Type Of Business:
Online Italian gift retailer
Marketing Area:
International
Expertise:
Italian gifts, fiestas and parties; Internet marketing; Attention to detail; Packaging and shipping products; Art history
Major Product/SVS:
Online Italian gifts
Favorite Business Publication:
Buona Salute Magazine; Taste of Italy; Italian American Heritage Foundation News; National Association of Women Business Owners News
Hobbies/Sports:
Spending time with her family; Watching football, baseball and basketball; Snow skiing; Spending time at Lake Tahoe; Traveling to Italy
Education Degrees:
Master of Business Administration, Santa Clara University; Bachelor of Arts in History, Concentration in Renaissance History and Early American History, Santa Clara University
Affiliations Awards:
Catala Club; Alumni Association, Santa Clara University; National Association of Women Business Owners; Italian American Heritage Foundation; Italian Historical Society of America; Little Italy Project, San Jose; Global Women's Leadership Network
Industry:
Specialty Product Sales
Date of Distinction:
10/12/2011
Expanded Biography:
Mrs. Winkelman worked for CASA for 20 years and she was the president for four years. After which, she decided to establish her own company. This business is something that she had been thinking about for many years and, three years ago, it became a reality for her. Gioia is a retail, wholesale, and Internet business that features Italian heritage fine arts and products made both in the United States and in Italy. The company deals directly with the artists. They offer art presentations for Italian heritage groups and organizations in Northern and Southern California. Her intention is to pass down the Italian heritage and culture to the younger generation. The company features the works of Venetian mask maker Carla Almanza deQuant. She is also affiliated with Lee Marie Michals, her business mentor. The company’s motto is ‘Joy for those who give and for those who receive.’ Due to her extensive experience in the nonprofit arena, she is a great networker, project planner and she knows how to bring the right talents together. She is great at creating events and projects. She has lived in Italy for one year and was a travel agent for eight years. She partners with other women entrepreneurs to promote their businesses as well as hers. She hosts ‘Festa Gioia’ monthly open house to showcase Gioia, followed by sending her customers slideshows featuring new merchandise. She also has a family member in Milan who acts as a liaison for the company. The company is pronounced 'Joya.' She is the eldest in her family of eight members. She has visited Italy many times with family and as a travel agent and always had a love for Italian art, culture and language as well as the country and started her own business to work directly with the Italian and American artists. She also hosted many Italian Students studying in the United States.
Charity:
Mentor, Santa Clara University; CASA Los Gatos; Sister Counties Commission; AIDS Coalition Silicon Valley
Number Of Years In Profession:
27
Number Of Years In Current Position:
5
What Does He/She Attribute Success To:
She attributes her success to her desire to excel, her genuine care for others, love for arts, recognition of the healing properties of arts, and to her ability to manage her business successfully even in the current economy.
Why did you become involved in your profession or industry?:
She became involved in her profession because she was born into a large Italian family and lived in Rome, Italy.
Extended Bio Profile:
Mrs. Winkelman worked for CASA for 20 years and she was the president for four years. After which,she decided to establish her own company. This business is something that she had been thinking about for many years and three years ago it became a reality for her.
Mrs. Winkelman is the eldest in her family of eight members. She has visited Italy many times with family and as a travel agent and always had a love for Italian art, culture and language as well as the country.
Position Responsibilities and Duties:
Managing operations and the website; Providing customer relations; Developing products; Planning projects; Organizing finance; Marketing
Awards/Honors:
Volunteer of the Year Award; School Board Recognition; Every Fifteen Minutes Recognition
Where Will You Be In 5 Years:
In five years, Mrs. Winkelman hopes to grow her business, would like to get affiliated with the wine making industry, and further develop her nonprofit relationships.