Company: Beacon Media+Marketing
Nomination Submitted by: Beacon Media and Marketing
Company Description: Co-founders Adrienne Wilkerson and Jennifer Christensen each bring more than 20 years of marketing experience to the table. Meanwhile, our in-house experts cover everything from website development to social media, digital advertising, copywriting, videography and photography. We work with clients all over the United States, from New York to Alaska (with plenty of states in between).
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Woman of the Year - Franchising
 Nomination Title: Erin Pash
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the achievements since July 1, 2020 of the nominated woman, OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are submitting written answers to the questions for this category, provide them in the spaces below:
- Briefly describe the nominated individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 198 words used.
Pash is the CEO/Co-Founder of Ellie Mental Health and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Erin started out in the helping field providing personal care services to individuals in their homes, in-home mental health services to those with severe and persistent mental illnesses, and county case management services. Erin pursued her vision of reducing mental health stigma and barriers to care by opening Ellie Mental Health. Ellie Mental Health was founded in 2015, starting with one office location in Saint Paul, MN. Erin has grown the company to 20 clinics in Minnesota, with approximately 300 employees and 20,000 active clients. To further work toward Ellie Mental Health’s mission to fill gaps in mental health services in all communities, Erin and Ellie Mental Health decided to franchise. Their goal of 15 franchises has been well exceeded in their first year at 300 awarded franchises. The first two franchise locations opened in July 2022 in Tennessee and Illinois. During this time Erin was also an adjunct professor, teaching in the Marriage and Family Therapy program at St. Mary’s University. Erin proposed Minnesota legislation that would allow preventive mental health care, including up to four no-cost therapy sessions per year.
- Outline the nominee's achievements since July 1 2020 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 204 words used.
Since July 2020 Erin Pash has continued to work toward reducing stigma in mental health and filling gaps in mental health services. She adapted her company to the COVID-19 pandemic by providing telehealth therapy to clients and providing support to her employees to be able to safely complete their work. During the pandemic her vision for making sure all communities have support from mental health services expanded further. She decided to franchise her business, which allows the entire country to have access to an Ellie Mental Health clinic. The model she has built on compassion, authenticity, humor, creativity, acceptance, and determination that is so well known in Minnesota can now be spread throughout the USA. Her success has led to 20,000 active clients being able to receive services in 20 clinics throughout Minnesota. There are over 300 employees and growing. She recognized a way to reduce systemic barriers to BIPOC becoming clinicians in the mental health field. Her response to this was to create a non-profit, Luca Bos, which provides opportunities for BIPOC to have an experienceship in the mental health field. Luca Bos also supports families to receive complex family therapy, a service typically not covered by insurance, through a scholarship program.
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 8 words used.
- Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 153 words used.
The achievements of Erin Pash are both unique and significant. Erin has been able to provide a model that is supportive of both the clinicians and clients served at Ellie Mental Health. Ellie Mental Health is able to offer the feel of a private practice which allows clinicians to have autonomy and creativity. There are three choices of how they want to be paid called ‘Ellie Your Way’ which are an hourly + commission, salary, or straight commission models. Ellie Mental Health is owned and operated by therapists. Erin Pash is a licensed marriage and family therapist and the co-founder, Kyle Keller, is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. With firsthand knowledge of the work, Erin knows what a company needs to do for the clinicians and clients to feel supported. Erin’s decision to have Ellie Mental Health franchised is industry-leading and it is now one of the fastest-growing franchises in the country.
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