| Emerging Entrepreneur Highlight
Arlene Watson |
 |
|
"Seeing Endless Possibilities"
Arlene Watson believes in "endless possibilities." Her business, Möbius Grey, celebrates the "magical merging of two dimensions," strategic graphic design and marketing and communication, and she is dedicated to both delivering for clients and improving our community.
If you have taken a ride on the new Euclid corridor Health Line since its recent unveiling, then you also have had the pleasure of encountering the artwork and creativity of Arlene, a 2008 graduate of the Emerging Entrepreneurs Program. Already a consummate professional designer and business owner in her own right, Arlene's interest in the Emerging Entrepreneurs Program stemmed from a mentor encouraging her to get involved with the Program to further her own business, build a strong professional network, and discover opportunities to engage the community. Arlene's participation in the Program opened doors and created a support system with business owners who faced similar challenges and held the same commitment to improving the community.
Born in Brooklyn, Arlene spent her childhood in Trinidad before returning to the United States for college. She went on to graduate with Honors while earning a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Pratt Institute. Her future husband may have initially encouraged her move to Cleveland, but Arlene took the change in scenery as an opportunity for entrepreneurship and promptly opened her own design firm, Möbius Grey, in 1998. Arlene's vision to combine graphic design, strategy, and marketing has proven successful. In addition to her inspired signage along the Euclid Corridor, her firm is also responsible for the creative fence that surrounds the innovative John Hay High School in University Circle. Möbius Grey's impressive portfolio of clients includes Eaton Corporation, Cuyahoga County, and The Cleveland Foundation, just to name a few.
One aspect of The Presidents' Council's mission that speaks deeply to Arlene's own mission is the combined interest in creating economic development while simultaneously giving back to the Greater Cleveland community. "I admire the Presidents' Council members for their involvement in the community, and I want to continue to do more because I am very invested in Cleveland. I live, work, and have children in the city," Arlene comments. She is also interested in programs surrounding youth development and mentorship. She adds, "I believe you are never too old to be mentored."
When reflecting on her Emerging Entrepreneurs experience, Arlene is thankful for the opportunity to join a community of similarly dedicated and dynamic businesspeople through The Presidents' Council. "Being a part of this program exposed me to a whole new business community that helped me to answer some of my questions on running a business," she says. Not only has The Presidents' Council influenced Arlene as an entrepreneur, but also as a community member who sees herself as part of the future of the city.
Armed with a passion for design, a commitment to the community, and the support of The Presidents' Council, Arlene's future will be filled with endless possibilities.
|
The Presidents' Council is always looking to expand our network through the addition of associate members who share our desire to spur economic growth in Northeast Ohio. In this edition, we welcome two local leaders in the financial sector to the ranks of our associates: Pat Mullin and Rich Stovsky.
Pat is managing partner of Deloitte and Touche LLP's Northeast Ohio practice, where he specializes in solving tax problems for corporate executives and high-net worth individuals. Pat also co-founded Deloitte's diversity Initiative, which led to the company being recognized as one of the best places in the US for minorities to work.
Rich is managing partner of PricewaterhouseCooper's Cleveland office, providing practical tax and business advice to businesses with a focus in tax structuring for sellers and buyers of closely held businesses.
With their expertise in addressing tax and financial issues for their clients, associates like Pat and Rich are key additions, especially in tough economic times like these. The Presidents' Council is excited to have them join as associate members and know that their support will help us achieve our mission: to build economic empowerment and develop strong African-American businesses throughout Northeast Ohio through leadership, relationship development, and investment.
| |
|
|
|
Leadership Message
Eddie Taylor & Collette Appolito
"Positive Momentum"
While many may slow down during the summer months, The Presidents' Council picked up the pace and made progress with building economic empowerment for businesses and emerging entrepreneurs throughout the region.
We continued our aggressive effort to create a strategic plan for The Presidents' Council Foundation, and have been actively seeking input and assistance from our stakeholders. Keep your eyes peeled for more on these efforts in the coming months.
We also continued to cultivate new associates for the organization. We know the value of maintaining and growing these key relationships. Read about our some of our newest associates, Rich Stovsky and Pat Mullin, in this month's newsletter.
And our members continue to make headlines and achieve results. Warren Anderson and his company Anderson-Dubose recently received a $1 million loan from the State of Ohio to help with the consolidation of the company's warehousing and distribution functions into a new facility. This will create 50 jobs and retain 94 existing positions. This issue also highlights another member, Josie Bell Lindsay, whose consulting prowess is making waves in the world of health care.
In June, our 2009 Emerging Entrepreneurs class graduated 10 participants, and we sent them off in style with a reception on September 24th. Look for great things to come from this group of ten new stars in the business world. We're excited about our 2010 class of nine entrepreneurs, who began their journey on September 12th. In this issue, you can read about the success of one of our inspiring graduates, Arlene Watson.
To enhance the benefits of our Emerging Entrepreneurs program, we also recently established an Emerging Entrepreneurs Alumni Association to keep these groups connected so they can help each other continue to grow their businesses. We're off to a great start with 23 members to date, and we look to continuing growth this important network.
While we're working hard, we still took a day off to enjoy the great summer weather at our first golf outing. More than just a beautiful day on the links, it was a beneficial day for the Presidents' Council Foundation, as 66 golfers teamed up to raise more than $10,000 to fund our educational programs, and research.
In the cooler coming months, we will continue our positive momentum as we prepare for our annual meeting and move forward with the Foundation's strategic planning process. And, as always, we will continue to advance our agenda: building economic empowerment for Northeast Ohio's African-American business community through leadership, relationship development, and investment.
|
|
Member Portfolio
Josie Bell Lindsay
"A Healthy Passion for Business"
With the intense debate raging in Washington over health insurance, it may seem like no one has any positive solutions for our healthcare problems. But Josie Bell Lindsay has spent the last two decades providing businesses with innovative ways to make healthcare work. Founded in 1986, Josie's firm, Bell & Lindsay, Inc., provides business management training and healthcare consulting to clients such as General Electric, American Express, Johnson & Johnson and The Cleveland Clinic.
Josie's passion for the healthcare field has its earliest origins in a very personal moment. While visiting her seriously ill mother in the hospital as a child, Josie remembers how she felt: helpless. This experience became the genesis for Josie to channel her own feeling of helplessness into empowering others, and she soon found her calling in nursing. "I have always been motivated to help people, both as a nurse practitioner and as a business owner," Josie says. As her nursing career evolved, Josie discovered an interest in how people and organizations grow and develop. She went on to earn her Master's of Science in Organizational Development and Analysis from the Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management. Josie soon parlayed her passion and education into a position as Manager of Training, Organizational Development, and Succession Planning at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Northeast Ohio. There, she developed her expertise for teaching technical "soft skills" and effective relationship building. She also realized that businesses lacked this kind of coaching, training, and consulting on a broader basis, so she founded Bell & Lindsay, Inc. to fill the gap. Within a few years of creating her business, Josie had became a sought after trainer, speaker and author.
The Presidents' Council took notice of Josie and invited her to join. Josie has been an integral member of the organization ever since. "I felt that The Presidents' Council aligned with my vision of what I would like to see entrepreneurs do in Cleveland," Josie recalls. Soon after joining, Josie jumped into action, working closely with other Council members to refine their mission and vision, a skill that Josie has continued to hone in her own business.
Bell & Lindsay is currently forging their future by joining forces with SUNRx, a pharmacy benefit management company. This partnership will allow Bell & Lindsay to provide qualified hospitals cost-effective solutions that allow underserved people to gain access to affordable prescription drugs. Another key component of Bell & Lindsay's future will be to provide coaching models to healthcare professionals with the goal of helping patients take ownership of their healthcare. This model focuses on increasing service quality and patient satisfaction throughout the care cycle. This results both in healthier, more satisfied patients, and cost savings for hospitals and healthcare organizations.
Josie has also recently added another key piece of Bell & Lindsay's future: her son, Mark Lindsay. Mark has stepped into the role of President after years spent working with former President Clinton, Senator Hillary Clinton, Congressman Louis Stokes, the Obama-Biden transition team and a Senior Executive with UnitedHealth Group. This diverse pedigree gives Mark the strong legal and public policy background essential in the current climate of healthcare reform. While Josie is certainly an esteemed entrepreneur and business owner, she is also a proud mother, and speaks with enthusiasm and pride when discussing Mark's future with Bell & Lindsay: "The combination of mine and Mark's experiences are vital to looking at how we can add value to clients on a national level."
Beyond her dedication to The Presidents' Council, Josie also serves on the Executive Committee of the Women's Committee for The Cleveland Orchestra and as Co-Chair for the capital campaign for her church. She actively supports the rich culture of arts around Cleveland, with a fondness for Karamu House and Playhouse Square.
Although Congress may never agree on an approach to solving our nation's health insurance conundrum, we here in Northeast Ohio can rest assured that Josie, and now Mark, will continue to lead the way for local businesses in need of creative solutions to their healthcare issues.
|
|
PC Advocacy
The Presidents' Council as a collective body is not taking a position on a regional reform issue. Individual members have or will take their own positions on these Issues. We unanimously agree that regional reform must ensure inclusiveness and equity, and that the report, "Regionalism: Growing Together to Expand Opportunity to All," is a positive roadmap to follow as the dialogue continues.
The Presidents' Council, LLC supports the passage of Issue 3. For more information on Issue 3 please visit the website www.yesonissue3.com.
The Presidents' Council supports the passage of Issue 4, approving a 10-year levy for Tri-C, which helps more than 30,000 students who learn a trade, improve job skills, receive an associate's degree or prepare for a four-year college. The Presidents' Council supports regional economic empowerment. Issue 4 is economic empowerment for our region. |
|
|
|
|
