Deputy CIO Dan Healy joined representatives of the Capital Region business community to honor Unique Comp, (UCI) Inc President & CEO Kalpana Patel for receiving the prestigious International Woman’s Entrepreneurial Challenge Award (IWEC). The Award recognition breakfast was hosted by Maryann Jablonowski, New York State Business Development Director of Accenture and Ruth Walters, President of the Walters Consulting Group.

Kalapana Patel, President and CEO of Unique Comp (UCI) and Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito meet at the breakfast

Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito, Chair of the Assembly Government Operations Committee offered remarks at the breakfast: “You have my commitment to work on state policies that will encourage the growth of small, women and minority owned business in New York State.”

MaryAnn Jablonowski (Accenture), Ruth Walters (The Walters Consulting Group), Kalpana Patel (UCI) and Assemblywoman RoAnn DEstito celebrate women’s business success

While minority and woman owned businesses face unique difficulties in growing and expanding their businesses, Long Island City based UCI’s growth, expansive services and reputation for high quality client care under Ms. Patel’s leadership has been internationally recognized by this prestigious award. The IWEC Award follows other awards received by Ms. Patel including the Top Woman Business Entrepreneur from the National Association of Women Business Owners in Long Island and the Woman of Excellence from the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. UCI is a New York State Certified Minority Woman owned business and Ms. Patel is also active in a number of minority woman owned business associations statewide.

Commenting on the award, Patel mentioned the influence of her parents and the role her mother played as a very busy high school teacher who ably managed both a career and a family. “My parents inspired me to dream big and organizations like CIO/OFT, the New York State Forum and firms like Accenture, Deloitte, IBM and many other companies we have worked with have created an atmosphere that has helped us at UCI realize our dream.”