Stamford Native Wins Urban League’s Woman Of Power Award
Article by: Nicole Briggs, Stamford Daily Voice. Photo by: Dru Nadler
STAMFORD, Conn. – Valerie A. Cooper, founder of Picture That LLC, is a recipient of the Urban League of Southern Connecticut 2014 Woman of Power Award.
Cooper’s Picture That is a corporate full-service art consulting firm. She was awarded the honor for her commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
She was one of 17 female professionals recognized during a luncheon at the Women’s Empowerment Summit last month. Throughout the day, 400 women from the community participated in the summit’s career fair, panel discussions and workshops.
A former executive at Goldman Sachs, Cooper is known for her successful transition into the roles of art consultant and entrepreneur. She has established a niche for her business by making significant inroads into Connecticut’s health care market. Picture That was a primary art vendor for Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS), outfitting a new facility on the New Haven campus. Picture That has also installed art in several facilities for YNHHS’s affiliates, including Smilow Cancer Center and Bridgeport Hospital’s Ahlbin Rehabilitation and Industrial Medical Centers.
President and CEO of the Urban League of Southern Connecticut Valarie Schultz-Wilson said the organization “is extremely proud of Cooper’s accomplishments. She is a true woman of power and we’re just very happy to be able to acknowledge her for all of her hard work in the community.”
During her 12 years as a purveyor of fine art, Cooper has garnered numerous honors, including:
2014 Supplier of the Year, from the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council
2014 Women Making an Impact Award, from the Fairfield and Westchester County Business Journals
2012 ARTS Award, from the Milford CT Chapter of The Links
2010 Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year, from the National Association of Female Executives
2008 National Supplier of the Year Award-Northern Region, from the National Minority Supplier Development Council
Cooper holds an MBA from Columbia University; a certificate in Appraisal Studies for Fine and Decorative Arts from New York University; and a Bachelor of Science from Morgan State University. Cooper is a member of the New England Appraisers Association and an associate of the Appraisers Association of America.
Original article can be found here.
