#HERstory of Success

Claire Riggs Managing and Strategic Communication Partner Riggs Creative Group LLC What inspired you to join/start your business? Family… It’s hard to believe, but my husband and I met in a print shop some 37 years ago! Though our professional paths diverged for several decades, we found ourselves working together again in the family business…

Linda Milano Owner/President CFB Promotional Products LLC What inspired you to join/start your business? In 2014, after spending 20 years in the promo product and custom packaging industry, I watched as my father’s battle with cancer was coming to an end. One of the last things he told me was, “Linda, you’re very good at…

Marianne Aleardi Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, SJ Magazine What inspired you to join/start your business? I didn’t start SJ Magazine, I acquired it. Being able to tell stories about the community I live in and promote the women who live here – that’s a dream job. What challenges have you faced as a woman entrepreneur and how…

Gina Rullo Editor-in-Chief The Hammonton Gazette Inc. What inspired you to join/start your business? In May 1997, I was hired to help start a weekly newspaper in Hammonton, NJ. May 1997 was the end of my junior year at Villanova University. More than two decades later, I am still employed at The Hammonton Gazette Inc.…

Amelia Michael President, Aikotek, LLC What inspired you to join/start your business? I left my business 2010 and was inspired to start this one for three main reasons: (1) I saw a need in the business world that I could address; (2) I was a single parent and wanted to support myself and my kidlet…

Denise Wieand Owner/Chief Executive Officer Allegra Marketing, Print and Mail of Marmora, NJ What inspired you to join/start your business? I worked in the corporate world for many years as an executive and business consultant and learned that my colleagues, that were mostly men, doing the same job and with less than stellar results compared…

Paula Green Vice President of Development American Cancer Society of Greater Philadelphia What inspired you to join/start your business? The ACS has been around for over 100 years, but I came to the organization three years ago as the Executive Director of Community Development in Greater Philly, which includes South Jersey and Delmarva as well.…

Hala Al-Shawaf Co-Founder & CEO, VoIP Doctors What inspired you to join/start your business? I’ve always been a helper. We saw a need–especially among smaller businesses–for modern, easy-to-use, and robust VoIP telecom services. We knew that we could leverage our technical expertise and business experience to bring world-class functionality in a transparent, fair, and ethical…

Maire Gorman Owner, Hidden Gems Vacation What inspired you to join/start your business? I love to travel, I was tired of the corporate world and decided to pursue what I loved.   My goal is to help my clients create memories they will treasure forever. I feel a huge responsibility to ensure their vacation fulfills…

Sommer Spillane, Esq. Owner and Principal Attorney SPILLANE LAW, LLC What inspired you to join/start your business? I come from a broad background of practice (criminal, medical malpractice, nursing home neglect, employment law, bankruptcy, etc.) and wanted to narrow my focus to just one area of the law, so as to better serve my clients…