In March of 2019, the Council launched its signature Women in Small Business Roundtable Series across the country to convene women business owners and entrepreneurs and connect their voices to policymakers in Washington, DC. NWBC traveled to states in which Council Members live and grow their businesses and tapped into their local networks of female founders, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem stakeholders. The Council also engaged federal policymakers and local government officials, particularly those from the Small Business Administration and its resource partners, to join the discussion. Each roundtable was open to the public. In order to facilitate candid and insightful conversations, the names and companies of roundtable participants were not disclosed. While members of the press were also invited to attend, the personal information of the participants remained embargoed unless the individual participants offered express consent to release.

Each roundtable discussion focused on one of the Council’s three main policy priorities:

Access to Capital & Opportunity – NWBC recognizes that access to capital remains the largest barrier to market entry and success for female founders and women-owned firms. The Council strives to propose solutions pertaining to credit access, federal procurement, and venture capital funding for women entrepreneurs.

Women in STEM – NWBC is dedicated to encouraging women to start and grow their businesses in STEM, an industry with proven high-growth potential. Efforts to spur entrepreneurship in these underrepresented fields center on education and capital.

Rural Women’s Entrepreneurship – NWBC remains committed to gaining further insight on the unique challenges faced by rural women entrepreneurs and identifying untapped opportunities for growth.