Katonah and Peekskil Women Entrepreneurs Receive WEDC's Lillian Vernon Award

Entrepreneurs Nancy Gold and Marjorie Finer Honored at Women’s Enterprise Development Center (WEDC) Networking Event in White Plains

Westchester women entrepreneurs Nancy Gold, president of The Gold Standard in Katonah, and Marjorie Finer, COO of The Inner Group in Peekskill, were each awarded the prestigious 2012 Lillian Vernon Award by the Women's Enterprise Development Center (WEDC) at the organization's annual Women's Business Networking Event held on November 27 in White Plains, NY. The awards were presented by David Hochberg, Lillian Vernon’s son.

The awards are given by WEDC each year to women business owners who, like Westchester entrepreneur Lillian Vernon, have demonstrated exceptional service to the community.

“Over the years Nancy Gold and Marjorie Finer have given generously of their time and talent to numerous causes, especially those helping women entrepreneurs succeed," said Anne M. Janiak, executive director of WEDC. "They have made numerous contributions to WEDC throughout the years, including their service on our board of directors. They also helped WEDC found the Alliance of Hudson Valley Women Business Owners (“The Alliance”) and served as its co-chairs from 2006 to 2011.”

Ms. Gold is president and founder of The Gold Standard. One of the Hudson Valley’s most experienced marketing and public relations companies, The Gold Standard has served a wide range of clients since 1992. Under Ms. Gold’s direction, it has developed collaborative, special interest marketing efforts such as the Hudson River Lighthouse Trail and the Hudson Valley Art Trail.  Since 2006, Gold's company also has managed public relations and advertising for Hudson Valley Restaurant Week.

Prior to forming her own company, Ms. Gold served for 10 years as director of marketing and public affairs for Historic Hudson Valley.  She became project director for Historic Hudson River Towns in 1995, and since that time has developed and implemented tourism and economic development strategies for the 13 Westchester communities along the Hudson River, from Yonkers to Peekskill. 

In addition to her volunteer work with WEDC and the Alliance, Ms. Gold also serves on the board of the Greater Hudson Heritage Network.  She is a graduate of Wellesley College and resides in Katonah. 

Marjorie Finer is the chief operating officer of The Inner Group, a marketing and advertising agency in Peekskill, NY, which she founded in 1999.  Since then, her firm has developed creative marketing strategies for luxury condominiums, national cable channels, famous boxing gymnasiums and international theatrical agents. Clients have included Photo District News, The Black Book, Common Ground, Performance Flight and many other local and regional companies.

Ms. Finer has been recognized by How Magazine, The National Calendar Marketing Association and Design USA’s Desi Awards for her exceptional campaigns.

Ms. Finer’s years of promoting women’s ventures has channeled into a natural fit with WEDC. Her love of start-ups has motivated her to help many of WEDC's entrepreneurial training program graduates launch and grow their new businesses.

The Lillian Vernon Award was named for its first recipient, Lillian Vernon, whose company had been recognized as a major leader in the catalog industry. In 1951, Vernon began her business at her kitchen table in Mount Vernon, NY with $2,000. She grew it to become a multi-million dollar business and a household name. Vernon has been generous in donating funds and merchandise to hundreds of charities, and in speaking with and inspiring women entrepreneurs by sharing her secrets to business success.

Since 1997, the nonprofit Women’s Enterprise Development Center Inc. has provided entrepreneurs with the skills, tools and resources they need to start their own businesses, to expand them and to achieve economic self-sufficiency. WEDC offers a wide array of entrepreneurial training programs and services, including one-on-one counseling, access to capital, networking events and small business seminars. WEDC is the designated women’s business center of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for Westchester County and the lower Hudson Valley. WEDC is also the NY Empire State Development Corporation’s Entrepreneurial Assistance Program (EAP) Center for Westchester County.