- Wisconsin Women in Government (WWIG) has honored Full Compass owner and board chairwoman, Susan Lipp, with their Woman of Achievement Award.
Susan Lipp of Full Compass Systems (Courtesy of UW Health).
Susan was one of four women chosen statewide, earning recognition for her role in creating the fourth-largest woman-owned business in Wisconsin and for leadership of many non-profit and charitable organizations. The award was presented on May 7th during the WWIG Recognition Gala held at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison. Over 1,000 federal, state, and local elected officials, business leaders, public servants and political enthusiasts attended the annual event.
In 35 years, Susan and her husband, Jonathan Lipp, have grown Full Compass Systems from two employees to nearly 200. Starting with sales of pro audio equipment, they quickly expanded their offering to also include pro video, AV, lighting and musical instruments from 700 top brands. There have been many awards along the way, including the U.S. Small Business Administration SBA 100 Award, the Governor’s Trailblazer Award (2007), the IMPA Support Music.com Award (2007) and the NAWBO Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2001).
Susan’s business success has established her as a prominent industry leader; she has served on over 60 boards of directors, including terms on the boards of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music. A strong proponent of school music education, she has been influential in lobbying the U.S Congress as a participant in eight NAMM Advocacy Fly-Ins. For many years, Susan has contributed time and expertise in philanthropic support of many arts organizations and charities. Her efforts, in cooperation with the employees at Full Compass, help to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.
In response to being chosen for the award, Susan remarked, “I am delighted and honored to be chosen for recognition by Wisconsin Women in Government. I am truly impressed with all they have done to create opportunities for women and to advance the roles they play in every level of government.”
