Advocacy has been a vital part of NAWBO’s mission since the very beginning, ensuring that women business owners have a voice in shaping policies that impact their businesses and communities. For NAWBO Northeast Ohio (NEO), advocacy has grown from a grassroots effort into an integral part of the chapter’s identity. From proclamations to education to relationship-building, the chapter is making meaningful strides in advancing the interests of women entrepreneurs.
Bevan Evans
Laying the Groundwork
Bevan Evans, NAWBO NEO’s president-elect and a member of the National Advocacy Committee, recalls the early days of advocacy efforts within the chapter. “When I took on advocacy, there wasn’t an advocacy director at the time. I was the first in quite a while, so I had to dip my toe into what was needed, what we wanted to do and what it would look like,” she explains. The National Advocacy Calls with regional updates were a valuable resource.
Bridget Richard
Bridget Richard, the chapter’s current advocacy director, has taken that foundation and built on it. One of the more recent advocacy initiatives has been securing proclamations in honor of the chapter’s 45th anniversary. “We cover a large geographic area, which gives us the opportunity to engage with multiple cities and legislators,” explains Bridget. The outreach has been a team effort, and they have secured proclamations from the cities of Cleveland and Canton, and are waiting on a third from Akron.
Additionally, NAWBO NEO regularly invites local legislators to their events so they can meet and interact with NAWBO’s women business owners. “When they meet our women, it becomes real for them,” Bridget says. “We can call them all day long, but face-to-face interactions at events create the most lasting impressions.” NAWBO members also feel more comfortable connecting with them in an event setting.
Personal Motivation Behind Advocacy
For both NAWBO leaders, advocacy is deeply personal. Bridget, who has a background in clinical social work, sees a natural connection between her profession and her role in NAWBO. “Advocacy is built into my profession’s code of ethics. I’ve been involved in advocacy efforts for years, and bringing that into NAWBO made sense,” she says. “My goal is to make advocacy approachable for our members—to show them that it’s not just about big legislative changes, but also about everyday actions that impact their businesses.”
For Bevan, advocacy is a way to honor her mother’s legacy. “My mother started our business in the ’70s before women could even sign for credit on their own,” she recalls. “She was divorced and had to buy equipment and had to rely on the goodwill of the town banker to secure a loan. I always felt like I needed to protect what she worked so hard to get for other women like my niece. I don’t want her to lose what we have.”
Advocacy Gaining Momentum
In recent years, NAWBO NEO has ramped up its advocacy efforts and strengthened its presence at the national level. “We’re gaining recognition, both within our chapter and among legislators,” Bevan says. “Members are becoming more comfortable discussing advocacy, and it’s no longer something that makes their eyes glaze over. We’re gathering momentum and making an impact.”
Bridget agrees, noting that engagement in advocacy is more important now than ever. They’re working to remove the stigma around advocacy and help members understand that it’s about relationship-building on both sides. To do this, the chapter has also partnered with other bipartisan organizations, which has helped them gain traction more quickly because these organizations have existing relationships.
Encouraging Member Involvement
To make advocacy more accessible to all members, NAWBO NEO launched a quarterly Advocacy 101 Zoom session. “We break it down into manageable steps,” Bevan says. “Advocacy isn’t just about federal legislation—it can be as simple as disputing a property tax bill or as significant as testifying before Congress.”
The chapter recently secured proclamations in honor of their 45th anniversary.
The chapter also ensures advocacy is a part of every event. They recently hosted a panel with representatives from NAWBO, WBENC and other organizations where they discussed key advocacy issues like childcare. “It went beautifully,” Bridget shares. “The panelists were very well educated and humorous and it was a great way to educate and engage members.”
Looking Ahead
As NAWBO celebrates its 50th anniversary and the chapter its 45th, Bevan and Bridget envision a future where advocacy continues to grow in impact. “I want to inspire more women to have an active voice and see a 50/50 split in women and men going from business into politics,” Bridget says. “We need representation that reflects the population.”
Bevan adds, “I want to make sure that women have the same opportunities to access capital and not have additional hoops they have to jump through. I’d like it to be a non-issue—that those funds and resources are available to everyone who’s qualified across the board.”
Through continued education, strategic engagement and unwavering commitment, NAWBO NEO is proving that advocacy is not just a pillar of the organization—it’s a driving force for meaningful change. As Bevan says, “We’ve left the station, and the train is picking up speed. We’re getting there, and we’re making a difference.”
A National Advocacy Day Connection Hits Home
When Bevan first attended Advocacy Day—happening on June 5th in Washington, DC this year—she wasn’t sure where to begin with the national advocacy agenda and received some great advice: Find what you identify with most on the agenda and talk about that and how it’s been a challenge for you in your business.
She met with Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown’s office, and when she returned the following year, a staff member remembered her because her business had won a grant for a pilot employment program for underserved youth. He later arranged for a local staff member to visit Bevan’s business in person. “This is an example of what we’re hoping to do on many different levels,” Bevan says.
Learn more and get your ticket to Advocacy Day and the National Women’s Business Conference on June 5-8 in Washington, DC, here.