NAWBO delegations are a unique opportunity to connect with entrepreneurial women from around the globe, learning about their cultures, businesses, governments, similarities and differences and expanding your worldview as both a woman and a woman business owner. A dozen NAWBO members recently traveled that road—to the Global Summit of Women held in Madrid, Spain. Here, two share their experiences.
Amisha Jay Dalwadi is the 2024-2025 president of NAWBO Houston and founder of two businesses. She co-founded Dalwadi Hospitality Management with her siblings. Together, they build, own and manage hotels predominantly in the Houston area, focusing on delivering exceptional guest experiences and innovative hospitality solutions.
Amisha is also the CEO and co-founder of House of Devi, a South Asian-inspired streetwear, jewelry and home goods brand that is launching on November 2nd. “We are excited to share our journey and unique products with the world,” Amisha says. “We pride ourselves on the quality and authenticity of our products, many of which are manufactured and sourced in India. We are also exploring connections in France to expand our international footprint and bring diverse influences into our collections.” Follow their journey on Instagram @BigDeviEnergy.
Elyse Notarianni is a two-year NAWBO member and the founder of Townie Creative, a Philadelphia-based ghostwriting and social media marketing company she launched in 2020 and has done full-time since 2022. She leverages platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram to further her clients’ personal branding and thought leadership.
“I really started by accident. When the pandemic closed business’ doors, I helped my mom’s job by posting their jewelry on Facebook. When they came back, they hired me, then referred me out to people who referred me to others. All of a sudden, I had a full-time business,” Elyse shares. She previously worked with smaller firms, doing small business social media, and then organically created relationships with executives who needed ghostwriting support.
About joining NAWBO, Elyse jokes that she was “bullied in a very loving way to join.” She came from Washington, DC, where networking is different, and didn’t know how to approach and talk to people. Her publisher at a small magazine was a NAWBO member and kept signing her up for events. Then at 24-years-old, it felt like one of the worst things a boss could do. Now at 28, it’s one of the biggest gifts she’s ever been given. Her publisher frequently pulls out an “I told you so,” every time she posts from a NAWBO event as a member for her own business.
Q: Have you traveled much internationally in the past, and was this your first NAWBO delegation?
Amisha: Traveling is something I do to feed my soul. I love exploring new destinations and immersing myself in different cultures. I’ve been to over 30 countries and hope to visit them all in my lifetime. Each journey has enriched my perspective and inspired me in various ways, both personally and professionally.
This was my second NAWBO delegation. My first one was to the FCEM event in Paris, France, in 2023, which was a transformative experience. The Global Summit in Madrid, Spain, was my second delegation, and it continued to build on the connections and insights I gained from the first.
In 2018, I was also part of a delegation to India with the City of Houston. We visited Mumbai and Delhi with Mayor Sylvester Turner, meeting with various industries and establishing connections with several chambers, the U.S. Embassy and Reliance Industries.
Elyse: I studied abroad for a year in Madrid in college. I lived right outside the city with a host mom who only spoke a few words of English, so I had to perfect my Spanish quickly. I was also there in the fall for two weeks while finishing a book I was ghostwriting for a client.
I had a personal reason for going last fall, too. This last year, the younger brother of my fiancé, who I was with for 10 years, was killed in a car accident by a DUI driver. He was just 23 and I considered him my “brother-in-law.” When things fell apart with my fiancé after that, I up and ran away to Spain. I did a ton of traveling while there and finished the book, but it was really hard. It was a full-circle moment to be back in Madrid this spring with NAWBO, in the same place I was 6 months before but for entirely different (and positive) reasons.
Q: Why did you want to go to Madrid in particular—what did you hope to get out of it?
Amisha: I was particularly interested in attending the Global Summit in Madrid because of the high praise from fellow NAWBO members about the organization and the quality of the event. The opportunity to connect with inspiring women from all over the world was a significant draw. Additionally, I had never been to Madrid, so I was excited to explore the beautiful city and its rich cultural heritage. I hoped to gain new perspectives, forge meaningful connections and bring back valuable insights to apply in my businesses and community involvement.
Elyse: Madrid felt like a comfortable place for me to go for a conference. I stayed at an Airbnb in the same neighborhood I was in last fall. I was walking in same neighborhood and eating at the same restaurants and cafés, and for first time, I really felt how much better I was doing. I did finish the book while in Spain last fall, but it was difficult. I felt like this time, I was there as a U.S. delegate at the Global Summit of Women. I had been working through my breakup for a while and then all of a sudden it just clicked for me.
I kept noticing that with work, you go to conferences as part of organizations and they’re great and help you grow, but they just feel like a trip. This was different. I could look and say, “This is the organization I’m part of and the opportunity I’m in” and see that as an accomplishment.
Q: Can you share about the experience—what were some of the top highlights from your perspective?
Amisha: The experience was incredibly inspiring. Hearing from distinguished leaders such as the Hon. Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida, Mayor of Madrid and H.E. Maria Jesus Montero, First Vice President of Spain, was particularly impactful. Every session I attended was informative, and the speakers were outstanding, providing several key takeaways that I can apply in both my personal and professional life.
One highlight was the “Enterprise Building Across Borders” session with my NAWBO sister Lisa Brunet. It was fascinating to learn about the innovative ways companies are working to make the world a better place.
Meeting women from around the world and discovering both the similarities and differences in how we balance work and home was enlightening. These interactions provided a deeper understanding of the global business landscape and reinforced the importance of support and collaboration among women entrepreneurs.
Elyse: For me, the highlight overall was just being in the room with delegations from 72 different countries. You can see yourself as part of a bigger ecosystem of women business owners. You can see the different things they were doing and different challenges and experiences they are having.
I picked my Spanish back up and spoke a lot with the Spanish delegation there. I loved seeing how open they were. One said she’d love to get me involved with her non-governmental organization (NGO) in Mexico to do programming on personal branding and thought leadership.
It made me see my business a little differently. I focus on getting access to a specific community, but it doesn’t have to be geographical, it can be around ideas and industries. I’ve been trying to focus more on that now.
Q: Was the delegation what you expected, or did anything you experienced or learned in Madrid surprise you, and why?
Amisha: I approach conferences with a sense of curiosity and an open mind.
One of the most pleasant surprises was the depth of the connections I formed with my NAWBO sisters. Being away from our usual environments allowed us to bond more closely and support each other in meaningful ways. We learned about each other’s personal struggles and coping strategies. We built a strong support network that will continue to benefit us long after the summit.
Additionally, the diversity of perspectives and experiences shared by women from different countries was eye-opening. It reinforced the idea that while our challenges may vary, our core goals and aspirations as women in business are remarkably similar.
Elyse: I wasn’t expecting for the programming to be so dense and for there to be such a wide array of topics. I feel like I learned a million things each day. Also, I wasn’t expecting how much people would intermingle with one another. They were so open and inviting, and I never sat with the same people twice. Everybody seemed very invested in getting to know each other personally and seeing each other outside of the conference.
As for the NAWBO delegation, I’ve always had good experiences with NAWBO, but didn’t expect how close-knit our group would become. They were very welcoming and everyone wanted to get together and to know each other. Amisha was the first person I saw in Washington, DC right after that. She brought me a gift bag from Houston with tarot cards, because I had read tarot cards for her in Spain. I was much younger than the other delegates in Madrid, but I didn’t feel like anyone looked at or treated me differently. Everyone was so welcoming and inviting.
Q: How will you use this experience and knowledge moving forward personally and in your business?
Amisha: The connections I made with women from Spain, Canada and Germany, among other countries, were invaluable. These relationships have opened doors to potential international collaborations and partnerships. The summit gave me increased confidence to pursue international business opportunities and to think more globally in my strategic planning.
Personally, the insights and support from fellow NAWBO members have strengthened my resolve and provided new strategies for balancing work and personal life. Professionally, the knowledge gained from the sessions and the connections made will help me innovate and expand both Dalwadi Hospitality Management and House of Devi, ensuring they continue to grow and thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.
Additionally, I aim to encourage more NAWBO members to participate in international delegations. These experiences are invaluable for opening your mind to new possibilities and can significantly contribute to the growth of your business. One of my goals is to offer stipends to NAWBO Houston members who wish to attend these delegations.
Elyse: Originally, I was doing a lot of writing for personal branding, but the majority of my business has been social media for businesses. This made me realize how important it is to hone in on that.
Also, I was in the room with 500 women who are experts in their industries and smart and driven with so many great experiences. I’d talk with them over lunch about AI, our thoughts and pet peeves and things we’re excited about, and I’d think about the thousands of posts I could write in their voices from these conversations. With one woman, I shared why I was there and she shared she had also gone through a divorce and that’s why she started her business—when she had to stand on her own two feet. Since leaving, I have been honing in and focusing in on that piece of my business—helping people share experiences, not information.
This experience also made me realize that sometimes with NAWBO, we get stuck on the idea that the business relationships you get the most from are the ones actually around us. Now, there are women I talk to regularly in the Houston chapter, where Amisha is, and I have such a great relationship with them. I can go to them if I need advice or a reference. I didn’t go to Madrid trying to sell myself, but got so much out of having that professional connection. Yes, your local chapter has so much to offer, but there are women all over the country you can benefit from greatly by just getting in the room with them.
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oin an Upcoming NAWBO Delegation!
The NAWBO International Committee is hosting a delegation to the AMEXME Congress in Queretaro, Mexico, on September 25-27. Through our partnership with AMEXME, NAWBO’s counterpart in Mexico, members have the opportunity to network with and learn alongside Mexican women entrepreneurs. Email Becky Ragan at [email protected] for details.
A NAWBO delegation is also headed to FCEM’s 71st World Congress in Sydney, Australia, on October 23-25. The theme of this year’s Congress is Connecting the Dots: Women Leading Globally. Register as an FCEM member here. Then, let Becky Ragan at [email protected] know you plan to attend.