EmpowHER.com/HW, LLC
Company: EmpowHER.com/HW, LLC, Scottsdale, AZ
Company Description: EmpowHER.com is the 5th largest health and wellness resource and community for women on the Web. Millions of women visit EmpowHER.com every year looking to advocate for their own health, the health of others, or connect with each other on health and wellness topics that matter to them.
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: New Company of the Year
Nomination Title: EmpowHER
1. Tell the story about what this nominated company achieved since January 1 2009 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:
EmpowHER is a health media company for women. The Company's website,
EmpowHER.com, provides women with access to condition-specific health
information, world-class medical resources, and a dynamic community of experts
and advocates committed to their well-being.
EmpowHER’s founder, Michelle King Robson, started the company following her own
personal struggle with a debilitating health issue that left her feeling
hopeless, alone and on the verge of taking her own life. She spent countless
hours scouring the Internet for answers, leaving dozens of messages on message
boards, and sending hundreds of emails to sites claiming support and helpful
resources. She came up empty-handed. No answers. No responses. Nothing. Robson
vowed to herself that if she ever
got well, she would dedicate the rest of her life to ensuring that no other
woman would suffer in silence as she had. In EmpowHER, she has done just that.
EmpowHER offers a unique Woman to Woman community where women can connect with
each other; advocate for others by sharing their personal health stories, and
advocate for themselves by asking their health questions. EmpowHER’s promise is
to respond to each request that comes to the site within 24 hours –
unprecedented among women’s health and wellness sites on the Web.
EmpowHER has changed the lives of thousands of women, including Gina, who
credits EmpowHER with saving her life:
“For me, the past two years have been a nightmare, both physically and
emotionally. At the age of 43, I began having irregular periods, heavy bleeding
and severe depression. After several procedures to remove polyps, my emotional
state still remained the same and within a few months the heavy bleeding came
back. I was discouraged. My doctors kept suggesting more procedures, and then
... antidepressants. But, no relief. I came so close to taking my own life. My
daughter’s college graduation was the only thing that stopped me.
I heard about EmpowHER. The first thing I did on the site was watch Michelle’s
story. Half way through, I was crying so hard. ‘This is me, and my God, there is
hope!’ I thought. I clicked on ‘ASK or SHARE’ and shared my story. Within 24
hours, I was on a brighter path.”
-- Gina R. EmpowHER member
In the 15 months the site has been live, EmpowHER.com is already a top 6,000*
web site on the Internet, and a top 5 women's health and wellness site. In 2009,
nearly 3 million visitors came to EmpowHER.com. In 2010, an estimated 12 million
visitors are expected. More than 200,000 pages of health information and
resources were accessed on EmpowHER.com in 2009 including over 5,000 personal
health questions and stories that were asked and shared on the site. EmpowHER
boasts one of the largest online health-oriented, original video content
libraries, and last year, introduced yet another
innovation - the first and largest online repository of free and low cost health
events in the United States.
EmpowHER has been featured in the Huffington Post, NBC, ABC and on CNN among others.
*Source: Quantcast
2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/francine-hardaway/empowher-launches-free-he_b_327361.html
http://tv.azpm.org/kuat/segments/2008/6/11/kuat-empowhercom/
3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader of this nominated company:
Michelle King Robson is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of EmpowHER and is
committed to helping women have access to the most current, unbiased health
information they need to make the wisest choices for their health and the health
of their families. She is also an active philanthropist and community volunteer
whose work on various women's and children's issues has earned her numerous
awards, appointments and recognition.