Hera Hub Celebrates Six Years with Hera Heroine Awards Night

Just a couple of weeks ago, Hera Hub celebrated six years of supporting the launch and growth of hundreds of women-owned businesses. It was Hera Hub founder, Felena Hanson’s dream to create an awards celebration where members of the Hera Hub community received recognition for their many achievements through nominations from both the community and staff.

On Wednesday, September 20th, the San Diego Hera Hub community gathered together for the first annual Hera Heroine Awards Night. With wine glasses in hand and heads held high, Hera Hub recognized its accomplished community.

Please meet our 2017 Hera Heroines!

The recipients of the Top Professional Women’s Organization Award went to Ellevate Network’s San Diego Chapter and the Lawyers Club of San Diego for their level of impact on business women in San Diego.

Janet Lancaster, a SCORE San Diego mentor, received the Model Female Entrepreneur Award for her significant support of local female entrepreneurs outside of the Hera Hub community. She embodies what it means to help and make an impact for the better on the lives of fellow women.

Hera Hub location directors, Sarah Bacerra, Melissa Glaze, and Lisane Basquiat, nominated members of their respective communities in the following categories.

Most Engaged Ambassador Award went to Grace Decker (Hera Hub Sorrento Valley), Yvonne Davis (Hera Hub Mission Valley), and Gigi Irvin (Hera Hub Carlsbad).

The Biggest Brand Evangelist Award went to Lisbet Perez (Hera Hub Sorrento Valley) and Amanda Flisher (Hera Hub Mission Valley). Anna Howard and Carmen Chavez de Hesse both received the award for Hera Hub Carlsbad.

The Most Involved in Hera Hub Programs Award went to Catherine Dietz (Hera Hub Sorrento Valley), Katrina Oko-Odoi (Hera Hub Mission Valley), and Debra Simpson (Hera Hub Carlsbad).

Most Growth/Progress Award went to Etta Wilson (Hera Hub Sorrento Valley), Nichole MacDonald (Hera Hub Mission Valley), and Cyndi Darlington (Hera Hub Carlsbad).

The Women’s Advocate of the Year Award was awarded to Silvia Mah. The recognition was given to an individual in recognition of her impactful service and exceptional contributions to advancing and advocating for women around her through her work with Hera Labs. She consistently paves the way for other women who are launching and growing their business, both through education and mentoring.

The Creativity Award went to Vanessa Elle for going above and beyond to help create a beautiful, welcoming environment for the community. She always has an eye for what will bring light and energy to each location.

Members nominated by colleagues and others within the community were awarded in the following categories:

The Pivot Award awarded to the member who has encountered setbacks and pivoted with style went to Elaine Swann.

The STEAM Trailblazer Award awarded to the honoree who has innovated in one or more of the STEAM fields and is making an impact on girls’ and women’s accessibility to those areas was Jasmine Sadler and Virgen (Barnet) Olvera.

The Mentorship Award awarded to the honorees who have a powerful commitment to advising other women and helping them advance, giving of their time and their wisdom. The recipients of this award were Deb Simpson, Barbara Eldridge, and Bethany Kelly, each representing their home location.

The Connector Award awarded to the honoree who is the most engaged and supportive when it comes to making member-to-member connections and supporting members in getting the help that they need from within the community. The recipients of this award were Lucy Kelleher, Mary Fain-Brandt, and Katherine Zacharias each representing their home location.

Special thanks to Hera Hub Mission Valley member, Sheryl Marie, founder of Picture Bakery for the wonderful, interactive GIF booth and Johanna Kitzman of Studio Freyja for helping us capture the evening.

It was an incredible honor to recognize the amazing women in San Diego who diligently focus on supporting one another and Hera Hub’s mission. We are excited about what the future holds as we continue to work towards the mission of helping 20,000 women in the launch and growth of their business by 2020.