What's New?

Announcing "Decades of Excellence" celebration. Just announced: Barbara Corcoran (currently appearing on Shark Tank) is our keynote speaker. It's a very exciting time for NWBOC! First of all, we want to announce our first annual conference will take place May 8-10, 2013 at the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. There will be educational workshops and seminars, LaunchPad Expo exhibit hall, and numerous social events to enable you to connect with one another and grow professionally. The conference entitled, "Decades of Excellence," will culminate with an Awards Gala honoring the companies who have been certified over ten years with NWBOC! Save the date now and watch for monthly updates.

NWBOC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Association of Women Business Owners California organization (NAWBO-CA). The purpose is to develop and expand a framework of cooperation for the promotion of events and educational exchanges between the two groups. Read the press release.

Announcing NWBOC's newly developed BRAIN TRUST, a leadership initiative. We congratulate and welcome the following women selected to represent their regions. They are Bibby Bailey (Bibby Paper & Consulting, LLC & Site Visitor), JoAnne Davis (J. Lowe Diversified Services, LLC), Debbie McArthur (Integra International) and Jennifer Scully (Clinical Resources, LLC) representing the Southeast region; Julie Jakob (Jacob Marketing Partners, LLC) from the Mountain Plains region; Michelle Guidry (Dupont Building, Inc.), Rebecca Boenigk (Neutral Posture, Inc.), Debra McPherson (The McPherson Group, LLC) and Diana Wright (The Right Solutions) from the Southwest region; Lynne Noel (Havens & Co.), Patricia Stagno (Power Skills For Life, LLC), Bonnie Barraclough (Can-Am Packaging Equipment Corporation) and Mindy Freeman (Northern Container Corporation) of the New England region; Brenda Turner (New Era Contract Sales, Inc.), Janet McNaughton (Lasting Impressions Gift Services, Inc.) and Sandy Kemp (Site Visitor) from the Pacific Northwest region; Hannah Kain (ALOM), Elizabeth Nelson (BEC Environmental, Inc.), Suzanne March (Quantum Mark) and Rachel Owens (Site Visitor) from the Pacific Southwest region; Jennifer Nevins (DW Smith Associates, LLC), Mary Scheetz (Contact Center Innovations, LLC), Crystal Arlington (Affiliate Grounds Maintenance Group, Inc.), and Shawn Keogh-Hartz (Provider Resources, Inc.) from the Mid-Atlantic region; and lastly, Vivian Pappel (Midland Scientific), Jennifer Noden (Glenhurst Financial Corporation) and Janet South (Deco Group) from the North Central region. We look forward to their participation.

NWBOC Honors Kevin Larson, Supplier Diversity Excellence at Fastenal in Winona, MN
Featured in November 2011 Supplier Diversity Newsletter; Read press release here.

NWBOC Featured in Empress of Biz! Talk Show 10/06/2011

Host JoAnn Forrester, in her ongoing series "Reinvent in Rugged Times," interviewed NWBOC CEO Janet Harris-Lange in an informative exchange. Listen to the show, 38:00 in length, this is an mp3 file.

As of July 5, 2011 NWBOC has been approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to be a third-party certifier for the new women-owned small business federal contracting program, which will directly benefit many woman-owned companies across the nation. More information

NWBOC Honors the Supplier Diversity Team at Pfizer in New York, NY
Featured in September 2011 Supplier Diversity Newsletter; Read press release here.

NWBOC Honors Kim Schuler of Lori's Gifts (a hospital gift shop management firm consisting of 250 shops) for her supplier diversity efforts and results. Located in Carrollton, TX
Featured in September 2011 Supplier Diversity Newsletter; Read press release here.

NWBOC Honors Supplier Diversity Managers Matt Thursman and Mary Lynn Netzel of The Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, TX
Featured in July 2011 Supplier Diversity Newsletter; Read press release here.

NWBOC Honors Dell Supplier Diversity Team in Round Rock, TX
Featured in May 2011 Supplier Diversity Newsletter

NWBOC Honors Top Supplier Diversity Manager Fernando Hernandez from Microsoft
Read press release here.

NWBOC Honors Top Supplier Diversity Manager Adrienne Williams from Kiewit
Read press release here .

Partner PNC Bank Hosted Online Conference with NWBOC
PNC Bank hosted a live videostream conference on Minority and Women Business Enterprise Certification, June 5, 2012, from the Idea Center in Cleveland, OH. Moderator for the panel was Susan Wilson Solovic and panelists included Janet Harris-Lange (NWBOC), Alexis Clark-Amison (NOMSDC), Tilmon Brown (New Horizons Baking Company) and Diana Dibble Kurcfeld (Design to Delivery, Inc.). After presenting an overview on the requirements, process and success stories, questions were posed from the audiences in all viewing locations.

NWBOC Reports: More Women Business Owners in Non-Traditional Industries Seek Certification. Also, we have certified businesses in Hawaii and Alaska, so for the first time there are NWBOC WBE-certified women business owners in all 50 states. Read the press release.

NWBOC Featured in INC. Magazine May 12, 2010 Article
Janet Harris-Lange, president of NWBOC is qutoed throughout the article, which is titled "How to Become a Certified Woman-Owned Business."

New "Fast Track" WBE Certification with NWBOC
NWBOC has added a new "Fast-Track" application for women business owners who are currently WBE certified and want to add another certification. "If we have evaluated and approved the process for their current third party certification, there is no need for a woman business owner to have to wait or pay a higher fee when there is less work on our behalf to confirm this certification," said Janet Harris Lange, NWBOC President. We started the Fast-Track application in response to requests from WBEs who wanted a streamlined process. "In these tough economic times, businesses are looking for every edge they can get," said Harris-Lange. "They are getting multiple certifications so no stone is left unturned in the possibilities of the marketplace, whether it is corporate or government."

Enterprising Women Awards, March, 2010: Enterprising Women, the national magazine for women business owners, has announced its eighth annual list of the "Enterprising Women of the Year." The top women business owners from across the United States and Canada will be recognized for outstanding business growth, mentoring and supporting other women in business, and leadership in their communities. Honorees will gather March 17-19 at the Marriott Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, FL, with the gala awards dinner slated for March 18. We are pleased to announce that three of these wonderful women are NWBOC affiliated:
Rebecca Cenni of Atrium Staffing, New York, NY is one of our certifieds (over $25M category)
Karen Maples of Myutiq, LLC, Arlington, VA is one of our site visitors (up to $1M
Mary Schnack of Mary Schnack & Associates, Sedona, AZ is one of our certifieds (up to $1M)

The Center for Women's Business Research has just released their newest research results on women business owners. Highlights: WBO firms contribute $3Trillion to US economy; and employ 16% of the workforce. WOW. Read the report.

From Claudine George, Iconma, LLC, Troy, MI "Thank you very much to your organization for the support and encouragement to grow my business. Your hard work to promote and mentor women in business is very appreciated. Please accept this gift on behalf of myself and Iconma to help continue your life-changing efforts."

The Biddies have been launched! NWBOC invited their certified WBEs to form local networks to share ideas, procurement opportunities, tips, etc. Groups meet at local coffee shops and since everyone is trying to win "bids," they have been dubbed "The Biddies." The response was overwhelming. In a couple of days about 30 groups formed. If any of you want to take the lead on this, NWBOC will send you a list of certified companies in your area and NWBOC will buy the first round of coffee. NWBOC will also send out an evite for you which will produce the RSVP list. Here is a testimonial from an NWBOC Certified: "The first two meetings of the Palm Beach "Biddies" were productive and informative. The cross section of businesses represented by other female professionals was diverse. Sharing our stories, both personal and professional, was great. On a personal level, Ariela Owens, Sunray Construction Services Inc., and Sandie Foland, Baron Sign Manufacturing, have been very helpful in providing information on contacts and opportunities to help me grow my business. I recommend these meetings to all women business owners as a valuable networking tool." Thank you, Denise DeDecker, Pres. Florida Windows and Doors, Inc.

Always something new on the NWBOC eProcurement MarketPlace, which solves major challenges faced by both buyers and WBEs -- how to find each other and then seamlessly do business together. It also makes it easier to find and do business with other WBEs. All of the tools are easy to use with no special equipment or training required. Buyers can discover new vendors and enhance their WBE outreach, while WBEs increase the ease of sales and grow their companies. It takes only 10 minutes to register your company. Go to NWBOC.economicengine.com. Click on "Sign Up Now-Vendors" on the left hand side menu, and follow the instructions.