Contact:
Jordan Chapman
202-941-6001
Jordan.Chapman@sba.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. – (December 21, 2023) – The National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) is excited to share its 2023 Annual Report. NWBC serves as an independent source of advice and counsel to Congress, the White House, and the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on issues of importance to women entrepreneurs. In fulfillment of this mission, NWBC has delivered the report to these audiences and is pleased to make it available to the public.

“The Council has worked tirelessly over the past fiscal year to develop policy recommendations designed to better support women in business,” shared Tené Dolphin, Executive Director of NWBC. “Whether it is increasing access to capital and opportunity, amplifying women’s participation in innovation, or building a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem, the Council is dedicated to advancing entrepreneurship for women across the country. We are delighted to share the 2023 Annual Report, a snapshot of this work.”

“NWBC uplifts America’s over 13 million women entrepreneurs by engaging in research, developing policy recommendations, leading dialogues, and connecting with stakeholders from all over the entrepreneurial landscape,” noted NWBC Chair Sima Ladjevardian. “It has been an honor to further progress for women in business this past year, and we cannot wait to build on these successes in the next year, starting with our January 2024 Public Meeting.”

To explore NWBC’s 2023 Annual Report and view reports from previous years, visit the Annual Reports page on www.nwbc.gov.

In order to delve more deeply into the contents of the 2023 Annual Report and lay the groundwork for collaboration for 2024, the Council will hold a hybrid public meeting from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ET on January 23, 2024, at SBA Headquarters (409 3rd St SW, Washington, DC 20416). This meeting will also be live streamed via Zoom. Members of the public are invited to join the meeting to learn about the Council’s ongoing endeavors, understand how the Council moves in alignment with other women’s business organizations, and share their firsthand experiences when it comes to entrepreneurship. 

Some of the key topics covered in the 2023 Annual Report that will likely be discussed during the January 2024 Public Meeting include:

• During the past year, NWBC commissioned two research projects: one focused on women’s entrepreneurship in high-yield and high-growth industries and the other focused on women’s entrepreneurship in rural, tribal, and other historically underserved communities, including urban underserved communities. Insights from these projects will undoubtedly inform future policy recommendations.
• This year, the Council focused a selection of recommendations on creating equitable access to diverse sources of business financing and increasing federal contracting opportunities and awards for women-owned small businesses.
• In 2023, the Council developed recommendations driven by a desire to foster equitable opportunity for women entrepreneurs in high-growth industries, bolster initiatives around apprenticeships, grants and the STEM pipeline, and promote and protect women’s STEM innovation.
• The Council aimed various policy recommendations at bridging service gaps in underserved communities, positioning more women-owned small businesses to compete, and strengthening coordination between grassroots and federal efforts throughout the past year.
• The Council highlights numerous entrepreneurial development resources each year and partners with key resource partners to enhance existing frameworks and design more just ones to accelerate economic opportunity for women.

To register for NWBC’s January 2024 Public Meeting, visit the Public Meetings page on www.nwbc.gov.

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About the 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 counsel 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.