Company: BLAMtastic, LLC, Atlanta, GA USA
Company Description: BLAMtastic®, LLC creates, manufactures, markets and sells (B2B and B2C) innovative consumer products. BLAMtastic® products have domestic and international distribution. They are sold at the top retailers in the world. BLAMtastic® products have repeatedly won top awards from numerous consumer products panels since 2007. BLAMtastic®, LLC is the next significant family lifestyle brand
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Female Executive of the Year – Consumer Products –10 or Less Employees

Nomination Title: Renee Sandler, Founder and CEO

Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated executive since the beginning of July last year (up to 525 words):

“A society grows great when elders plant trees whose shade they shall never sit in”. -Greek Proverb

Prior to BLAMtastic’s CEO Renee Sandler’s 20th birthday, it was a federal law that women were required to have a male co-sign for business loans. Ronald Reagan signed a bill into law reversing that requirement.

Renee Sandler, 48, was born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. She was adopted into a family that struggled to make ends meet and witnessed first hand an economy losing jobs to those overseas. It was heartbreaking to watch as her mom and dad as they tried to find work and support the family. Renee began working as a very young child and knows what it means to have to make sacrifices. It was a hard knock childhood requiring moving from one city to the next, throughout the state of Michigan.

It was very important for Renee that her children take ownership of their own careers. When she heard that of the Fortune 500 Company CEOs, only 13 were women. She asked her two daughters what they thought of that. They said it was awful. Renee challenged her daughters to come up with a business idea. If they did so, she would support them wholeheartedly.

When her daughter, Lily, then 9 years of age asked for her lip BLAM, Renee said that that would be a great name for a CPG brand. Thus, BLAMtastic, LLC, was born.

Through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, she has remained a terrific role model to her two daughters. Launching a consumer products brand in her kitchen seven years ago, BLAMtastic is now represented in six of our nation’s largest retailers. The brand is known internationally and is represented in New Zealand, South Korea and Canada. It now generates millions in revenues.

Renee has remained true to her core initiatives: women and children empowerment, her Made in America initiative (before it was considered popular to do so) and her values respecting the environment (keeping it green).

Through Renee’s leadership, Disney named the Sandler family one of the ten most impressive families in America. Renee earned finalist for Atlanta’s 2014 Business Person of the Year and she was named to Senator Jason Carter’s (Gubernatorial candidate) Panel on Georgia Women in Business.

Solange Warner, Founder of the World Chamber of Commerce, nominated Renee as Women’s Committee Chair. Additionally, Renee founded the BLAMtastic Legacy foundation, a not- for- profit foundation providing education and advisory support to thousands of female and youth entrepreneurs through conferences and events held coast to coast. Chick-fil-A and Porsche N.A. have supported her foundation.

Renee’s greatest accomplishment is her heartfelt interest in paying it forward. Her mission has been to empower woman and youth. She works tirelessly to support, encourage and empower women.

She is my personal hero. I have watched her build her brand working tirelessly while she continues offering guidance to those who seek it. Her daughters have so much to be proud. And I am confident that they will continue in her spirit of paying it forward.

Submitted by: Michael Howard Sandler - Investor

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Provide a brief biography of the nominated executive (up to 125 words):

Renee Sandler
Founder and CEO

Renee Sandler is an accomplished entrepreneur and award winning product designer recognized nationally for her efforts in advancing entrepreneurial education for women and young entrepreneurs. She is a frequent guest speaker and panelist to support these initiatives. Renee has been featured on CBS News, ABC News, NBC News, Fox Business, Time Magazine and many other media outlets.

• Atlanta Business Person of the Year finalist in 2014.
• Founder - BLAMtastic Legacy Foundation
• The Sandler Family named one of the 10 Most Impressive Families in America by Disney's Babble.com
• Invited to sit on Georgia Senator and Gubernatorial Candidate Jason Carter Panel on Georgia Women in Business
• Entrepreneurial coach and advisor for Sprout.UP and Independent Youth.
• Chairwoman of the World Chamber of Congress