|
In today's newsletter:
-
4 Pitch Competition Winners Advance to the Next Round!
-
Celebrating 25 Years of WBEC Florida with a Virtual Party Sept. 5
-
Corporate roundtables at Go for the Greens 2025 conference Sept. 25-27
-
Celebrating our newest WBE Sponsor, Terri Hall of Doubletake
-
2025 Holiday Retail Boot Camp Sept. 3-4 in Orlando
-
Business Resource Fair next Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2-4pm
| |
And the Winners Are ... 4 WBEs Move on to National Semi-Finals
| | |
In the 2025 WBEC Florida Regional Pitch Competition held this morning, the competition was fierce! We heard 10 pitches from 10 amazing WBEs whose businesses are on the upswing. Four contestants rose to the top, and they will represent WBEC Florida at the National Semifinals in front of a panel of WBENC judges in October.
They are, pictured clockwise from top left: Erica Bethe Levin, Founder and CEO of Globowl; Massiel Villanueva, Founder and CEO of YUJ Granola; Dr. Irene Arshad, Founder of Wise Owl Tutoring; and Amanda Mihnovich, CEO of Private Label Staff.
Our four contestants will compete to move forward to the WBENC finals, which ultimately will award $25,000 prizes to one service-based and one product-based business. Good luck, ladies!
Thank you to all 10 WBEs who pitched this morning ... you are all superstars! Thank you to our WBEC Florida Board Chair Terri Hall and Regional Director Steph McFee, who co-hosted the event; and to Board Member Brian Auden and Special Projects Director Diane Sears for helping tally the results.
Most of all, thank you to our esteemed panel of judges for listening to all 10 pitches and asking some fantastic questions. Pictured from left to right: Johanna Bratslavsky of CHEP, Buffy Butler of NEXTAFF, Willie Johnson of VyStar Credit Union, Blanca Robinson, retired, of WBEC South and WBENC; and Karen Tobler of Target Corp.
We look forward to cheering on our contestants in the next round and beyond!
| |
Come Join the Virtual Party
We're Celebrating!
25 Years of Impact
with WBEC Florida
a proud partner of WBENC
Friday, September 5, 2025
2–4 PM ET
Online via Zoom
Join us as we raise a glass together — virtually — to celebrate 25 years of certifying, championing and connecting women in business!
Help mark the occasion with awards, games and some very special networking activities. Of course there will be plenty of our trademark butterflies!
| |
Together We Thrive
Go for the Greens 2025
Women's Business Development Conference
| |
Pack your business cards and your Mickey ears for an unforgettable conference experience: Go for the Greens 2025 women's business development conference.
When: Sept. 25-27
Where: Disney's Boardwalk Resort
Theme: Together We Thrive is more than a motto — it’s a movement. Designed as a safe space for established women entrepreneurs to focus on business growth, the conference delivers an inspiring keynote, on-stage expert interviews, timely workshops and exciting new networking adventures.
Concierge Connections: Meet-and-greet roundtables let you get in front of corporate and government sourcing leaders looking for the best suppliers.
New! Executive Roundtables: Do a deeper dive into the challenges you're facing in your business with these expert-led peer-to-peer sessions.
New! EPCOT Expedition Scavenger Hunt: This new sustainability-themed experience brings small groups together to explore EPCOT, solve clues, and make lasting connections. Finish off with fireworks and dessert at a private Paris Pavilion viewing area!
Ready to thrive together? Get all the details and register at www.goforthegreens.org
Meet These Corporate and Government Participants:
| |
- AbbVie Pharmaceuticals
- Amazon
- Central Florida Expressway Authority
- CHEP
- City of Orlando
- Duke Energy
- Greater Orlando Aviation Authority
- Logitech
- Moffitt Cancer Center
| |  |
- NASA
- Orange County Public Schools
- Raytheon
- Southwest Airlines
- Travel + Leisure
- Universtiy of Florida
- UPS
- U.S. Small Business Administration
- VyStar Credit Union
- Walt Disney World
| |
Keynote Speaker
Chala Dincoy, CEO and Founder,
The Repositioning Expert
If you missed Chala at one of our WBEC Florida regional events earlier this year, or you want to learn more from her, come see this Canadian powerhouse at Go for the Greens. Her topic: Thriving in the Seller’s Seat: Pitch Smarter. Close Faster.
| | |
Celebrating Our Newest WBE Sponsor
Thank you to Terri Hall, founder and president of Doubletake Marketing and PR by Design, for joining us as a sponsor of WBEC Florida!
Terri founded the company in 1999 and has been a longtime board member for WBEC Florida, where she currently serves as board chair.
Interested in becoming a WBE Sponsor?
Contact our WBEC Florida President and CEO Nancy Allen.
| | |
From Our Partners at the National Entrepreneur Center
| |
Business Resource Fair
Come See WBEC Florida at this Free Central Florida Event
| | |
Discover Free Resources to Grow
Your Business — All in One Place!
Whether you’re launching a start-up, growing your company, or exploring new opportunities, you’ll make connections at this free Business Resource Fair. Meet representatives of nonprofits, agencies, and experts offering free tools, strategies, and guidance to help your business thrive.
When: Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Time: 4 to 6 PM
Where: Seminole State College - Heathrow Campus, 1055 AAA Drive, Heathrow, FL 32746 - First floor main lobby
Cost: Free, but you must be registered to attend
Among the exhibitors:
- Internal Revenue Service
- National Entrepreneur Center (NEC)
- CFLBizLink
- Central Florida International Trade Office (CFITO)
- Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council
- SCORE
- Seminole State College Center for Business Development
- Veterans Entrepreneurship Initiative (VEI)
- U.S. Small Business Administration
- Women's Business Enterprise Council of Florida
- City of Longwood
- City of Sanford
- City of Altamonte Springs
- UCF Blackstone LaunchPad/Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership
- Seminole County Economic Development
- The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
- GrowFL
- Manufacturers Association of Central Florida (MACF)
- UCF Business Incubation Program
- Edyth Bush Foundation
- Sanford Airport Authority
- ePathways, Seminole County Public Schools
- CareerSource Florida
| | Thank You to Our Sponsors | | |
WBEC Florida and WBENC Anti-Discrimination Policy
As a community of entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and economic development thought leaders, WBENC and the WBEC Florida Regional Partner Organization are committed to the elimination of discrimination in all areas of business and the provision of equal opportunity when accessing capital, contracts, and contacts. In compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, we do not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status in any of our policies, procedures, or practices. This anti-discrimination policy covers admission and access to, and treatment, in all programs and activities.
| | | | |
