Thank you for your interest in joining the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC). Our Council would not exist without enterprising entrepreneurs like you, and we are always grateful for the contribution of members of the public. Before we proceed, it may be worth clarifying the role of the Council and the ways in which Council Members are appointed.

NWBC is a non-partisan federal advisory committee serving as an independent source of advice and policy recommendations to the President, Congress, and to the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on issues of importance to women business owners. Our members consist of four business owners from the President’s party, four business owners who are not from the President’s party, and six representatives from women’s business organizations. These members are appointed based on recommendations from the President, members of Congress, the SBA Administrator or by current NWBC Council Members and staff. During the appointment process, potential Council Members are vetted to determine whether they would be a strong candidate and if any conflicts of interest exist (including receiving financing or grants from SBA). Appointed Council Members serve three-year terms and are ideally diverse geographically, economically, demographically, and ideologically.

We need ambitious people like yourself for our Council to be successful, though we always must make it clear that we have a limited, competitive, and rigorous appointment process. If you are still interested in becoming a Council Member, please let us know by visiting our Contact Us page.

While we are not a programmatic office of the SBA per se, our mission does involve keeping tabs on national women’s business enterprise issues, programs, resources, and policy trends. We have collected a number of small business resources on our Resources page, as well as in our Annual Reports. Additionally, we highly encourage you to visit the SBA’s webpage, which provides information on steps you can take to secure a business loan. SBA’s Learning Center and Ascent platforms are excellent tools for building entrepreneurial skill and savvy. Finally, SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership connects women business owners to resource partners and can help you locate your closest Women’s Business Center (WBC) office.

Our small but mighty team needs leaders like you to support our outstanding all-volunteer Council as it creates policy recommendations to advance women’s business enterprise. Because our staff size is limited by statute, we may not have a vacancy at the moment, but are happy to keep your resume on file and reach out should a suitable opportunity arise. To connect with us, you are welcome to reach out to info@nwbc.gov.

If you are interested in connecting to the larger women’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, we recommend you connect with other organizations working to support women’s entrepreneurship in your community who may be able to give you greater insights, such as with your local women’s business center, the nearest regional partner organization of WBENC, or the closest chapter of NAWBO.

While we do not certify businesses ourselves, we frequently work with SBA and a selection of third-party certifiers. To learn more about WOSB certification, be sure to check out the SBA’s WOSB certification page as well as their selection of resources on federal contracting.