| The Women Business Owner's Alliance announced that Karen Cardoza, owner of Karen Cardoza Handcrafted Jewelry in East Longmeadow, as their Business Woman of the Year for 2007. Cardoza was presented with the award at the WBOA awards dinner on June 21 at the Delaney House in Holyoke. "What an honor being named Business Woman of the Year," Cardoza said. "I'm thrilled. My first reaction is my sense of gratitude for WBOA. "It has been a fantastic place to develop and grow my business, my confidence, my leadership abilities, and myself as a person. And friendships. Some of the closest friends I have I met at WBOA meetings. So many terrific women," Cardoza said. She began her business after moving to Massachusetts from California in 1993, thus her reasons for calling her original business Laguna Jewels, making unique, beautiful jewelry. She changed her name to Karen Cardoza Handcrafted Jewelry last year to reflect her personal creations and continued to grow her business and herself over the years. She is very creative in utilizing unusual beautiful metals and gems to make her jewelry and sometime asks friends to send materials to her from far away locations or from islands they visit. Cardoza describes the joy of her business, "Designing jewelry reminds me of doing craft projects at summer programs in elementary school in the 50s ... fun, playful, satisfying. It gives me the opportunity to sit in one place and be quiet, contemplative and focused. It has opened up a whole new world for me.the little girl who could never sit still." She has spent many hours with local children teaching them how to make jewelry, using basic designs, stringing beads and finishing. The experience has been rewarding both for her, and for the many children she has worked with. She has been a past member of the Pioneer Valley Hiking Club, is a current member of the Longmeadow Book Club, and participated in the World Harmony Choir in Greenfield last year. She is an avid ocean kayaker and enjoys traveling and hiking. Additionally, Cardoza accomplishes all the above with style and class. She is open and honest, down to earth, sincere, outspoken and willing to go the extra mile and do whatever it takes to help make WBOA and her own business successful. |
