The winner of the first annual Trailblazer Award is Linda Novy, president and chief executive officer of Gardeners’ Guild, San Rafael, Calif. The award recognizes the innovations of women in business as part of the continuing alliance between the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and Wells Fargo.
Novy was selected because her firm pioneered the use of integrating innovative landscape disciplines, including green waste reduction and comprehensive recycling. The company also worked to become 40 percent owned by their Employee Stock Ownership Trust.
The award will be given annually to a selected NAWBO member whose company has successfully implemented an innovation to create either a new market, a new way of doing business, a competitive advantage in an existing market or an improved customer experience.
The author is Managing Editor of Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at nwisniewski@lawnandlandscape.com.
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