Awards and Recognition



Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation

Grant Recipient: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Parent-Centric Kangaroo Care

 

Winner: "2017 Innovator/Entrepreneur of the Year Award"
Cullen College of Engineering, Alumni Association
University of Houston, Houston TX

The Engineering Alumni Awards program was established in 1987 to recognize alumni, faculty and friends of the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering and the Engineering Alumni Association for significant contributions to society and the profession. The recipients were honored at the annual engineering alumni awards gala on June 8, 2017

Recognition: Industrial Engineering Awards
Cullen College of Engineering,
University of Houston

Houston, May, 2017

Winner: Female Entrepreneur of the Year

Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Yamile Jackson, CEO of Nurtured by Design, Houston, November 14, 2015

Winner: American Marketing Association Houston congratulates Nurtured by Design on winning the 2014 Marketer of the Year in the Small Business Category in Houston, announced at the chapter’s March 5, 2015 Marketer of the Year awards event at the Hobby Center Zilkha Hall.

The award in this category is sponsored by

Winner and Grant Recipient:
Toyota Standing O-Vation - Houston's Oprah Tour

Yamile and Zachary Jackson were honored by Toyota during Oprah's "The Life You Want Weekend" in Houston.

October 18, 2014 - We thank Amy Purdy, Toyota, and Oprah's The Life You Want Weekend for the Standing O-Vation Award and the $25,000 grant to continue Nurtured by Design's mission to make this world a gentler place for children (especially those that are sick or in distress), all on behalf of Zachary. "The Standing O-Vation Award recognizes extraordinary people who are making positive changes in their communities and beyond by inspiring others to do the same".

Goradia Innovation Prize
Finalist and grant winner: The Goradia Innovation Prize, based on commercial potential of the innovation, soundness of the business plan, potential for job growth within the region and likelihood of significant long-term success selected by a prestigious panel of judges. 
Innovation Celebration Winner: Kangaroo Zak
Innovation Breakthroughs, 2013
Premier http://youtu.be/yJj_E_SuoxI

Nomination: 2013 Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards

Category: Corporate and Institutional Achievement

Nomination: 2013 Engineer of the Year - Houston Division

for Yamile Jackson was Nominated by the Society of Women Engineers of Houston

Winner: Top 20 Latino Innovators of the Year

NBC Latino
(Dr. Jackson is the 6th on the bottom)

 

Winner: The Trailblazer in Business Award

Atlanta, March 17, 2012

 

Winner: 2010 Groundbreaking Latina Entrepreneur of the Year

February 2011, Catalina Magazine

 

Finalist: "Creativeness in Ergonomics Practitioner of the Year Award", November 2010
Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE)

 

United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC)
Winner: 2010 Ultimate Latina Award - Health Category
Awards Ceremony: Dallas, Sept 23, 2010

"Thank YOU for having the courage, the resolve and the action to be a role model for the 20 million Latinas in this country. Its a honor for the USHCC to tell your story. Congratulations! Well deserved."

 

Creative Child Magazine
The Zaky®, won a 2010 TOP CHOICE OF THE YEAR AWARD
(Baby Pillow/Positioner category)

Winners will be formally announced in the Nov-Dec. Holiday issue of the Creative Child Magazine

 

Winner: SCORE Success Star
The SCORE Success Star Award features both the skills and services offered by the Houston Chapter of SCORE and its counselors as well as the successful companies that have been assisted by SCORE (June 3rd, 2010)

Pictured with Yamile Jackson are her SCORE Counselors Sam Dubinski and Bob Ashfield, and the inspiration of all: Zachary.

 
Winner: Blazing Star Award
2010 Annual Awards
Women's Chamber of Commerce of Texas April 22nd, 2010



The SCORE Foundation: 2009 recipient of the first-ever SCORE National Award: "Outstanding Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year Award".
Award sponsor: Constant Contact

Nominated by SCORE Houston Chapter

"..In a year with many high quality entries, your submission – and business – showed superior qualities of entrepreneurship, integrity and community engagement"

Award Sponsored by

 

 

2009 Super Silver Award (Product Innovation Category) from The Baby Expo South Africa

 

 

Winner: "Outstanding Home-Based Small Business of the Year"

May, 2008 - U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Houston District (nominated by the Houston SCORE Chapter).

 
Winner: 2008 Editor's Choice Award-
Family Review Center
 

 

Winner: 2008 Top Gear of the Year Award - www.ShapeYou.com

Shape You's Review:

Most exciting baby product we've seen in a long time. We love it because it's so simple and yet so effective. So many new mothers need a helping hand and now the zaky can do just that.

 
Winner: 2007 Best Products - iParenting Media Awards –. The Zaky® is an honored recipient of an iParenting Media Award. It competed with thousands of products through a rigorous award program, that is ISO 9001:2000 certified, and was selected as one of the 2007 Best Products in the Gifts category. “This is the perfect product to comfort a baby… it would be a great shower gift or present to give when the new baby arrives”
 
Winner: GOLD AWARD  from the Family Review Center – “this award was issued to Zakeez, Inc, on the basis of a 5UP (perfect) review, and by the panels of judges determining out of all the products reviewed in the month of January, the Zaky stood out as one that deserved great admiration, for its distinct design, appeal, and purpose” Feb 2006
 
Winner: The Toy Man Award of Excellence 2007-2011 - The Zaky by Zakeez, Inc. was an honored recipient of this award, given to a limited number of products annually, which rise to the very top intheir evaluation. They demonstrate quality in design, safety, and value, and in their evaluation results they receivea rating of“5” which is the highest level available.
Reviewed by Rev. James Fisher, Product Evaluation Specialist. Nov. 1st, 2007.
 
Winner: The Toy Man Seal of Approval 2007-2011 was given to the Zaky by Zakeez, Inc. This seal is an emblem of recognition for products which meet the high standards set forth by the International Parenting institute™ (IPi™), standards represented through strict product evaluation guidelines which were created by IPi™ for adoption and use by The Toy Man™ Product Guide.
This emblem is also modeled after the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval™", an emblem of recognition for products which meet the high standards set forth by the Good Housekeeping Institute™.
Reviewed by Rev. James Fisher, Product Evaluation Specialist. Nov. 1st, 2007-2011
 
Winner: "Motherhood: Lifetime Achievement Award" Recognition given to Yamile Jackson in May 2005 by the Texans Can! Academy in Houston, Texas and to The Honorable Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.  The women were selected for their commitment to community service, while keeping their privilege of being a mother as a priority.
 
Winner: 4titute Award from Mom 4 Life- Yamile Jackson was an honored recipient of this award, given to moms who have endured a trial, set back, or loss in their life that has spurred them on to create something of value out of their pain, USA, Sep. 2007.


Recognitions

 
March of Dimes, Houston Division - Dr Jackson was member of the Board of Directors (2011-2014)

 
March of Dimes awarded a grant to provide Zakys to help improve the health of mothers and babies. The grant was awarded to to Coastal Area Health Center in Southern North Carolina. Feb. 2007.
 
Ambassadors of WalkAmerica – March of Dimes - Dr. Jackson and her family had the honor to be the Ambassadors at the Walk America in Wilmington, NC (March 25th, 2006)