When women business owners come together to fuel access, accountability and bipartisanship, it’s inspiring what real change and impact can be made. Women mean business!

Last week, I joined women business owners from all across the nation to engage in crucial conversations with elected officials focused around workforce development, caring for business owners as well as their employees, supporting microbusinesses and equal opportunity for necessary capital.

This was the National Association of Women Business Owners’ Advocacy Days 2024! 🇺🇸 I’m so honored to be part of this organization that serves as the unified voice of over 13 million women business owners.

Y’all, I also leaned into work-life integration by finally getting to visit the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture after being inspired by Phil Freelon’s words about his work on this project at a Raleigh Chamber event years ago, and I loved reconnecting with my Kappa Alpha Theta little sister, Elizabeth Reilly. It was a winning trip all around!

Currently in its 49th year, the National Association of Women Business Owners (or NAWBO) propels women entrepreneurs into economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide by:

🤝 Strengthening the wealth-creating capacity of 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

Much gratitude to the teams at Public Private Strategies and NAWBO National who planned the event, to sponsors like Bank of America, Dell, Gusto, Meta and Wells Fargo who make events like this possible, to the elected officials who engaged with us and all the women business owners who actively attended.

With all the work put toward this event, women business owners from across our nation were able to have meaningful conversations with our elected officials about issues that matter for the success of our businesses, ourselves, our employees and our vendor partners:

🗣️ Proposed bill language for the establishment of the definition for microbusiness

🗣️ Suggested efforts to facilitate emerging entrepreneurs’ greater success

🗣️ Encouraged Congress to ensure small businesses continue to thrive via use of independent contractors

🗣️ Urged consideration of legislation to help small businesses offer employee benefits via existing portals

🗣️ Discussed options to make paid family leave more reasonable for small businesses

🗣️ Sought care for business owners and employees alike through affordable healthcare options as well as reliable, flexible childcare that could increase business growth and, thus, dramatically impact economy

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone back in DC next year for the 50th anniversary celebration!

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Advocating in DC for Women Business Owners