Jessica Smith (from left), former WBC Business Counselor; Juli Monroe, former WBC Director; and Antonio Doss, District Director, SBA Washington Metropolitan Area District Offic, at the 2019 Small Business Awards Ceremony. Photo provided.
The Washington Metropolitan Area District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has selected the Women’s Business Center of Northern Virginia as the winner of the 2019 Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award.
The Women’s Business Center of Northern Virginia, within the Community Business Partnership, is a sponsored program of the Mason Enterprise Center at George Mason University.
Criteria for the award include creating and developing innovative events or programs, publications, research materials and online applications; advocating for women’s entrepreneurship and the overall small business community; partnering with local, state and other entities (including small business development centers and SCORE) to grow the program; and collaborating with the Small Business Association to champion SBA products and services.
The Women’s Business Center was honored at a ceremony and lunch during National Small Business Week, May 5-11.
The Women's Business Center's mission is to provide the training, assistance and support that women, minorities and socially disadvantaged clients need to start and grow successful small businesses in Northern Virginia.
In 2018, the Community Business Partnership’s 11 staff and 24 volunteers created more than 350 business training events with 3,600 attendees. These events led to more than 1,000 individuals receiving more than 1,900 hours of one-on-one business counseling—and those activities resulted in 56 new businesses, as well as the creation or retention of more than 600 jobs.
Learn more about the Women’s Business Center.