The Greater Women's Business Council (GWBC) is celebrating its 20^th anniversary in 2020 with plans for a full year of events and activities to help women-owned businesses continue to flourish in its three-state region.

The largest provider of certification and development resources for women business enterprises (WBEs) in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, GWBC's 2020 plans include hosting a number of networking and educational events in cities across its region, providing mentoring and scholarship opportunities, and hosting the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) National Conference and Business Fair, June 23-25 in Atlanta.

"We have an exciting year planned, and hosting WBENC's national conference is a fantastic way to celebrate GWBC's 20 years of providing WBENC certification," said GWBC President & CEO Roz Lewis. "Additionally, we are adding even more events, programs and growth opportunities in 2020 for the major corporations, government entities, and women business enterprises (WBEs) that comprise our membership.

"Successful businesses help shape the fabric of thriving communities," Lewis continued. "And as we look forward to our next 20 years, GWBC is committed to providing resources and support to all our members so that they can continue to contribute in a positive way to the communities where they do business."

2020 events and programs include:

A restructured Power of Partner Marketplace program, with more networking and educational opportunities offered throughout the year in cities across the region.

Quarterly orientation sessions for both certified WBEs and corporate members to help maximize certification opportunities.

Signature events, including the Top Corporations Awards Luncheon on April 27, 2020 and the LACE Awards Dinner on Nov. 6, 2020 to honor champions that support women businesses and GWBC.

Tables of 8 networking events throughout the year in cities across the region.

More "Conversations to Grow Your Business" on GWBC's radio show launched in 2019 with seven episodes and more than a half-million downloads. The live, one-hour show airs the third Thursday of each month with certified women business and corporate members discussing a variety of subjects critical to running a healthy business. Listen to all the episodes at www.GWBCradio.com.

"Our region is one of the fastest growing for women-owned businesses, and we're committed to supporting more growth opportunities in years to come for businesses of all sizes," said Lewis. "Looking at the numbers, women-owned businesses are driving economic growth, not just in our region, but across the United States. According to a recent report by American Express*, women-owned businesses in the U.S. represent 42% of all businesses — nearly 13 million — employing 9.4 million workers and generating revenue of $1.9 trillion."

In the GWBC region alone, there are more than 1,000 WBENC-certified women-owned businesses generating 9.8 billion in revenue and employing more than 51,000. And the growth of certified WBEs and their economic impact on Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina has been exponential. In the last year alone, the number of workers employed by certified WBEs has increased by 14% while revenues have grown 6% across the region.