NAWBO Overview

NAWBO Overview

“Get a seat at the table or build your own table, and make sure to include other women.”

—Susan Hager, NAWBO’s founding president

Susan and NAWBO’s 11 other founders didn’t start out as advocates. They were women business owners, just like the women NAWBO serves today, with big dreams and obstacles keeping them from fully achieving those.

They formed NAWBO in 1975 in Washington, DC, because they knew they were better together. They began sharing information about federal contracts, access to capital and more. And their efforts, and the number of women who joined them, grew.

Today, 50 years later, NAWBO is the unified, bi-partisan voice of America’s more than 14 million women-owned businesses, and the only dues-based membership organization representing the interests of these women with businesses of all sizes, stages of growth and industries through our three pillars:

  • Education
  • Advocacy
  • Leadership

Our Vision & Mission

NAWBO propels women entrepreneurs into economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide by:

  • Strengthening the wealth creating capacity of our members and promoting economic development within the entrepreneurial community
  • Creating innovative and effective change in the business culture
  • Building strategic alliances, coalitions and affiliations
  • Transforming public policy and influencing opinion makers

Learn more about NAWBO here.

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