Where Are They Now? 2004 Stevie Awards Winner Liz Ryan

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 Liz Ryan.

In 2004, Liz Ryan was heading a women’s online community, WorldWIT, which she founded in 1999. Ryan was an early adopter of online community-based platforms. 

A true entrepreneur, Ryan was fanatical about the online community then – and still is now.  She is always seeking ways to maximize the benefits of the Internet. However, as the years passed and the Internet changed, Ryan decided that the format and business model for WorldWIT was not exactly what she wanted to achieve.  In 2012, she launched Human Workplace, a publishing, coaching and consulting firm whose mission is to reinvent work for people. Ryan and her Human Workplace business work with the U.S. Department of Labor, many universities and public and private employers, and with individuals on direction, branding and strategy with a human voice.

As CEO and founder, Ryan has become among the most widely read workplace and career commentators worldwide.  The content her firm produces is broadly published on the web on sites such as BusinessWeek.com, TIME.com, Kiplinger’s Finance, LinkedIn, Yahoo!, the Denver Post, the Huffington Post and many other publications.  The workplace, leadership and career commentary Ryan provides reaches millions of listeners via BBC Radio, NPR, CNN and other broadcast outlets.

Winning the Stevie Award brought Ryan’s message about the importance of creating and working within a human-centric workplace to the national stage. The enormous, positive impacts were felt right away. The Stevie Award experience helped Ryan find the clarity to refine her message, redefine her career path and vastly expand the reach and “megaphone” of her growing web site.

“I encourage every woman in business to explore the Stevie Awards program and consider nominating yourself or another worthy advocate for the awards. The Stevie Awards staff and community are incredibly supportive and insightful. Going through the nomination process is fun and generates powerful self-discovery. Take that step – find your voice!”

The entry deadline for the 2013 edition of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business is today, August 28, and late entries will be accepted through September 25 with payment of a $35/entry fee.  Get complete entry details at www.StevieAwards.com/Women.