Trailblazing Women Business Owners & Leaders Recognized for Rapid Company Growth

The Women Presidents' Organization and American Express Global Corporate Payments Name 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO), in partnership with American Express Global Corporate Payments, the division of American Express serving the payment solution needs of middle market and large companies, today released the eighth ranking of the 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies. For just the second time, nominations were open to global entries. The 50 Fastest generated a combined $4.4 billion in 2014 revenues (mean of $88.3 million) and collectively employed 31,121 in 2014 (mean of 692). Three notable winners are:

• The Pinnacle Group, an IT workforce solutions firm based in Dallas, is new to the 2015 list and takes the number one spot. Nina Vaca, president and chief executive officer, saw her 19-year-old company revenue more than quadruple in four years, from $164,567,336 in 2010 to $665,577,015 in 2014. The entrepreneur, who still owns 100% of the firm she founded at age 24 with $300 of startup capital, attributes being nimble and able to adapt to client needs as the secret of her company’s rapid growth.
• Morning Star Financial Services, a Minnesota-based financial management firm, rose from the number eight spot last year to second in 2015. Over the past two years, the firm’s revenue ($4,732,590 in 2012 to $44,199,555 in 2014) and employment (9 in 2012 to 121 in 2014) skyrocketed. Dr. Rebecca Thomley, president and chief executive officer, views company success as a combination of creativity, willingness to take risks and being surrounded with talented people.
• Logistics provider Legion Logistics, LLC, another newcomer to the list, is the third fastest-growing company. The Florence, KY-based firm led by Lacy Starling more than doubled revenue in two years ($11,477,196 in 2012 to $25,485,107 in 2014) and added 19 employees during that span.

“The 50 Fastest list exemplifies the vital role women-owned/led companies have in boosting the economy and enhancing overall job growth,” said Marsha Firestone, Ph. D., president and founder of the WPO. “We are pleased to partner with American Express Global Corporate Payments to honor these powerful women and recognize their triumphs.”

“We at American Express are honored to support this elite group of women, who represent a wide spectrum of industries and have become leaders within the business community,” said Susan Sobbott, president, Global Corporate Payments, American Express. “The 50 Fastest companies are full-scale, successful and growing.”

Each of the honored business owners will be offered a congratulatory prize from American Express.

All eligible companies were ranked according to a sales growth formula that combines percentage and absolute growth. From this list, the 50 Fastest were selected. To be qualified for the ranking, businesses are required to be privately held, woman-owned/led companies and have reached revenue of at least $500,000 by the first week of 2010 and $2 million in 2014.

More about the 2015 50 Fastest:

• Average Age: 49
• CEOs that founded the business: 94%
• Listed companies that do business globally: 50%
• Average number of projected 2015 employees: 1,916

All 50 companies will be honored at a special event hosted by American Express Global Corporate Payments at the 2015 WPO Annual Conference in Phoenix, Arizona on May, 1, 2015. The awards reception will take place from 6:30PM to 8:30PM at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel.

The 2015 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies Include:
	Entrepreneur Name	Company Name	City, State/Province/Country
1	Nina Vaca	The Pinnacle Group	Dallas, TX
2	Dr. Rebecca Thomley	Morning Star Financial Services	Golden Valley, MN
3	Lacy Starling	Legion Logistics, LLC	Florence, KY
4	Shari Spiro	Ad Magic, Inc.	Netcong, NJ
5	Kristi Alford	E2 Optics	Englewood, CO
6	April Feller	NLU Products dba BodyGuardz LLC	Lehi, UT
7	Kristina Roth	Matisia Consultants	Seattle, WA
8	Shelly Sun	BrightStar Franchising LLC	Gurnee, IL
9	Phyllis W. Newhouse	Xtreme Solutions Inc	Atlanta, GA
10	June Ressler	Cenergy international Services	Houston, TX
11	Sindhura Thummalasetty	SoftHQ Inc	San Diego, CA
12	Rochelle Rivas	Darton Group Consulting	Charlotte, NC
13	Denise Legg	MegaCorp Logistics	Wilmington, NC
14	Therese Tucker	BlackLine	Woodland Hills, CA
15	Liz Elting	TransPerfect	New York, NY
16	Mary Kariotis	Merrimak Capital Company	Novato, CA
17	Michelle Vondrasek	Von Technologies, LLC	Woodridge, IL
18	Kay Ivie	Ivie & Associates	Flower Mound, TX
19	Laura Kelly	Keyot	St Paul, MN
20	Leslie Alison Firtell	Tower Legal Solutions	New York, NY
21	Jennifer Guthrie	In-Flight Crew Connections, LLC	Charlotte, NC
22	Jacqueline Wilson	American Fashion Network	Manlius, NY
23	Zeynep Erkunt Armagan	Erkunt Traktor	Ankara, Turkey
24	Beatriz Manetta	Argent Associates, Inc.	Plano, TX
25	Kathy Phillips	Primitives by Kathy, Inc.	Lancaster, PA
26	Shavila Singh	Zero Waste Solutions, Inc.	Concord, CA
27	Fiona Gathright	Wellness Corporate Solutions, LLC	Bethesda, MD
28	Rebecca Cenni	Atrium Staffing	New York, NY
29	Lenora Payne	Technology Group Solutions, LLC	Lenexa, KS
30	Claudia Mirza	Akorbi	Plano, TX
31	Veronica Edwards	InGenesis, Inc.	San Antonio, TX
32	Karen Cooper	SmartIT	Indianapolis, IN
33	Kathryn Eberwein	The Global Edge Consultants, LLC	The Woodlands, TX
34	Catherine Tojaga	CT Mechanical	Lombard, IL
35	Moira Moser	M Moser Associates, LLC	New York, NY
36	Orit Koren	Trillium FSB Inc.	Concord, Ontario
37	Diane Astley	Xclusive Staffing	Westminster, CO
38	Patricia Bible	KaTom Restaurant Supply, Inc.	Kodak, TN
39	Liane Weintraub	Tasty Brand, Inc.	Calabasas, CA
40	Sabina Teshler	SET Management, LLC	Portland, OR
41	Dee Hays	Excellence Engineering, LLC	Tulsa, OK
42	Pamela O'Rourke	ICON Information Consultants, LP	Houston, TX
43	Cassandra Sanford	KellyMitchell Group, Inc.	St. Louis, MO
44	Stacy Robison	CommunicateHealth, Inc.	Northampton, MA
45	Kara Trott	Quantum Health	Columbus, OH
46	Shelly Morse	Mosaic	Renton, WA
47	Cheryl Biron	One Horn Transportation	Wayne, NJ
48	Anjali Ramakumaran	Ampcus Inc	Chantilly, VA
49	Ronia Kruse	OpTech, LLC	Troy, MI
50	Allison McGrath Judge	Transformhealthrx	Statesboro, GA

About the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO)

The WPO is the ultimate affiliation for successful women entrepreneurs worldwide. In monthly meetings across the world, women from diverse industries invest time and energy in themselves and their businesses to drive their corporations to the next level. Local WPO chapters are coordinated by a professional facilitator and meet monthly to share business expertise and experience in a confidential setting. For more information, call 212-688-4114 or visit www.womenpresidentsorg.com.

About American Express Global Corporate Payments

Through its Global Corporate Payments division, American Express offers a suite of B2B and T&E payment solutions that help organizations streamline processes and transform them into opportunities for savings, control and efficiency. American Express can help your organization increase working capital flexibility and strengthen relationships with suppliers. For more information, visit us at business.americanexpress.com/us and linkedin.com/company/american-express-global-corporate-payments.

About American Express

American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, foursquare.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/company/american-express, twitter.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexpress.

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