Stella Ogiale Chesterfield Health Services

for doing good while doing well

Stella Ogiale was 21 years old when she moved to the United States from Nigeria to attend college, and she had no intention of staying permanently. But after receiving a masters degree in public administration and finance from the University of the District of Columbia in 1987 and working for nonprofits in the nation's capital, she fell in love, got married, started a family, and moved to Seattle. The fairy tale didn't end happily ever after. In 1996 she separated from her husband, and suddenly it was time to go back to work. But Ogiale wasn't able to hold a normal 9-to-5 job because she needed to care for her five young children, especially her son Chester, who was born with autism. Never for a moment, she says, did she consider putting him in an institution.

"It kills the human spirit," she says of institutional life. It was her drive to keep Chester at home that gave her an idea--what if she could bring the amenities of the institution (medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and specialized physicians) to the patient at home? With a small loan from her sister, some birthday money, and the $100 a week she earned working nights at UPS, Ogiale founded Chesterfield Health Services in 1996 to give home care to mentally or physically disabled patients who would otherwise have to be institutionalized. She named the company, of course, after her daily inspiration: her son.

These days, the bubbly and passionate Ogiale has about 1,000 clients and has helped hundreds more stay out of institutions. It's work more commonly done (when it's done at all) by government agencies and nonprofits, but she claims she can help more people with a for-profit company because of her entrepreneurial efficiency. "Socio-capitalism" is what she calls it. "We can be humane and still make money," she says. Chesterfield is one of the fastest-growing minority-owned companies in Seattle (revenue last year came to $8 million), despite the fact that Ogiale keeps her margin below 5% so she can keep costs low for her customers, many of whom can't pay beyond what Medicaid will cover.

Chester is now 14 years old and is doing better than ever. "He goes to school, and he comes to church with me," Ogiale says. "Everyone loves him."--Bobbie Gossage

Bobbie Gossage is a staff writer.

1. Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com
   because "optimism is essential"
2. Betsey Johnson, Betsey Johnson
   for her stylish life
3. Russell Simmons, Rush Communications
   for his powerful example
4. Scott Cook, Intuit
   because he learns, and teaches
5. Sergey Brin & Larry Page, Google
   for their integrity. And, well, for Google
6. David Neeleman, JetBlue
   for creating an airline fit for humans
7. Tom Stemberg, Staples
   for doing it exactly right
8. Jack Stack, SRC Holdings
   for going naked
9. Judy Wicks, White Dog Enterprises
   because she's put in place more progressive business practices per square foot than any other entrepreneur
10. Davin Wedel, Global Protection
    because he's a lifesaver
11. Pat McGovern, International Data Group
    for knowing the power of respect
12. Steve Jobs, Apple Computer, Pixar
    because we like to be seduced
13. Lance Morgan, Ho-Chunk
    because a man must make his own arrows--Winnebago proverb
14. James Goodnight, SAS
    for saying no to Wall Street (repeatedly) and yes to the people who really matter
15. Stella Ogiale, Chesterfield Health Services
    for doing good while doing well
16. Rhonda Kallman, New Century Brewing
    for seizing opportunity-- again and again
17. Laima Tazmin, LAVT
    because she's a lot like other kids--and then again...
18. Laura & Pete Wakeman, Great Harvest Bread
    for living a little --no, a lot
19. Andra Rush, Rush Trucking
    for rolling up her sleeves
20. Kathleen Wehner, Cirrus Aviation
    for refusing to quit
21. Frank Venegas, Ideal Group
    because he parlayed a little bit of luck into a lot of good fortune for others
22. Dan Wieden, Wieden + Kennedy
    because he's a true independent
23. John Sperling, Apollo Group
    because he stirs the pot, and apparently always will
24. John Stollenwerk, Allen-Edmonds
    for his commitment to U.S. workers. We also love the shoes
25. Mel Zuckerman, Canyon Ranch
    for showing the way

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