WBEC honored at WBENC’s 2017 National Conference and Business Fair
PHILADELPHIA, June 28, 2017 – Women’s Business Enterprise Council (WBEC) of PA-DE-sNJ is the 2017 recipient of four national awards presented at this year’s Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Conference and Business Fair celebrating WBENC’s 20th anniversary. The awards include the Lifetime Achievement Award, Best WBE Mentor Award, the Hes4Shes Award and the 2017 WBENC Collaboration Award for the Implementation of the Digital Certification System.
Presented by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council each year, the prestigious WBENC Choice Awards honor leaders and allies in the women-owned business sector. Award winners were announced at WBENC’s annual conference held this year on June 20-22 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The three-day conference is attended by women business enterprises (WBEs) and includes workshops, business trade fair, matchmaker meetings and networking opportunities with U.S. government and Fortune 500 companies.
WBENC honored WBEC President Emerita Geri Swift, a founder of WBENC, with the WBENC Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes a lifetime of hard work and support towards the development of women-owned businesses.
“I have worked with some unbelievably gifted women leaders over the years,” said Swift. “I am proud to have played a role in the success of women entrepreneurs.”
WBENC also presented WBEC Chair George Ehrgott with the Hes4Shes Award, which recognizes men in the WBENC network who play an important role in breaking down barriers for women-owned businesses to achieve equality and opportunities within the business sector.
WBEC member Cindy Towers received the 2017 Best WBE Mentor award, which is given to a WBE who goes above and beyond to personally provide insights and guidance to fellow WBEs around taking full advantage of the WBENC network.
About WBEC
The Women’s Business Enterprise Council (WBEC) is a purchasing council for certified women’s business enterprises (WBEs) in Pennsylvania, Delaware and southern New Jersey. The Council provides WBENC women business enterprise certification as well as educational, networking, procurement-related, and informational programs and services that foster growth and business opportunities between WBEs and purchasing entities, including major corporations and government agencies. WBEC also is the third-party certifier of women-owned businesses for the City of Philadelphia, the State of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Women-Owned Small Business Program. For more information, visit its website – www.wbecouncil.org
About WBENC
Founded in 1997, WBENC is the leading third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women, with nearly 14,000 WBENC-Certified WBEs. WBENC-Certification is accepted by more than 1,000 corporations representing America’s most prestigious brands, in addition to many states, cities and other entities. Throughout the year, WBENC and its 14 Regional Partner Organizations provide opportunities for interactions between more than 650 member corporations, government agencies and thousands of certified WBEs at business building events and other forums. WBENC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that seeks and accepts donations from corporations, foundations and individuals that support its mission and programs. For more information, please go to www.wbenc.org.