NEW YORK — Verna Meng, Blush Novelties’ founder and CEO, was a recipient of a 2018 IWEC Foundation award.
The International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge Foundation (IWEC) is a New York-based not-for-profit organization whose mission is to connect and develop a global network of successful women businessowners.
The IWEC’s ecosystem is comprised of chambers of commerce, women’s business organizations and IWEC awardees.
This year’s conference, which honored Meng and others, was held in Shanghai. The New York native is the first founder of a business in the pleasure products sector to receive the award.
“Receiving the IWEC award was a great honor,” Meng said. “It was exciting to meet and connect with other founders of women-owned businesses and truly be a part of the global female entrepreneur community.”
There are currently 337 IWEC Foundation awardees to date, since 2007; to view this year’s list of award recipients, which represents 48 women from 20 countries, click here.
“Blush Novelties, being a leader in global adult toys manufacturing, understands the social mission of promoting individuality, and respects the beauty in every one of our bodies, both physically and mentally,” Meng said. “IWEC is a great platform to promote this mission. Together, we get to do all this while helping likeminded businesswomen exchange information, discuss technological innovations, set company goals, and plan for our next moves.”
Blush Novelties is a company committed to ethics at every level, from manufacturing to retail, Blush Novelties COO Eric Lee said. By operating its own factory, quality control is kept tight and met to a high standard.
“We make over 95 percent of the products we sell,” Lee said. “We find it very difficult to trust another factory to care about our customers and the end user as much as we do. Our thought process is not about cutting corners, it’s about how we can make a better product. We do this because we can and take pride in all of our creations.”
Most Blush Novelties products are made with women in mind, Meng added.
“For this reason, women’s opinions are heavily weighted within the company,” Meng said. “Women understand what women want — from owners, to managers, to designers, as well as the consultants we work with. We are a company which values and respects the experience and wisdom women bring.”
