Lauren Flexon, CEO of Luray Peanut Co. was named a Finalist in the category Best Female Entrepreneur – Consumer Products in the 21st annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and ultimately will be a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie Award winner in the program.

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, employees
and the companies they run – worldwide. The Stevie Awards have been hailed as the world’s
premier business awards.

Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners will be announced during a gala event at the
Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City on Friday, November 8. Nominated women
executives and entrepreneurs from around the world are expected to attend. The event will be
broadcast on Livestream.

More than 1,500 entries from organizations and individuals in 36 nations and territories were
submitted this year for consideration in more than 100 categories, including Executive of the
Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Company of the Year, Startup of the Year, Women Helping
Women, and Women Run Workplace of the Year. Lauren Flexon is a Finalist in the Best Female
Entrepreneur – Consumer Products category.

Finalists were determined by the average scores of more than 200 business professionals around
the world, working on six juries. Their scores will also determine the Gold, Silver, and Bronze
Stevie Award placements that will be revealed at the 21st annual awards dinner and presentations
in New York.

“In its 21st year, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business received an impressive collection of
remarkable nominations,” said Maggie Miller, president of the Stevie Awards. “We look forward
to recognizing the outstanding achievements of women in the workplace in New York on
November 8.”

Lauren, a graduate of Carleton College with a BA in Sociology and Anthropology, with an MBA
from Georgia Southern University focusing on contract law, brings a wealth of experience to her
role as CEO of Luray Peanut Co. Her early achievements include presenting to the American
Academy of Science at just 14 and winning awards for her research on Golden Rod at
international science fairs. An accomplished equestrian, she placed 5th representing the
Savannah College of Art and Design at 2002 Collegiate World Cup Finals competition in
Germany and earned Horse of the Year honors for her mare, Moon Dance. Lauren's senior thesis
on Hurricane Katrina's rumor networking was featured on NPR and published in several
journals, including use as a teaching tool at Harvard. She founded the Levy Group, a digital
marketing consulting business, and now serves as CEO of Luray Peanut Co.

Lauren was named to serve on the executive board of directors for the American Peanut
Council, and is a member of their Communications Working Group. Under her leadership, Luray
boiled peanuts have been distributed to thousands of stores across the Southeast region. Deli
Business Magazine named Luray Peanut Co.’s boiled peanut product as one of the innovative
products to watch in 2022. Lauren’s accomplishments have sparked the interest of several
publications including Savannah Magazine, South Carolina NPR, and Produce Buzz Podcast.
Details about the Stevie Awards for Women in Business and the list of Finalists in all categories
are available at www.StevieAwards.com/Women.