You are invited to join the National Women’s Business Council for our next public meeting – United We Thrive: Sustaining Our Momentum in Corporate and Private Arenas on Wednesday, December 7, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm ET, via web conference. As the current administration comes to a close, we have the opportunity to reflect on the progress that we have made and the path forward. Women’s entrepreneurship has evolved from a ‘growing trend’ to a vital part of our nation’s economy.

According to the 2012 U.S. Census’ Survey of Business Owners (SBO), 36% of privately-held businesses in the U.S. are owned by women – approximately 10 million firms. These firms generate over $1.4 trillion in sales and employ over 8 million people. Despite the inroads made, there are still significant road blocks. Access to capital continues to be a challenge; on average, men start their businesses with nearly twice as much capital as women – $135,000 to $75,000. And, fewer than 2 percent of women-owned businesses exceed $1 million in receipts, though many indicate a desire to scale up.

Corporate supplier diversity programs, the formal efforts made by corporations to include underrepresented businesses into their supply chains, have been heralded as opportunities for businesses to scale up by securing high-value and sustainable contracts. We’ll be discussing supplier diversity, in depth, at our Public Meeting! We encourage entrepreneurs, business-owners, policymakers, researchers and officials to tune in to learn about the Council’s latest research, receive updates on Council activities, and hear from White House, Congressional and Small Business Administration representatives on major accomplishments and future priorities.

You can RSVP for the meeting here through Eventbrite or via email at[email protected] with your name and “RSVP for 12/07 Public Meeting” in the subject line. Further details will be provided upon RSVP. If you experience any problems, please contact us at (202) 205-3850.