FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Temren Wroge
202-738-3523
Temren.Wroge@sba.gov
Last week, in recognition of National Women’s History Month, the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) hosted a Small Business Roundtable in Pella, Iowa with Senator Joni Ernst, NWBC Chair Liz Sara, Council member Barbara Kniff-McCulla, Owner of KLK Construction, and over fifteen local women business owners.
The roundtable began with NWBC Chair Sara welcoming Senator Ernst and the fifteen women business owners, representing various business sectors from construction and manufacturing to an online floral business and a brewery owner. NWBC was honored to have Senator Ernst join the conversation, where she discussed her work on the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship and outlined her legislative priorities including increasing sole source contracting opportunities and paid family leave. Senator Ernst also touched on workforce training efforts and opportunity zones.
The highlight of the afternoon was a fireside chat between Senator Ernst and Council member Kniff-McCulla. They discussed topics ranging from broadband access to digital commerce and infrastructure. Kniff-McCulla remarked on the importance of the roundtable “for our rural community of Pella, to have a variety of women’s business owners sitting around the table, being able to tell their stories, and we appreciated Senator Ernst being a part of this.”
The discussion developed into introductions of the various small business owners and representatives from the Small Business Administration (SBA), the SBA’s Office of Advocacy, the National Association of Women Business Owners (a representative of which also serves on the Council), Women’s Business Centers, and Small Business Development Centers. It was an incredible collection of women, all with unique stories of their own. The roundtable conversation also explored topics such as access to capital and markets, crowdfunding, technology, and infrastructure.
With an estimated 12.3 million women-owned firms, 89,000 of which are located in Iowa, NWBC recognizes the unique contributions that women-owned businesses make to the economy and remains committed to continuing to advocate for a platform to expand and improve opportunities for women business owners and their enterprises. This Women’s History Month, NWBC was intent on highlighting and exploring the successes and opportunities that rural women entrepreneurs.
NWBC will be releasing a research report on rural women’s entrepreneurship in May of 2019. Preliminarily, the report finds that despite the declining rate of entrepreneurship in rural areas, there remains great opportunities for women’s entrepreneurship. The Council looks forward to highlighting and sharing those successes, and making accompanying policy recommendations to the President, the Congress, and the SBA.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Temren Wroge
202-738-3523
Temren.Wroge@sba.gov
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 31, 2019 — As part of its ‘Women in Small Business Roundtable Series,’ NWBC is hosting a roundtable in St. Petersburg, FL on August 6, 2019, with U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), NWBC Chair Liz Sara (Founder & President of Best Marketing, LLC), Florida-based NWBC Council Members Monica Stynchula (Founder & CEO of REUNIONCare) and Marygrace Sexton (Founder & CEO of Natalie’s Orchid Island Juices), and local business owners, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem builders.
As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Senator Marco Rubio will discuss current legislation pertaining to women’s business enterprise during a fireside chat with NWBC Council Member Marygrace Sexton.
The roundtable discussion will serve as the springboard for the Council’s policy recommendations to Congress, the President, and the Administrator of the Small Business Administration as they relate to women entrepreneurs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S.T.E.M.). As advocates for the nation’s estimated 12.3 million women-owned businesses, NWBC strives to encourage women to start and grow their businesses in S.T.E.M., an industry with proven high-growth potential.
Women business owners have a tremendous impact on the U.S. economy; however, they continue to be underrepresented in the S.T.E.M. fields. In fact, while women constitute 47% of the overall workforce, they make up just 28% of the science and engineering workforce. With such a low representation of women in the overall S.T.E.M. arena, dismal rates of women’s entrepreneurship in S.T.E.M. come as no surprise. NWBC’s comparison of self-employment rates in S.T.E.M. fields based on 2015 American Community Survey (ACS) data reveals that men are roughly twice as likely to be self-employed in S.T.E.M. fields relative to women.
This year, NWBC is committed to expanding opportunities for women’s business enterprise in S.T.E.M. and this roundtable will help the Council better understand the unique barriers and opportunities for female founders looking to start and grow their businesses in these fields.
If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP to Ashley Judah, Legislative Aide, at Ashley.Judah@sba.gov.
WASHINTON, D.C., August 30, 2019 – The National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) will host a public meeting on Tuesday, September 24, 2019, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM EST at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, Room SVC 203-202, in Washington, DC.
This meeting will provide the Council with the opportunity to recap its activity and engagement over the course of this fiscal year. Each of the Council’s three subcommittees – Rural Women’s Entrepreneurship, Women in S.T.E.M., and Access to Capital & Opportunity – will present their policy recommendations and initiatives to the Council. The Council will then vote on these policy recommendations and ultimately present them to the President, Congress, and the Administrator of the Small Business Administration in its 2019 Annual Report.
“As advocates for the nation’s women-owned businesses, NWBC strives to move the needle on the top issues identified by female founders and will continue to connect their voices to lawmakers in Washington,” said NWBC Chair Liz Sara.
The meeting is open to the public; however, advance notice of attendance is requested. To submit a written comment, the general public should email Ashley Judah with the subject line – “Response for 9/24/19 Public Meeting.”
The agenda will allow for 20 minutes of public statements. This time will be awarded in 4-minute increments to the first 5 people who confirm attendance and request to speak. All other submitted statements will be included in the meeting record.
A conference line will also be available for those unable to attend the meeting in person. Please call 1-208-391-5817 at the aforementioned event time. When prompted, enter conference ID number: 298732675.
For more information about upcoming events, please visit the NWBC website.
This meeting gives the Council the opportunity to recap its activity and engagement over the course of this fiscal year. Each of the Council’s three subcommittees – Rural Women’s Entrepreneurship, Women in S.T.E.M., and Access to Capital & Opportunity – will present their policy recommendations and initiatives to the Council. The Council will then vote on these policy recommendations and ultimately present them to the President, Congress, and the Administrator of the Small Business Administration in its 2019 Annual Report.
The meeting is open to the public; however, advance notice of attendance is requested.
If you are planning to attend in person, please allow enough time for security. Before entering the Capitol Visitor Center, all visitors are screened by a magnetometer, and all items permitted inside the building are screened by an x-ray device. Please visit the Capitol Visitor Center’s website for a list of prohibited items. To avoid tourists and other visitors, mention to the police officers that you are at the Capitol for official business. Once you pass through security, look for NWBC signage to guide you to the correct meeting room. NWBC’s Public Meeting will be held in room SVC 203 – 202.
A conference line will also be available for those unable to attend the meeting in person. Please call 1-208-391-5817 at the aforementioned event time. When prompted, enter conference ID number: 298732675.
To submit a written comment, the general public should email Ashley Judah with the subject line – “Response for 9/24/19 Public Meeting.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Temren Wroge
202-738-3523
Temren.Wroge@sba.gov
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 4, 2019 — As part of its ‘Women in Small Business Roundtable Series,’ NWBC is hosting a roundtable in Nampa, ID on October 9, 2019, with U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), NWBC Chair Liz Sara, Council Members Jessica Flynn (Boise-based, Founder & CEO of Red Sky), Barb Kniff McCulla (Owner of KLK Construction), Bonnie Nawara (Past Chair of AWBC & CEO of Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women), and local women business owners. The discussion will explore the unique challenges rural women entrepreneurs face and identify untapped opportunities for growth.
Event Details
Date: Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Location: Idaho Small Business Development Center – Nampa Business Accelerator
5465 E. Terra Linda Way
Nampa, ID 83687
Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM MDT
About National Women’s Business Council
The National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) is a non-partisan federal advisory committee created to serve as an independent source of advice and policy recommendations to the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration on economic issues of importance to women business owners. To learn more, please visit: www.NWBC.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Temren Wroge
202-738-3523
Temren.Wroge@sba.gov
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 06, 2020 – S. 737, the Building Blocks of STEM Act, was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on December 24, 2019. Sponsored by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), the bill instructs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to more equitably allocate funding for research with a focus on early childhood education. It also directs NSF to support research on factors that discourage or encourage girls to engage in STEM activities, including computer science.
The National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) is encouraged by the passage of this legislation and will continue to identify pipeline barriers for women entrepreneurs in the STEM fields. “Just four days prior to the passage of this bill, NWBC released its 2019 Annual Report, which provides policy recommendations in three key areas of importance to female founders including women in STEM. The passage of this bill is very encouraging and both NWBC and its staff remain resolute in working to advance policies that provide greater insight and support for female engagement in STEM,” said Nina Roque, Executive Director, National Women’s Business Council.
NWBC expressed support for the key provisions of S.737 in its 2019 Annual Report:
- NSF Grants Should be Utilized for Research Regarding Female Students’ Engagement in STEM: The Council agrees that NSF grants to increase the participation of underrepresented populations in STEM fields should be leveraged and utilized for in-depth research into various subjects regarding female students—students in prekindergarten through elementary school—including: (1) the role of teachers and caregivers in encouraging, or discouraging, participation by female students in STEM activities; and (2) the types of STEM activities that encourage greater participation by these students.
- NSF Computer Science Education Grants Should be Utilized for Development of Gender-Inclusive Learning and Teaching Tools: NSF grants marked for ‘computer science education’ and ‘computational thinking’ research should be utilized to support development and implementation of various teaching and learning tools and models, including: (1) developing and offering gender-inclusive computer science enrichment programs; and (2) acquainting female students in prekindergarten through elementary school with careers in computer science.