We are WBENC

Thanks to the generous funding from WAPPP and their From Harvard Square to the Oval Office program, I had the opportunity to attend the 2011 WBENC National Conference and Business Fair in Las Vegas, NV this week. 


The Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), founded in 1997, is the largest third-party certifier of businesses owned controlled, and operated by women in the United States. WBENC, is dedicated to advancing the success of certified women's business enterprises (WBEs) and connecting them to contracting opportunities with corporations and government entities. 

Me with Jeannie Maddox, Manager,
Supplier Diversity of Colgate-Palmolive Company

At this power packed conference, I've been educated on the impact the women are having in the market place and how WBEs are supporting some of America's top corporations like Accenture, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ernst & Young, Johnston & Johnston, Pfizer Inc, and UPS. Did you know that women make 85% of the purchasing decisions in our country? Well, we do! It's amazing. Yet, in 2010 only 15 Fortune 500 companies were run by women. This discrepancy is a sad reality, but hopefully because of organizations like WBENC that will change soon. Over 3000 people are in attendance at the conference, many of whom were women small business owners in fields ranging from communications to construction. 

Me with Jeff Walker of
Colgate-Palmolive Company.

The energy at the conference is more than amazing. When it comes to thinking outside of the box on how to get business done, WBENC has sought out unconventional role models for us to learn from. At the kickoff luncheon, we heard from Annie Duke, professional poker player and author, who shared with us the importance of decision making. Today's breakfast speaker, Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, quoted lines from the movie Notorious, and at lunch we enjoyed a breakdance performance from Supercr3w, season 2 winners of MTV's America's Best Dance Crew. 


So far, the conference has been an awesome networking and learning experience. Im excited to head back to New Orleans next week to being to implement what I have learned about establishing successful supplier diversity programs and supply chains.