SBA, WIPP, AMEX to Cohost Education Initiative for Women Entrepreneurs This Fall

WASHINGTON -Today, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden's Cabinet for America's more than 34 million small businesses, announced that the federal agency will cohost two events in the Washington, D.C., area and Florida alongside Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) and American Express (AMEX) this fall as a continuation of the 2024 National ChallengeHER road tour.

ChallengeHer is a government contracting education initiative that aims to bring more women-owned firms into the federal government's supply chain, encourage participation in the SBA's Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract Program, and provide an avenue for government agencies to meet qualified women-owned small business contractors.

The two events will be held outside of Washington, D.C., at George Mason University (GMU) on October 10 and in Fort Lauderdale at the Marriott Harbor Beach Hotel on December 3. The event is free for all registrants; register at www.ChallengeHER.us.

"ChallengeHER has helped more than 26,000 women-owned small business owners gain access to federal contracts and grow their revenue by selling to the world's largest buyer: the U.S. government," said Jackie Robinson-Burnette, Associate Administrator for SBA's Office of Government Contracting and Business Development. "Our continued collaboration with Women Impacting Public Policy and American Express on the ChallengeHER initiative reaffirms the SBA's pledge to eliminating disparities for women-owned businesses in the federal marketplace by empowering them to connect with federal buyers directly via matchmaking events and by continuously advocating on their behalf."

"WIPP is honored to be a national partner on this much needed and well-respected program. Now in its 11th year, we have served nearly 26,000 women-owned small businesses, providing the education and resources needed to navigate the road to success and sustainability during these historical times," said Angela Dingle, President & CEO, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP).

"American Express has a long history of backing small businesses, providing the tools and resources they need to grow and thrive as we aim to help businesses do more business. We're proud to continue to support ChallengeHER, which unlocks real opportunities for women-owned businesses to drive sales and growth through access to contracts and important connections, said Jessica Ling, Executive Vice President of Global Brand Advertising, American Express.

SBA Administrator Guzman announced the Biden-Harris Administration exceeded its FY23 small business contracting goal of 23%, awarding an all-time high 28.4% of federal contract dollars to women-owned small businesses (WOSB), who received $30.9 billion in federal contracting dollars, which marks the highest dollar amount ever awarded to WOSBs.

The ChallengeHER events provide matchmaking opportunities between women-owned businesses and government contractors and networking opportunities. It also provides world-class programming and training facilitated by subject-matter experts and entering and navigating the public sector supply chain. These sessions are offered in-person and online.

The ChallengeHER Road Tour schedule is as follows:

National ChallengeHER Road Tour Schedule 2024:

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About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

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