Winner
Health Services and Education
Jacquie Clark watched the progress her students were making and was amazed. Her special education students loved talking about current events in their speech and pathology sessions that she taught with them, and as they did, their achievement soared.
The key was clear, concise symbol-supported writing, and Clark knew she was on to something.
But educational publishers rejected her attempts to market her current events curriculum, saying the market was not broad enough to warrant the investment. It was out of that rejection that DJC Holdings LLC and its publication, the News-2-You online newspaper, was born.
Clark quit her teaching job, cashed in her investments and began producing a weekly online newspaper with news coverage for the underserved special education market.
Her business mantra could not have been more to the point: “Will it help our kids?” The focus on innovative education first, combined with her strong business skills, have made News-2-You a hit.
Initially, it was offered to a small number of teachers who had purchased the publication. But she continued to work on marketing the product at professional conferences and got a part-time job as a sales representative with a major vendor in the special education communication industry, giving her another venue to market her publication.
As founder, president and CEO, Clark works hard to find the right people to help her fulfill her mission to help children. She lets them seek their own level of responsibility in the organization and provides opportunities for aggressive and ambitious employees to advance.
She conveys the importance of core values and continual improvement in everything she does and relies on her employees to spread the word to others. She also takes the same approach to every opportunity that presents itself: Will it help children? What is the cost of doing it and what is the benefit?
By taking this honest and dedicated approach, employees feel like they are part of the team.
How to reach: DJC Holdings LLC, (800) 697-6575 or www.news-2-you.com
