When I founded Reit over 25 years ago at 24 years old, I had no idea my design studio would still be kicking today — with such a powerful group of women leading the charge. The enthusiasm and determination of my team is a microcosm of the energy that so many young women are generating to forge their own paths. And I am so honored to be part of this movement and the opportunities to come.
After an incredibly hard year — particularly for women and minority-owned small businesses — I’d like to acknowledge some of the incredible women-owned operations that we are proud to have collaborated with over the years (and yes, that includes @Reit!):
Reit: Founded by Liz Reitman in 1996, Reit is a NYC brand studio and a NYS certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) with a focus on brand design, development, and communications, and with expertise in visual branding, digital & print communications, marketing & social strategy, and brand awareness initiatives. Reit has worked with NYC staples including the Javits Center, NYC Sanitation Dpt., the YMCA, and our work has been recognized by the design community with over 80 awards to date including Daveys, Communicator, and SIA international. Liz Reitman, Founder & Creative Director, brings over 25 years of professional art direction and diverse creative communications to the team, sets the studio’s vision, and oversees all client relationships. She is a loyal New Yorker and her dedication to designing for a better future can be seen in her own journey from midtown to downtown Manhattan during the rebuilding efforts after September 11; now, two decades later, Reit continues to flourish as one of the few women-owned businesses in lower Manhattan that improves the integrity of surrounding neighborhoods through ongoing philanthropic and civic efforts. Liz is involved in a number of mentoring programs to support the next generation of women entrepreneurs, including AIGA’s mentoring program for the High School of Art and Design, Entrepreneur Organizations’ Mentorship Program, and serves on the Advisory Board for the Department of Small Business Services (SBS), mentoring NYC small business owners.
Glow Global Events: Founded by Cheryl Gentry in 1998, Glow is an events management company and NYS certified Minority Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) and bonded New York State registered Professional Fundraising Firm. Glow specializes in virtual events, event management & planning, travel & hotel management, and lifestyle management. With local, national, and international events under their belt, Glow delivers high-touch event services and solutions across their event management and experiential marketing services. Cheryl Gentry, Founder & CEO, has over two decades of experience in the industry, executing hundreds of events including work for clients Dupont Lycra®, the New Jersey Nets, Kaiser Permanente, Allianz, and FIFA, among others. Her work with Glow has been awarded by Inc. 500, ISES Esprit Awards, New York Enterprise Report, Brava Award Winner, SmartCEO, and YWCA/New York city Top Women Executives, to name a few. In addition to overseeing operations at Glow, Gentry is the co-creator of the Diversity and Inclusion Awards (DANDI Awards) and is currently developing a tech platform, Onsite Planner, to revolutionize the event planning and management industry (WE NYC).
Jet Rockets: Founded by Natalie Kaminski in 2009, Jet Rockets is a software development and consulting services company that crafts premium enterprise-level software and digital products, inclusive of design, web development, and mobile development. Jet Rockets also offers consulting services for MVP solutions, short and long-term product development team support, and hiring strategy, training and onboarding services to help clients build in-house development teams. Natalie Kaminski, co-founder and CEO, has over 20 years of experience in the tech industry and her clients for Jet Rockets include LendingOne, Shift, Gone Streakin, and Bastion, among others (Ellevate). Kaminski is a serial entrepreneur, having founded companies prior to Jet Rockets, including goBaby and Sponzu.
White Knight Productions: Founded by Elin Barton in 2009, White Knight is a video and auditory production company and NYC certified WBE known for creating visual and auditory storytelling that gets results. White Knight’s team of creatives specialize in video production, animation, audiobook and podcast development, virtual events, digital marketing management, and SEO services across a range of industries including higher education, nonprofits, healthcare, and manufacturing, among others — receiving two Telly Awards for their work. Elin Barton, Founder, CEO and President, runs her award-winning team of videographers, animators, and audio producers, and her work with White Knight can be seen through clients such as Cornell University, Javits Center, Busch, and American Red Cross, among others. Elin has been recognized by Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program and is a 2020 honoree of Enterprising Women of the Year Awards. She is also the co-founder of I.C. Genius and founder of The Boardroom.