Cincinnati, Ohio, October 5, 2021: For the first time in its 92 years, Deskey is a women-owned and led branding agency. Today, we are proud to announce that we have been awarded national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). WBENC is the largest certifier of women-owned businesses in the US and a leading advocate for women business owners and entrepreneurs.
“We are pleased and proud to receive this certification because we share WBENC’s values around diversity and inclusion,” said Becky Hyde-Nordloh, who became Deskey’s first woman CEO earlier this year. “Being woman-owned and led in a traditionally male-dominated industry has its challenges but also opportunities to lead with more employee-friendly policies, mentoring occasions, and allyships. This is more than just a certificate. It signals Deskey’s intention to better reflect the world around us in our decisions, our actions and ultimately our designs.”
Becky heads Deskey’s five-women leadership team that includes Debbie Happe, Chief Client Officer; Missy Haun, Chief Financial Officer; Amanda Matusak, Chief Strategy Officer; and Lianna McKenzie, Chief Creative Officer. Together they lead a group of thinkers and doers deeply committed to equity, inclusion, and access in the studio.
Why does certification matter?
Women are underrepresented across all sectors of business. Among the nation’s top 500 public and private companies, a mere 39 are led by a female CEO. That figure is exponentially lower for women of color. The design field is overwhelmingly populated by women, yet just 29% of companies have a female Creative Director or similar in charge of design departments. We are beyond proud to continue moving this unjustifiably small percentage in a positive direction with Lianna McKenzie as Deskey’s first woman — and woman of color — Chief Creative Officer.
WBENC certification is a rigorous process that validates a business is at least 51 percent owned, controlled, operated, and managed by a woman or women. We are joining an exclusive list of corporations and government agencies that become WBENC certified specifically to support and work with women-owned businesses.
For us, WBENC certification goes beyond ownership — it’s a symbol of our progress and bright future. Exciting changes are happening at Deskey, and this is just the beginning of news to come. With a renewed focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, our leadership team is dedicated to making Deskey a place where all employees can be their best selves and do their best work. We are building a future that improves the experiences of those around us — our employees, clients, and their consumers who will benefit from the many different creative ideas and experiences a diverse team of branding experts brings to their work.
