS VIDEOS

C.O.R.E. VIDEOS

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gET ThE FAcTS• Edema is the abnormal buildup of fluid in the ankles, feet, and legs. • Edema may be generalized or local. It can appear suddenly; a person may

first gain weight.• Approximately 4.4 million people in the USA experience edema.

coMMon cAUSES oF EdEMA• Being overweight• Having a blood clot in the leg • Increasing age• Having a leg infection• Having veins in the legs that cannot pump blood back to the heart • Being on long airplane flights or car rides, as well as standing or sitting for

long periods of time• Having swollen legs – this may be a sign of heart, kidney, or liver failure; there

is too much fluid in the body.• Being physical inactive – more prevalent among people who do not exercise or

who walk very little• Becoming overheated, especially when due to physical exertion: During

high temperatures, the body is less efficient at removing fluid from tissues, especially around the ankles.

• Being pregnant: a woman releases hormones that encourage the body to retain fluids. Pregnant women tend to retain more sodium and water than women who are not pregnant. When a woman is pregnant, her face will typically swell, as will her hands, lower limbs and feet.

• During menstruation and pre-menstruation: Hormone levels fluctuate during the menstrual cycle. During the days before menstrual bleeding, there will be a reduction in the levels of the hormone, progesterone, which may cause fluid retention.

• Taking a contraceptive pill: Any medication that includes estrogen can cause fluid retention. Women can gain weight when first on the pill.

• During menopause: Around the time as well after menopause, hormone fluctuations can cause fluid retention. Hormone replacement therapy after menopause can cause edema.

• Being on certain medications: Talk to your physician.

SyMPToMS• Swelling of the skin• Skin may be stretched and shiny • The skin may retain a dimple after being pressed for about ten second• Aching or stiff joints• Weight gain or loss• Raised pulse rate or blood pressure

RESOURCES

wOMEN ON wELLNESS: POST CONFERENCE AND VACATION DEbRIEFINgEveryone who attended the 2014 National Conference experienced lots and lots of walking, most of it done on a concrete surface. The convention center was a huge complex so everyone certainly walked a great deal on a daily basis. Many might have experienced foot and leg soreness or tightness and, maybe, even swollen ankles. Learn about the causes of swollen feet and ankles and the measures to prevent them in the future.

WWW.WBENC.ORG » JULY/AUGUST EDITION 2014 » 31

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

PoSSiBlE diAgnoSTic TESTS• A chest X-ray• Blood tests• Urine tests• Liver function tests• Heart function tests

PREvEnTATivE MEASURES oR hoME cARE TiPS• Do regular exercise.• Raise the legs several times per day to improve circulation. • Do not sit or stand still for too long. • Get up and walk about regularly when travelling by car, train, boat or plane.• Exercise your legs. This helps pump fluid from your legs back to your heart.• Cut down on salt consumption.• Wear support stockings (speak with your doctor to discuss if this is a good for

you).• Avoid wearing tight clothing or garters around your thighs.• Reduce the excess body weight. • Avoid extremes of temperature, such as hot baths, showers, and saunas.• Do massage: if the affected area is stroked firmly in the direction of the heart

it may help move the fluid. It is important that the hand movements do not cause pain. A qualified masseuse or physical therapist will know how to do this technique more effectively.

Speak with a health care professional to determine the best practice to follow in reducing the swelling in ankles.

conTAcT A MEdicAl PRoFESSionAlCall 911 if:• There is shortness of breath.• There is chest pain, especially if it feels like pressure or tightness.

Call a doctor right away if:• There is a history of heart disease or kidney disease and the swelling

worsens.• There is a history of liver disease and now there is swelling in the legs or

abdomen.• When a swollen foot or leg is red or warm to the touch.• When there is a fever.• When there is a pregnancy and mild swelling increases, especially when the

swelling increases suddenly.

RESoURcEShttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159111.phphttp://www.webmd.comhttp://www.medicinenet.com/swollen_ankles_andor_swollen_feet/symptoms.htm

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