North Bay Business Journal

Business Organizations

Marin Women’s Hall of Fame is accepting nominations that highlight the outstanding achievements of women leaders in the categories of Arts, Business & Professional, Community Service, Education, Entertainment, Environment, Health & Fitness, Public Affairs, Science & Medicine, Religion and Spirituality, Social Change, Sports and Recreation, Technology, Volunteer Leadership and Youth. Nominations must be postmarked no later than Nov. 1. Nomination forms can be downloaded from www.marinwomenshalloffame.org.

Business & Professional Services

Windsor’s Data Instincts, a public relations firm specializing in water issues, will unveil “A Thirsty Planet” website at WateReuse Association’s national convention in September.  The new site is at www.athirstyplanet.com.

Novato-based Hennessy Advisors Inc., investment adviser of the Hennessy Funds, received the 5-star Overall Morningstar Rating among 26 Japan Stock funds for its Hennessy Select Sparx Japan Smaller Companies Fund.

Hospitality

The French Laundry in Yountville signed a partnership with luxury car maker BMW to provide concierge service to its guests in BMW’s $107,000 ActiveHybrid 7. The service is meant to introduce the car to its target market.

Nonprofit & Community Organizations

Farmstead restaurant in St. Helena announced the latest grant to be made by its “Corkage for Community” program will go to the Land Trust of Napa County, which preserves the character of Napa by permanently protecting land.

Publishing

Santa Rosa-based Vineyard & Winery Management magazine was recognized by the American Society of Business Publication Editors in two categories of its 2010 Azbee Awards of Excellence: a top-ten finalist for Magazine of the Year in the Small Publications division and a gold medal in the West Region Organization Profile category.

Technology

Santa Rosa-based Transworld Systems launched GreenFlag Accelerator, a new service that stimulates cash flow by systematically following up on early stage past-due accounts, allowing businesses and health care providers to send reminder letters and make initial reminder calls in their own name before the account is sent to collections.

Wine

Duckhorn Wine Co. in the Napa Valley has been selected by GE Capital as a feature company for a national ad campaign running from September through November 2010 in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Boston Globe and Food & Wine magazine.

St. Helena-based Rutherford Wine Co. is the first winery to endorse 100% Cork’s campaign to educate wine drinkers about the societal, technical and environmental advantages of real cork wine stoppers.

Zinfandel Advocates and Producers of Sonoma County launched a $500,000 scholarship for Wine MBA students at Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute in Rohnert Park to honor Donn P. Reisen.  Scholarships will begin this spring.

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