From east coast to west coast, Brisbane businesswomen have been taking America by storm, dazzling the world superpower with entrepreneurial prowess and sparkling designs.
In New York, Fleur Madden, CEO of The Ginsburg Firm, took home gold in some of the world’s most prestigious awards for women in business, the Stevie Awards, on November 11.
Ms Madden was among approximately 80 Australian businesswomen who made up almost half of the finalist field from across the globe, and was recognised in two categories: Women Helping Women and Achievement in Mentorship.
She described the experience as a lifelong dream fulfilled.
“When I was 15 years old, I came to New York City for the first time. I remember driving through Times Square late at night, seeing all the lights, and thinking: ‘One day, I will make it here.’
“Standing in NYC accepting this award, I feel like I get to tell that little girl: We finally made it,” Ms Madden said.
As part of the awards, Australian businesswomen were featured across Times Square billboards, spotlighting their achievements in the city that never sleeps.
The Ginsburg Firm is a consulting group that coaches female founders to scale or sell their business.
In November Ms Madden was additionally named Brisbane’s inaugural Women in Business Champion, leading a program of mentoring, learning and networking that builds on the Lord Mayor’s Women in Business Grant and program, delivered by Brisbane Economic Development Agency and the Brisbane Business Hub.
Just a month before the Stevie Awards, Charlie’s Angels and Kill Bill star Lucy Liu attended the Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles adorned with a collier and ring created by Brisbane jewellery designer Margot McKinney OAM.
The actress and producer wore Ms McKinney’s Lillian collier, a rare Australian black opal of 41.93 carats at its heart, and the Kaleidoscope ring, with a large cushion-cut rubellite surrounded by 34 round brilliant-cut diamonds, sapphires, sapphires and tsavorite garnets.
Ms Liu’s fashion statement at the “Met Gala of the West” comes after Ms McKinney opened her first independent boutique earlier this year in the United States – located in Beverly Hills, California.
She will soon open her second boutique, located on 5th Avenue in New York.
