Entrepreneurs of the Year | Karen Rehn

Why we chose her:

A meeting Karen Rehn had with Hyatt Regency hotel executives in downtown Sarasota in 2009 was her shot to redefine the temporary staffing firm she just bought.

The company, HH Staffing, with a focus on construction, struggled to survive the downturn. Rehn promised hotel executives that HH could supply well-trained banquet servers for a host of upcoming events. She came with a PowerPoint presentation that highlighted the new HH training program. This was new territory for the firm — it didn't even have the employees yet.