2018 NAWBO Columbus Visionary Award Honorees Announced

The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), Columbus, is proud to announce the 2018 Visionary Award Honorees. The following women will be recognized on Friday, June 22, 2018 at 11:30 a.m. during the Visionary Leadership Conference at the OSU Marriott Hotel.

2018 Visionary Award Honorees are:

Abigail S. David & Erin K. Nealy, Co-Executive Directors, Bridgeway Academy

Speech-language pathologist Abby S. David and music therapist Erin K. Nealy founded Bridgeway Academy in 2005. They were looking for more meaningful and effective ways to serve children with autism and other developmental disabilities. Bridgeway Academy’s mission is to inspire the potential and celebrate the ability of every child. Bridgeway Academy accomplishes this with a centered approach – providing outstanding school day, summer camp, and psychological services, plus speech, music, physical, and occupational therapies for children with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Abigail S. David, Co-Founder & Co-Director of Bridgeway Academy has extensive experiences treating children with Autism in the areas of speech and language development with a focus on social/pragmatic language skills, receptive and expressive language development and articulation. Abby worked for the Wisconsin Early Autism program as a lead therapist from 1994 – 1998 while completing her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education and Speech Pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Abby worked in the public schools as a Speech Language Pathologist for students from pre-K to 5th grade who had fluency issues, voice disorders, articulation/phonological disorders, receptive and expressive language delays, Down Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Erin K. Nealy, Co-Founder & Co-Director of Bridgeway Academy is a board certified music therapist, having received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Therapy from the University of Dayton, where she was trained in voice, piano, guitar and flute. Erin’s clinical experiences include extensive treatment of children with Autism Spectrum disorder as well as individual and group work with children ages 0 – 19 years in typical and special education settings, with physical and developmental disabilities; adults in psychiatric treatment facilities; and older adults in community and skilled nursing care facilities.  She has served in settings such as the Children’s Medical Center (Dayton, OH) and Fairfax County Public Schools (Farifax, VA).

Dr. Carol Clinton, Founder, CEO & Medical Director, Timeless Skin Solutions

Dr. Carol Clinton has served as founder, CEO & Medical Director of Timeless Skin Solutions since 2004. Those who know her best, describe her as strong, compassionate and empowering – not to mention brilliant! As a national expert in her field, Dr. Clinton is a sought after educator and trainer in the area of medical aesthetics.

She built Timeless Skin Care after spending 15 years practicing medicine in a complex, high-pressure environment where medical changes occur unexpectedly. Her compassion, attention to detail, and high standards for patient care has translated into all aspects of Timeless Skin Solutions. Today, Timeless is recognized as a groundbreaking, physician-directed skin care practice helping men, women, and teens achieve healthy and vibrant skin.

Bhakti Bania, CEO, BBCODESIGN

Bhakti Bania is an architect and CEO of BBCODESIGN, which she founded with her husband in 2009. Originally from Mumbai, India, she received her undergraduate Architecture Degree from the University of Mumbai.

After moving to Columbus for graduate school, she received a Masters of Architecture from The Ohio State University (OSU). She has maintained her strong ties to OSU and is the Past President of the Knowlton School Alumni Society, where she was involved in initiating an Annual Picnic that is now a popular event. Bhakti serves as a Trustee of the Upper Arlington Community Improvement Corporation, since she understands the importance of being involved and giving back to the local community. She serves on the board for the Better Business Bureau, is a member of AIA Columbus, the Urban Land Institute, CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) and NAWBO. Bhakti is passionate about sharing her experience as an immigrant and a woman business owner. Being in a male dominated industry, she believes it is important to encourage women to fulfill their career potentials and raise important issues such as pay equity and work life balance.

About the Visionary Leadership Conference & Awards: In its inaugural year, the Visionary Leadership Conference is co-hosted by NAWBO Columbus and the Women’s Small Business Accelerator (WSBA), with generous support from Brady Ware & Company, Southwest Airlines, Key Bank, and many other corporate sponsors. The day will be filled with inspirational learning and meaningful conversations to celebrate women’s leadership. The featured keynote for the awards luncheon will be Linda Clemons, CEO, Sisterpreneur, Inc. For more information about the conference and to register, visit: bwvisionary.com

The Visionary Awards are bestowed on local women business owners who have achieved success with their businesses while making notable contributions to their community, their industry, and to initiatives for other women in business. NAWBO Columbus recognizes and honors these women to showcase the amazing women who not only own and operate businesses that are vital to Ohio’s economy, but who also find time and resources to identify community needs and drive social change.

NAWBO Columbus is central Ohio’s premier organization for elevating women business owners through connections, advocacy and mentorship. Collectively, NAWBO Columbus members contribute more than $250 million dollars to the local economy. With approximately 260 members, NAWBO Columbus is the largest chapter in the country and has established itself as the essential place for inspiration, resources, and opportunities for female entrepreneurs.

Click HERE for more information and to register for the Conference.