To Our Members and Friends,
Another year has come and gone, and I know myself and our entire team here is honored to have spent such a transformational year with each of you. On behalf of the Women’s Business Council – Southwest, thank you!
Thank you for every moment you chose to spend with us while on your own individual journeys this year. I know each of you come from so many different places, and impact so many different industries. I hope you know that we are continuously proud to be a part of your story. There is no greater way to spend a year than celebrating all of you, and y’all.. celebrate we did!
I want to take a moment to shine a light on a few of the biggest accomplishments we shared this year. In 2023, our membership saw an over 26% increase in new certifications for 2023. That means we have over 1,300 nationally certified women-owned businesses, and 83 corporate members, leaving their handprints across our region and on a global scale.
Another accomplishment to be proud of is how you are continuing to show up for yourself! This year, we put a focus on taking your feedback and providing quality programs and events that help you grow your business. With the help of our 2023 Sponsors, Committee Members, Staff, and Board Members, we were able to bring you nearly 50 programs and events. Each one brought us to a record number of over 3,000 attendees throughout the year. To put this into perspective, that means you have continued to make history here at WBCS. You also gave us the ability to try new things, like our Coffee with the Councils, Women of Color Business Mixers, and even a Technology Summit!
Internally, our membership is thriving while continuing to think of new ways to be successful. Externally, we are blown away by the support coming through for women-owned businesses from so many diverse and innovative backgrounds. Earlier this year, our Council was recognized as the DEC Network’s 2023 Corporate Member of the Year! A few months later, we were humbled to be named a finalist for the 2023 DCEO Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards! To continue building on these recognitions, we began looking externally to resources our membership could capitalize on. Notably, we partnered with the UTA Executive MBA Program to provide a continuing education opportunity for our members. Also, we were named the Lead Service Provider for the City of Irving’s Technical Assistance Program.Connecting small businesses that need foundational support, with our network of WBEs that can provide that service. Partnerships like this mean we are able to help you increase potential business opportunities, so we look forward to expanding on our efforts for new and existing community partnerships that do just that.
As you can see, our membership has been on the move, and y’all know we are only just getting started! Our team is looking forward to everything we have in store for you, and everything you have for us in the new year! If it is anything like this one, then I am sure it will be nothing short of transformational.
Wishing you all a happy holiday season, and a great start to the new year!
See you soon!
Bliss Coulter
President & CEO
Women's Business Council - Southwest
