Venturan’s Barbara and Angela (bottom row on the left) were NAWBO award winners.
BRAVO is the annual signature awards event of the Ventura Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners(NAWBO). Their awards ceremony was held on Friday, March 31 at the Serra Center in Camarillo.
It spotlighted outstanding business women of Ventura County, honoring them for their vision and perseverance, which is creating a brighter future for women business owners and women-led business ventures. These women started from the bottom and worked their way up, and are therefore such an inspiration to all women venturing out into the entrepreneur world. From helping you with a business plan, sorting the legal side of things, hiring employees to even finding a registered office address service, they have all the knowledge and information anyone starting off would need, hence why they’re being honored!
The Rising Star of the Year Angela Rosales opened Very Ventura Gift Shop & Gallery in 2013 in a tiny (less than 300 sq. ft.) space off-the-beaten-path in downtown Ventura. Today the gift shop is located right in the heart of the thriving historic downtown district in a 2200 sq. ft. space. Angela now runs the store full time and employs two sales clerks. Very Ventura Gift Shop & Gallery is a major asset for the local community, embodying the spirit of Ventura and growing the local economy. Very Ventura celebrates the city by offering a blend of fine art, upscale souvenirs and carefully curated products designed by local artisans.
Last year Angela was the recipient of the Downtown Ventura “Juni” Award, honoring her as Volunteer Merchant of the Year. Her commitment to the art community also led her to reach out to fellow merchants to implement a fun, new event called “Arts & Eats.” Happening six times per year, this is a night where the community can come together for one night and enjoy fine-art, music and tasty-bites at galleries, shops and restaurants.
Angela holds a bachelor’s degree in English and gained her operational skills through her career in Human Resources. She credits her work ethic to her father, love of learning to her mother and zest of life to her sisters.
She was also recently selected as one of the top three finalists for the 2017 Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards in the Retail category for Ventura and Santa Barbara County. Rosales is a graduate of Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV), a non-profit dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs through training and financial assistance.
She stated “I feel a great sense of responsibility having a story named ‘Very Ventura’ in that I want locals to feel that they can find quality gifts here as well as give tourists a sense of the talent in our community.”
Barbara Hinton, founder and director of the Ventura Art & Street Painting Festival, was recognized by NAWBO of Ventura County as “Arts Advocate of the Year”. She graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1983 and received her California Teaching credential in 1987. She taught high school English for ten years. After she ended her teaching career, she worked in sales. In 2008, she began working for for RH Wealth Advisors, where she is an office assistant and handles special events for the firm.
It was also in 2008 that Hinton decided that she wanted to start an art festival in Ventura. The Ventura Art Festival was launched in 2009 as a fundraiser for the Ventura Chamber. Today, this popular annual festival, now known as the Ventura Art & Street Painting Festival, hosts artists and street painters at the Ventura Harbor and raises funds for local non-profit organizations. This year’s event will be held September 9th & 10th.
She said “I was delighted to receive the award from this accomplished group of women.
Barbara was named the Ventura Chamber’s Volunteer of the Year in 2009. For the last five years has volunteered for local animal rescue groups.
Hinton lives in Ventura with her husband and their five cats. She is a part time artist, with an emphasis on fiber arts. She enjoys socializing with friends, traveling, practicing yoga and wine tasting.
