Women in Business – Croixstone

Croixstone is named to Inc. Magazine’s List of the Mid-Atlantic Region’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies

We Did It Again: We are celebrating some big news today! For the second consecutive year, Croixstone was named to the Inc. 5000 Regionals: Mid-Atlantic list as one of the region’s fastest-growing private companies.

Our Ranking: Croixstone is ranked at #83 on this year’s annual list of the fastest-growing private companies based in the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. The 2024 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2020 and 2022.

“We are thrilled to land on the Inc. 5000 Regionals list for the second consecutive year,” said Patti Weber, Croixstone’s Chief Executive Officer. “This achievement is fueled by the passion of our employees and consultants to fulfill Croixstone’s vision to lead in the delivery of professional services that transform careers and businesses.”

Learn More About the Inc. 5000 Regionals: Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals: Mid-Atlantic list can be found at inc.com/regionals/mid-atlantic.

Read Our Press Release: Click here.

Croixstone is ranked #28 on the Charlotte Business Journal’s 2023 “Fast 50” List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies

The big reveal! Last evening the Charlotte Business Journal hosted its annual “Fast 50” awards event and revealed the rankings of the fastest-growing private companies across the Charlotte, NC region. Croixstone’s CEO Patti Weber accepted an award for the firm’s ranking at #28 on the list. The ranking is based on average percentage of annual revenue growth from 2020 to 2022.

Our second year! 2023 marks the second consecutive year that Croixstone has landed on the “Fast 50” list. In 2022, Croixstone was ranked #2 and Patti was featured in an interview published by the Charlotte Business Journal.

2023 has been a remarkable year! Croixstone’s latest honor contributes to a remarkable year of growth-related honors for our firm.

• In February, Inc. magazine revealed that Croixstone ranked No. 11 on the publication’s fourth annual Inc. 5000 Regionals: Mid-Atlantic list of the fastest-growing private companies in the region.

• In August, Inc. magazine revealed that Croixstone ranked nationally at No. 511 on the 2023 Inc. 5000, the annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America.

• Also in August, Inc. ranked Croixstone at No. 8 as the fastest-growing private company in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia NC-SC metro area. Additionally, the magazine ranked Croixstone at No. 16 in our home state of North Carolina, and at No. 56 in the Business Products & Services segment.

We are grateful. Croixstone launched our firm in 2016 with a vision to lead in the delivery of professional services that transform careers and businesses. We thank our employees, consultants, executive search candidates, clients, partners, friends, and family who fuel Croixstone’s journey in fulfilling our mission.

Read our Press Release. Click here to read our Press Release about Croixstone’s latest achievement.

Croixstone has been recertified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)

We did it again: Croixstone is excited to share the news that our firm has been recertified as both a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) by the Greater Women’s Business Council (GWBC), a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Croixstone has received these certifications annually since 2020.

Why it matters: Croixstone’s certification as a WBE and WOSB fuels our firm’s access to supplier diversity and procurement executives at hundreds of major U.S. corporations and federal, state, and local government entities that accept WBENC certification. Businesses with inclusive procurement strategies widen their pools of potential suppliers and promote competition in their supply base, which can improve quality and drive down costs. Inclusiveness can also make supply chains more resilient and agile. Additionally, supplier diversity programs offer selling points to businesses when hiring.

How we did it: WBENC certification is the gold standard for women-owned business certification in the USA. The WBENC standard of certification implemented by GWBC is a meticulous process, and included an in-depth review of Croixstone’s business planning, operations and a site visit.

Learn more: Read our Press Release here.

Croixstone Debuts on the 2023 Inc. 5000 List

“Our debut on the 2023 Inc. 5000 list is fueled by the incredible support that Croixstone receives from our talented consultants, employees, clients, partners and friends.”

– Patti Weber (CEO and Co-Founder, Croixstone Consulting)

We have big news to share today: Croixstone is excited to share the following news as announced this morning by Inc. Business Media.

• Croixstone is debuting at No. 511 on the 2023 Inc. 5000, the annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. This ranking puts our firm among the top 10% of the fastest-growing private companies in the USA.
• Croixstone is debuting at No. 8 as the fastest-growing private company in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia NC-SC metro area.
• Croixstone is debuting at No.16 as the fastest-growing private company in our home state of North Carolina.
• Croixstone is debuting at No. 56 as the fastest-growing private Business Products & Services company in the USA.

Learn more about the Inc. 5000 List: The 2023 Inc. 5000 list ranks the top 5,000 privately held businesses in the U.S. by three-year revenue growth.

View the complete list here.

Read our press release: Click here.

Explore our digital library: Click here.

Truist and Supplier Diversity

“Supplier diversity is not only the right thing to do, it’s a smart business strategy that helps us to bring our purpose to life for our clients, teammates and stakeholders.”

– William H. Rogers, CEO – Truist

Fast Fact: Croixstone Consulting was invited to attend this week’s Truist Tier2 Supplier Diversity Business Summit in Charlotte, NC. As a woman-owned professional services firm and a nationally-certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE), Croixstone was excited to participate in this dynamic event. Croixstone was represented by the firm’s CEO, Patti Weber, and Ed Ritter who leads the firm’s Risk & Compliance practice.

About Truist: Headquartered in Charlotte, Truist Financial Corporation (NYSE: TFC) is a purpose-driven financial services company committed to inspiring and building better lives and communities. Truist is a top 10 U.S. commercial bank with total assets of $555 billion as of June 30, 2023.

Truist and Supplier Diversity: Truist recently reported that its engagement with small, minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses led to over $1.7 billion in contributions to the U.S. economy and sustained more than 11,978 jobs. Last year, Truist purchased $870 million in products and services from diverse business in the US. The company’s total spend with small and diverse suppliers increased by 38.7% from 2021 to 2022.

Benefits of Supplier Diversity: In addition to being the right thing to do, there are sound commercial reasons for companies to create supplier diversity programs. Harvard Business Review cited the following benefits in an August 2020 article:

• An inclusive procurement strategy widens the pool of potential suppliers and promotes competition in the supply base, which can improve product quality and drive down costs;

• By providing more sourcing options, inclusiveness can make supply chains more resilient and agile – an increasingly important advantage in these uncertain times;

• The “feel-good” factor associated with diversity programs can also burnish a brand.

Learn more:

• Read Truist’s 2022 Supplier Diversity Impact Report

• Read the Harvard Business Review article entitled “Why You Need a Supplier-Diversity Program”

• View Croixstone’s photos from the Truist Tier2 Supplier Diversity Business Summit held on July 26, 2023

Croixstone Consulting Celebrates 7th Business Anniversary

“On our lucky number 7 business anniversary, I offer the deepest thanks to our consultants, search professionals, clients, leadership team, business partners, friends and family to whom we owe the ongoing success of our unique firm.”

– Patti Weber, CEO

Where it began: 7 years ago this month, our founders Patti Weber (a former leader with Accenture and public school educator) and Mark Weber (a serial entrepreneur, consulting industry veteran, and former staffing industry executive) launched Croixstone Consulting in a former photography studio loft in Charlotte’s vibrant South End neighborhood.

The inspiration: The conventional consulting industry is notorious for recycling PowerPoint decks and burning out its consultants. These practices, along with other systemic issues in the consulting industry, contribute to the delivery of subpar services to clients. The Webers believed there was an opportunity to build a high-performing, boutique firm around consulting industry mavericks (known as constructive noncomformists) who could deliver their expertise and passions in a better way, while concurrently fueling innovation and solving problems for clients.

The name: Rivers are an indispensable part of our lives, and they are wonderful gifts from nature that have the power to teach us. The inspiration for Croixstone’s name is the St. Croix River (French: Holy Cross), a tributary of the Mississippi River that forms a border between the states of Wisconsin (the home state of the Webers) and Minnesota (where the firm’s founders each began their careers).

The right way to say our name: “kroy-stone.”

Our achievements: We’ve packed a lot into our 7 years in business. As a small but mighty firm, we not only survived, but thrived, amidst the global pandemic. We owe a huge thank you to all those who believed in our ability to deliver a differentiated business model for our consultants, clients and internal leadership team. Here are some of our key achievements over the past 7 years:

• 2016 – Croixstone was launched in Loft 309 of the former Lance Crackers building on South Boulevard in Charlotte’s trendy South End neighborhood.

• 2017 – Inspired by a future of work conference that Mark Weber attended in NYC, Croixstone relocated to the One South tower in Uptown Charlotte and is a founding member of the Industrious coworking community.

• 2019 – Croixstone launched the firm’s human capital and executive search practices.

• 2020 – Croixstone received national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Greater Women’s Business Council, a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Additionally, Patti Weber was accepted a part of a competitive application process into FORTUNE magazine’s “Rebuild Program.”

• 2021 – Patti Weber was selected as one of only 25 women in the USA to participate in the “Accelerated Growth Program” sponsored by Wells Fargo and hosted by the National Association of Women Business Owners. Additionally, Patti was also named to The Charlotte Ledger’s 2021 “Forty Over 40” list in recognition for her contributions in making Charlotte a better place to live, work and play.

• 2022 – Croixstone landed on the Charlotte Business Journal’s “Fast 50” list as the Charlotte region’s second fastest-growing private company.

• 2023 – Croixstone was ranked #11 on Inc. magazine’s fourth annual “Inc. 5000 Regionals: Mid-Atlantic” list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Learn more: Checkout Croixstone’s Linktree to learn more about unique firm.

Lunch and Learn (Virtually) with Croixstone on April 19

“Nothing happens until something moves.”

– Albert Einstein

As organizations face the possibility of a recession, making choices on what actions to take in light of uncertainty can be difficult. And that difficulty can lead to organizational inertia. It is the responsibility of leaders to wake their teams out of inertia.

Join Croixstone Consulting for a lively “lunch and learn” virtual event to learn practical tips on how to “own the moment” and propel your organization past organizational inertia.

Event Details:

• Cost: Free with Eventbrite Registration
• Date: Wednesday, April 19
• Time: 12:00 Noon – 1pm ET
• Type: Virtual Meeting (Zoom – Interactive)
• Registration Deadline: 5pm ET on Monday, April 17
• Event Link: Click here

About the Expert

Jennifer Bowron serves as a Senior Consultant in Croixstone’s Human Capital Practice with more than 20 years of broad experience as both an internal and external consultant across growth businesses.

Jennifer’s background spans across a variety of industry sectors including: high-tech manufacturing, consumer products, financial services, healthcare, education services, and nonprofit. She has guided teams in senior Human Resources leadership roles at companies including: Polypore International, Daramic, Celgard, Stanley Black & Decker, and RR Donnelley Financial.

Based in Charlotte, Jennifer is known for her savvy leadership in helping companies to “own the moment.” Be sure to read Croixstone’s latest whitepaper, “Overcoming Organizational Inertia” (authored by Jennifer). Click here to read.

The Power of Women-Owned Companies and Supplier Diversity

The big picture: As a woman-owned and certified firm, two of Croixstone’s leaders (Patti Weber, CEO and Lisa Cahill, Senior Talent Leader) are joining more than 4,000 fellow participants at the annual WBENC National Conference taking place this week in Nashville. The conference is the largest event of its kind for women business owners, welcoming thousands of women entrepreneurs and corporate executives ready to make connections and do business.

A quick look back: In 2020, Croixstone celebrated a milestone moment in achieving national certification as a WBE (Women’s Business Enterprise by the Greater Women’s Business Council, a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

The power of women: According to Fundera, the USA has 12.3 million women-owned businesses, with 40% of all US businesses being owned by women. Businesses owned by women general $1.8 trillion a year to the US economy. Women are starting new businesses in droves – – they started a net total of 1,821 new businesses every day last year.

The benefits of supplier diversity: Croixstone actively promotes the benefits that come with robust supplier diversity programs. As Harvard Business Review shared in its August 2020 article entitled “Why You Need a Supplier Diversity Program”, there are sound commercial reasons for creating supplier diversity programs. These reasons include:

• Inclusiveness is great for innovation. Diverse suppliers bring diverse ideas, viewpoints, backgrounds and knowledge to companies.

• Inclusive procurement strategies widen the pool of potential suppliers and promotes competition in the supply base, which can improve product quality and drive down costs.

• By providing more sourcing options, inclusiveness can make supply chains more resilient and agile.

• Supplier diversity delivers numerous channels from which a business is able to acquire goods and services.

• Inclusiveness allows a business to benefit from new prospects from business growth with the rise of new customer requirements based upon shifting demographic certainties.

• The “feel good” factor associated with supplier diversity programs can also reflect positively on brands.

Yes, but: There are several common obstacles that challenge companies in building and sustaining robust supplier diversity programs. Common challenges include:

• Supplier diversity professionals find it challenging to secure cross-functional buy-in from managers and senior-level executives.

• Capacity. According to one study, 54% of corporations dedicate one staff person or less to supplier diversity.

• A lack of supplier diversity data and insights.

• Difficulties in identifying suppliers who also meet procurement criteria.

• Challenges and/or inability to verify supplier diversity claims.

Moving forward: Croixstone is committed to promoting the benefits of supplier diversity, and to helping corporate America navigate the ongoing challenges and obstacles that face corporate supplier diversity professionals.

Let’s talk: To learn more about the benefits of supplier diversity and how Croixstone can help, contact our CEO, Patti Weber, at pweber@croixstone.consulting.

Croixstone’s Lisa Cahill to Participate in ENCOUNTER Charlotte

One of Croixstone’s favorite hometown nonprofits is Leadership Charlotte. This great organization has a mission to develop and enhance volunteer community leadership by providing a diverse group of emerging and existing leaders with the opportunity to increase their community knowledge, civic network, and service to the community.

Leadership Charlotte offers two programs to fulfill its mission. The organization’s core program is “Leadership Charlotte”, a 10-month program where an average of 50 participants explore current issues with a variety of community leaders. Additionally, the organization offers a scaled-down version of its core program called “ENCOUNTER Charlotte.” This program serves as an orientation to Charlotte and to community leadership over a two-day period each spring and fall.

Croixstone’s very own Lisa Cahill (Senior Talent Leader) is participating in ENCOUNTER Charlotte’s spring 2023 program. She joins participants from a diverse portfolio of organizations across the Charlotte region including: Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, Novant Health, Truist Financial, Microsoft, Grant Thornton, Bank of America, Second Harvest Food Bank, Dowd YMCA, and more.

Croixstone’s CEO, Patti Weber, and Managing Partner, Mark Weber, are past participants of ENCOUNTER Charlotte. Learn more about the organization here.

Croixstone Promotes Grace Lynch to Director, Business Operations

Croixstone is excited to announce today the promotion of Grace Lynch to the role of Director, Business Operations. Grace joined Croixstone in March 2021 in the role of Senior Manager, Business Operations.

In her role as Director, Business Operations, Grace will continue to apply her background in operational and process excellence to sustain and scale Croixstone’s internal business operations function.

“Grace has played a vital role in delivering high-impact operational services and results since she joined the firm nearly two years ago,” said Patti Weber, Croixstone’s Chief Executive Officer. “Croixstone’s success in executing a national expansion strategy amidst the global pandemic, while concurrently achieving record revenues and profits, is a testament to Grace’s skills and expertise in leading our internal operations.”

Grace’s professional background includes nearly two decades at Wells Fargo during the bank’s growth spree where she provided leadership focused on problem resolution and process optimization in the Office of the President. During her time at the bank, Grace also performed due diligence and integration activities for mergers and acquisitions. Additionally, Grace served as a leader in the bank’s credit risk area where she was responsible for evaluating credit processes, policies, and regulatory requirements for all consumer lines of business, including mortgage originations, student lending, credit card, non-real estate lending, collections, and repo and asset disposal.

As a social innovator, Grace is one of three co-founders of the Charlotte Pancreatic Cancer Alliance, a community group that fuels collaboration and amplifies the voices of the Charlotte region’s pancreatic cancer community.

Learn more about Grace here.

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