National Association of Women Business Owners Celebrates 40th Anniversary

Bank of America Serves as 40th Anniversary Sponsor, Continuing Mutual Commitment to Women Entrepreneurs

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National Association of Women Business Owners

Jan 08, 2015, 04:41 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) is celebrating the organization's 40^th anniversary in 2015. The organization was founded in 1975 by a group of women entrepreneurs who joined together to remove obstacles and create opportunities for other women entrepreneurs across the country. Today, NAWBO boasts 5,000 members and 60 chapters nationwide and is the only member organization representing women entrepreneurs in all sectors, sizes and stages of their business development.

Bank of America will serve as the NAWBO 40^th anniversary sponsor, hosting receptions celebrating the 40^th anniversary, and will be the presenting sponsor at the 2015 NAWBO Women's Business Conference.

"Women business owners have come a long way since 1975 thanks in large part to the NAWBO leaders who came before us. Though the challenges may change, what has remained the same over the last 40 years is the community and sisterhood that NAWBO offers to all of its members," said Darla Beggs, NAWBO National Board Chair. "Our relationship with Bank of America is one of our most long-standing and truly beneficial collaborations because it is based on our mutual commitment to serving women entrepreneurs. We are fortunate to have them as a colleague in our efforts and to have them serve as the sponsor of our 40^thanniversary. Bank of America is always in the corner of women business owners and their support for NAWBO has been unwavering."

"We are honored to serve as sponsor for NAWBO's 40^th anniversary throughout 2015. Their exceptional work over the past 40 years has made it possible for thousands of women to start and grow their own businesses," said Jill Calabrese Bain, Small Business National Sales Executive for Bank of America. "Investing in women to connect them to the resources, networks and mentoring they need to help them achieve success is a special area of focus for Bank of America, and we look forward to continuing to work with our friends at NAWBO to help make that happen."

During its 40 years, NAWBO has made an impact on several fronts. The organization was integrally involved in the passage of H.R. 5050, which among other things created the National Women's Business Council and abolished requirements that a female entrepreneur obtain a male co-signatory for her business loan; led and participated in multiple international business exchanges; has served as a data resource to help the federal government better understand and meet the needs of women business owners; and organized and participated in public policy summits in Washington, DC to ensure the perspective of women business owners is heard.

"Statistics show that when women entrepreneurs do well, they pass it on to others by creating new jobs, giving back to their communities and advocating for policies around the globe to help others to succeed," continued Beggs. "At NAWBO, our mission is to provide women entrepreneurs with greater access to the tools they need to grow their businesses. This year, in conjunction with our 40^th anniversary, we will roll out a series of programs and events designed to empower women entrepreneurs and showcase the expertise and experiences that our members bring to the table."

NAWBO will host a series of events across the country in conjunction with their 40^th anniversary. The celebration will culminate at their annual Women's Business Conference, which will be held September 27-29, 2015, in San Antonio, Texas.

To learn more about NAWBO's 40^th anniversary, click here.

To learn more about the 2015 Women's Business Conference, click here.

About NAWBO

Founded in 1975, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) is the unified voice of America's more than 9.1 million women-owned businesses representing the fastest growing segment of the economy. NAWBO is the only dues-based organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs across all industries. NAWBO develops programs that help navigate women entrepreneurs through the various stages of their business growth.

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small businesses, middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 48 million consumer and small business relationships with approximately 4,900 retail banking offices and approximately 15,700 ATMs and award-winning online banking with 31 million active users and more than 16 million mobile users. Bank of America is among the world's leading wealth management companies and is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations in more than 40 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. www.bankofamerica.com

CONTACT: Joy Lutes
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SOURCE National Association of Women Business Owners