2013 marks the 10th anniversary of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's top honors for female entrepreneurs, executives, employees, and the organizations they run.
As we approach the entry deadlines for the 2013 competition we'll look back at some of the women who have won Stevie Awards over the past decade. We'll catch up with them on their current activities, and learn what their Stevie win meant to them and their careers.
Today's profile is of 2004 Stevie winner Myrna Hoffman.
Myrna Hoffman is Managing Director of OOZ & OZ, an innovative optical illusion toy company, and was one of the handful of winners in the very first year of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business. Prior to winning the Stevie for the Best New Product of the Year in 2004, she was focused on growing her small business. Hoffman’s unique products were earning national toy awards (13 top honors), and she personally had received two business honors.
The Stevie Award was a stimulus to her business growth. Seven months after winning the Stevie and relocating from Virginia to Seattle, Wash. USA, Hoffman rebranded and expanded both her concept and product line. Hoffman’s science-based art toys and activities -now called “Morph-O-Scopes” (shortened from the formal technical term “anamorphoscope”) currently consist of more than a dozen engaging anamorphic products and services. Recognition within the toy sector has doubled to 25 coveted top toy awards. Universal kudos from kids, parents, educators and child development experts alike continue to flow in.
After Hoffman produced her first anamorphic party activities, a friend asked her to create a special set to keep her young daughter entertained on their long transoceanic flight. That request became the genesis of Hoffman’s first Mirror-aculous Circus Art Activities Kit. The child, now in her 20s, recently went to work for Spark Publications and learned that her new boss, too, was a Stevie Award recipient. This further cemented the level of respect given to the Stevie for Hoffman.
“The awareness of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business program is spreading. I am honored to have been recognized for my company’s creativity and was intrigued to find out that my when my friend’s daughter (who knew I had won a Stevie) entered the workforce, she began working for another Stevie Award recipient. This increasingly popular platform is helping take women in business further and creating more opportunities for acknowledgement of their efforts.”
The entry deadline for the 2013 edition of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business is August 28. Learn how to submit your nominations at www.StevieAwards.com/Women.

The Value of Social Media
At the time of her winning the Stevie Award in 2007, Wishom was looking to expand her nationwide footprint and heighten her social presence in the marketplace.
The International Business Awards honor an all-inclusive spectrum of business people and organizations -- from non-profits, emerging start-ups, major public companies and government agencies, to corner-office executives, product developers, marketers and web development teams. This year’s IBAs received more than 3,300 entries from organizations in more than 50 nations and territories.
After winning a Stevie Award, Denihan Barrett noticed a direct uptick in interest in both her personal endeavors as well as in the operations at Denihan. Not only did colleagues and friends reach out to congratulate her, but there were also many emails and phone calls from hotel owners, vendors and potential industry partners. The Stevie Award win significantly helped broaden Denihan Barrett's overall awareness.
Women in the City has since had a successful 10th anniversary year with a sold-out luncheon attracting nearly 400 attendees in November 2012. This year, Women in the City published a handbook for career-focused women, entitled Project Diamond: Bringing Brilliance to Business.
Duston then created a social enterprise with a similar mission, called Et4d (Education Technology for Development) and made all the investments in this enterprise using the funds she reaped from Apps of All Nations.
Voting concludes on September 13, and the top vote-getter in each category will receive a special crystal People's Choice Stevie Award at the IBA's 10th annual awards gala on October 14 at the W Hotel in Barcelona.









