Writing Samples

Speeches

SBA 50th Anniversary Event: One-minute introductions for award winners

Gert Boyle

Gertrude Boyle is “One Tough Mother”, and we’re not just talking about the notoriously high standards she maintains for her Portland, Oregon based clothing company Columbia Sportswear. Left with three kids and a growing, but heavily indebted, apparel company when her husband passed away in 1970, Mrs. Boyle was told she would have to sell the business. But, when she discovered that she would only make $1400 off the sale, she decided to take a chance and run it herself. Mrs. Boyle, now Chair of the Board, and her son Tim pushed through all obstacles to create one of the world’s largest apparel manufacturers. By making garments that are dependable, affordable, and designed to meet customer’s needs, the Boyles, with little direct business management experience, took the company from near bankruptcy to more than $700 million a year in sales. Today Columbia Sportswear continues to expand by pushing into footwear, sportswear, and European markets. And at the age of 78, Mother Boyle still has no intentions of retiring. We wish to recognize Mrs. Boyle’s achievements as an entrepreneur and role model for women, homemakers, and small business owners everywhere.

________________________

Linda Alvarado

Our next honoree, Linda Alvarado, grew up in an adobe home with no indoor plumbing, and only a wood stove for heat. Yet she has gone on to break social, economic and gender barriers to become a respected leader in both the construction industry and her community. Starting with a meager $2500 loan from her parents, she single-handedly built one of the fastest growing companies in the construction industry; Denver based Alvarado Construction, Inc. Ms. Alvarado also has the impressive distinction of becoming both the first woman owner, and the first Hispanic owner, of a major league baseball franchise—The Colorado Rockies. In addition to this, and her work as President and CEO of Alvarado Construction, Ms. Alvarado is an inspiring public speaker, and regularly donates complimentary baseball tickets to charitable organizations and schools. She also takes time out of her busy schedule to provide personal tours of the Rockies stadium to inner-city youths, speaking to them about potential careers in fields such as sports medicine, journalism, marketing and business. Today, we honor Ms. Alvarado for her outstanding business success, her ability and desire to motivate others to follow in her footsteps, and for achieving the American dream.

________________________

Jerry Yang

Jerry Yang moved to the United States from Taiwan shortly after his tenth birthday, with a very limited command of the English language and a megawatt smile. He has gone on to create one of the best-known companies on the Internet. If you don’t recognize his name, you’ll certainly recognize the name of his company—Yahoo! Inc. Started as a hobby in 1994, with friend and fellow student David Filo, the original idea was simply a means to keep track of their interests on the Web. But in those days there were few ways to find anything on the Internet, and word of mouth quickly spread. Soon, they grew too large for their dorm room computers, and in early 1995 moved operations to Netscape’s facilities. At that point, they realized that they had a potential business on their hands; and they were right. In the next four years their business experienced unprecedented growth, turning Yahoo! into a company with a $30 billion market cap. Today, Yang and his partner continue their leadership roles as Chief Yahoos, serving as a source of irreverent inspiration and guiding the company’s continued expansion and growth. Yang’s story is the fairytale dream of Internet success brought to life. Thank you Jerry, for showing us all what is possible if you have a little ingenuity, drive, and a good computer.

________________________

Orlando Ayala

Orlando Ayala, a Columbian native, joined Microsoft in 1991 as senior director of the Latin American Region. Under his leadership, Microsoft saw a 90% increase in regional revenues during the next four years. He then went on to hold the position of senior vice president of Microsoft’s Intercontinental Region, where he was responsible for investment and growth strategies in developing markets outside the US. Within three years, revenues for the Intercontinental Region doubled. In 1998 he had the distinction of being Microsoft’s highest-ranking Hispanic executive. And throughout his successful career, Ayala has dedicated himself to bringing software technology to Latin American countries, and bringing Hispanics into the technology industry. His work outside of Microsoft includes speaking with high school students on the opportunities available to them in the technology industry, and encouraging them to improve their technical skills. Today Ayala serves as senior vice president of Microsoft’s Small and Midmarket Solutions & Partner Group, or SMS&P, where he focuses on helping customers and industry partners realize the opportunity for growth in small and mid-sized business markets. We wish to honor Mr. Ayala for bringing technology to businesses in need, and for bringing more people into the world of technology.

________________________

Scott Morris

As President of Avista Utilities, Scott Morris has created an enviable organization whose operations span five western states. Under his leadership, the company has been rated as one of the top 100 to work for by both the Oregon Business and Washington CEO magazines, three of the last six years. He has also created a company that embodies the belief that thoughtful corporate philanthropy is good business. To that end, Morris dedicates a portion of corporate assets towards strengthening and maintaining local economies. Avista Utilities has also developed an ongoing public awareness campaign designed to help business and individuals reduce energy costs, and offers free energy audits to help small business more accurately estimate energy costs in their business plans. Additionally, through his recently formed Avista Foundation, Mr. Morris provides grants to help strengthen communities and enhance resident’s quality of life, with an emphasis on education and economic and cultural development. Avista Utilities has the ability to directly and positively affect more than 500,000 people, and it takes that opportunity seriously. We would like to thank Mr. Morris for creating a successful enterprise that focuses on the needs of the workforce, and the needs of the local community.

________________________

Junkie Yoshida

The youngest of seven children, Junkie Yoshida came to this country in 1968 with a round-trip plane ticket, $500 in his pocket, and a strong feeling that he belonged in America. Arriving in Seattle, he cashed in his return ticket and bought a used Plymouth Valiant to call his home. Yoshida didn’t speak English, but he was determined to make something of himself, and that became the key to his success. Denied entrance to Seattle Pacific University because of his limited English, he began teaching karate in trade for classes at Highline Community College. Five years later, Yoshida moved to Oregon to open his own karate school. But with three young children at home he was still struggling to make ends meet. Then one Christmas, when money was tight, Yoshida’s Gourmet Sauce was born. What started as an inexpensive gift idea, using a 60-year-old family recipe, soon turned into a second career. Though twice on the brink of bankruptcy, today Yoshida Foods is just one small part of the Yoshida Group, a diverse conglomerate of companies generating more than $180 million in annual revenues. And Junkie Yoshida has never forgotten his humble beginnings, or the help he himself received along the way. Today he donates time and money to an endless list of organizations, and is always striving to help others so that one day, they too may succeed. Thank you.

________________________

Mary Pugh

When Mary Pugh started her career as an investment analyst in 1981, it was rare to find women in positions of authority, anywhere in the business world—and especially women of color. Luckily, Washington Mutual Savings Bank, her first employer, was open to diversity, and Ms. Pugh soon proved herself to be more than capable. In just four short years, she became responsible for managing hundreds of millions of dollars in the bank’s investment portfolio. Then, in 1989, Pugh became the youngest person ever named a senior vice president at Washington Mutual. But Mary Pugh wanted to do more than climb the ladder and break the glass ceiling; she wanted her own business. And when she left the bank in 1991 to establish her Pugh Capital Management, her former employer immediately became her first client. Today, her firm’s client list includes companies such as Boeing, Washington State Employees' Credit Union and University of Washington. In addition to breaking through both gender and race barriers, and achieving tremendous success with her own business, Ms. Pugh has dedicated herself to promoting diversity both within her company, and within her industry. Thank you, Mary Pugh.