Empowering Growth: How Women-Owned Businesses Are Shaping The Business Landscape

What a joy it is to be part of the WBC family as chair and leader. And to thank my buddy Sharon Reynolds there on our board as we co chair, WBC's entrepreneurs of purpose. And purpose, as all of us see it, is about business scale and hopefully making money, serving your community locally, nationally, internationally and giving back your legacy. There are no finer examples than the four speakers today. So we mentioned Cheryl Reynolds and you know Sharon, CEO of DevMar multi Companies that she's developed and she'll share a bit. Deb Ward and Debbie, as you've developed not only the televergence but Bioclean and Dedra Windsor Group. Dedra, what you've done as a federal contractor and how you've served so many communities, particularly black farmers. Farmers. But you stand strong. And to Laura Fote. Laura, you as CEO of L& B Concept, you amaze us every day for what you've built, not only for the state of Maryland, for this nation. So could all of you just open up one by one and talk about breaking barriers in more than one minute of what you've done with your companies? Sharon, you want to kick it off?

Oh, absolutely. Edie, it's fabulous being here and I just am so happy to share this panel with such esteemed women. I just love them all. Yes. So as a serial entrepreneur managing companies, one of the most unexpected challenges that I faced when I launched Devmar Manufacturing was to enter into a space of a male dominated industry where I am in the middle of raising my capital, where we're growing a billion dollar enterprise and it's been very, very challenging. So how do you break those barriers? You never take no for an answer. That's how you break those barriers. You have a product where companies develop an insatiable appetite for what you bring to the table and you keep moving forward. And it's women like Edie Frazier who continue to trail the blaze. Blaze the trail. I mean, for women like us to continue to move forward and have access to. So that's one of the challenges. But we continue to move forward and I know we'll get there and we're there very soon. So thank you for this opportunity.

Deidre Windsor.

Hi there, Edie. First of all, thank you so much for this opportunity. I'm so glad to be here with all of these esteemed entrepreneurs, which I have just a world of respect for. So I'm Deirdre Windsor. My company is Windsor Group llc. We are a professional services firm based out of Bethesda, Maryland. We've been in business for about seven and a half years. And we are primarily government contractors and under the professional services we do everything from management consulting, project program management, IT support services and a lot of staff augmentation. It's been a whirlwind. Like I said, we started in 2017, started out as more of a training firm and then that quickly evolved into something bigger and just greater, something that allowed us to definitely work, collaborate and help so many other people in our community as well. So I'm very excited for this conversation today. Thank you.

Laura.

Hi, my name is Laura Forte, CEO of L& B Concepts. And to me breaking barriers is just staying resilient. You just have to stay resilient. Don't take no for an answer. You will have 99 nos and the 1 years will overcome everything else. So as a woman I have faced so many challenges, especially in the import and export world, going into countries where women are looked at like second class citizens. And I use that as an opportunity to educate the men about how powerful women are by staying resilient.

And Debbie Ward, good morning.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve on the panel today with you WBC lovely ladies and friends. I actually have two companies. I started Televergent Solutions back when AT&T Monopoly was broken up by the federal government and I was the only woman owned competitive carrier. So my challenge was it was a male dominated industry. Capital was not available. I was in my early 20s so I had to bootstrap. That's how I overcame the barrier. I used all of my own personal credit and had to really bootstrap the company and as time went on became financeable. But it still was extremely challenging and learned from those experiences and created UV Bio Clean, which is a company of purpose that was a result of COVID and our mission is to provide clean, safe Air Force for those areas where we work, live and play.

You're all persevering and committed. What very quickly is where you see significant growth. Let's just start again. Deidre, why don't you start?

I think. Do you. For me I see. Do you mean opportunity for growth for Windsor? So for us, because we are primarily, and I say primarily, we're 100% government contracting, we're 98% prime and then we are subcontractor to one large. So for me the obvious growth is moving to the commercial sector. And so that's something that we're working. We're having lots of conversations now because I see that we are very diversified within the government. We have multiple clients across multiple agencies. But to me the commercial commercial sector represents a whole new world. And also, also for us, looking more into grant opportunities based on some recent contracts that we've been able to execute, it just it allows it. It's an opportunity to kind of grow in those areas based on work that we're currently doing, but growing those in the commercial sector and in those grant arenas.

DEBBIE well, we have significant growth opportunity as a result of two things. Number one, my dear friend Sharon Reynolds, we have partnered on many, many opportunities. We have complementary services, so there's a significant value add by us teaming together. And then secondly, we are partnering with our manufacturer, who is currently located in Europe, and we are moving the manufacturing to West Virginia. And we will have the Made in America stamp, which is going to allow us to sell to the federal government, and we will continue the organic growth on the commercial side.

Terrific. Sharon Certainly.

So we're super, super excited about the opportunity opposite of what Deidre mentioned, and that is to work with the government, especially in the military. We have a technology through Devmar Manufacturing where we develop products that eradicate pathogens, to work directly with Natick and the Defense Logistics Agency, where we are going to develop products that would help to mitigate chemical and biological warfare with one of our technologies. So that's super exciting, and that's going to prepare us for significant growth. Whereas, on the other hand, we have commercial and industrial relationships with companies like Grind Ranger and Centos and Amazon and some of the others that we are so fortunate to be working with. So that's gonna spearhead us in the right direction. And growth has been driven also by listening to our customers and then also going out to solicit new customers in our repertoire of products that we offer to eradicate pathogens.

It's extraordinary. And is your partnership with Morehouse School of Medicine, so, Laura.

Growth for us, I see a lot of growth with the corporate world, the rental side of our business with the corporate world. There is a huge market that a lot of women are not aware about. There are three main companies that have been in business for about 30 years, and partnering with these companies to use you as suppliers and also getting your certifications puts you at the top, and you see significant growth in that avenue. A lot of people were not aware of the certifications that were required and the options out there. But attending conferences and networking with these major companies, you get a lot of growth. We've gotten a lot of growth from there. And also the important side of it, being able to import directly from the manufacturers cuts the middleman out. And Gives us more profit where these bigger companies find it more advantageous working with us instead of working with a middleman that has no idea on what to do. And knowing your products is the most important thing.

Well, I know the audience out there agrees that you're the most compassionate, caring, committed, persevering leaders. So each of you share what you believe on purpose driven leadership and a purpose driven legacy. So why don't we just kick that off again with you, Deidre?

First of all, I think that just since I've been in business, one of the things that I've tried to do every year is give back to the community. And I think the more that we grow, I just see that as more of an opportunity to give back. Normally when you're a small business, when you come up, I find like we all do the same thing. We're at the end of the year trying to figure out who to give $1,000 to. As you grow, you start being very intentional about where you give because you want to see the biggest bang for your buck. And what I mean by that is there are some phenomenal nonprofit organizations out there. Ok? And so figuring out which ones resonate with you, like, for me, I give back to a lot of veteran serving organizations because I am a retired. I am retired Army. So for me, giving back to the military and veteran community makes sense. Giving back to organizations that support women in business makes sense. So the more we grow, the more I see that as an opportunity. So I feel like now we're more in a stage where we can really help partner. We can become a partner with some of these organizations and help them further their mission. People often ask me if I'm thinking about starting a foundation. And I always say the same thing. Why, when you have so many phenomenal folks out there doing the real boots on the ground work, why not help some of those organizations get to the goal that they're trying to get to? And what they're trying to do is bridge the gap between what's available and government services and the actual need. And so that's what we do as small business owners. We bridge that gap.

Great on bridging the gap. And Laura, you give both personally and you give through your foundation and Gatsby Share.

Yes, we give back a lot to the community. Purpose is the driving force behind every action and decision that we make. I grew up in a family where my parents always took care of 20 kids. And whatever we do or I do in my community, I make sure I give back. And the purpose behind Our company is to uplift and empower anybody we come across. Be it in cash, kind, mentorship, whatever it is, because you can see a lot of people smiling, but internally they are going through a lot, which when you open up and give back to them, they open up to you. And when you do that, the smiles you get on the faces from the people, it pays forward. And we have an ever living, positive and beautiful community.

It's terrific. Debbie?

Well, growth, in my humble opinion, is simply the ability to free up my time and to provide additional financial resources for young women, especially young women in underserved communities. As an example, the Enterprising Women Mentorship program is something that I'm very passionate about and involved and will be sponsoring two underserved women this year and, you know, just give them a jump start on something that they wouldn't necessarily have had, you know, based on their humble beginnings. And it's also giving the time, being a mentor, sharing experiences, supporting them, helping to give women the confidence that they need to succeed. It's really about that community and, you know, then just serving back in the local community where really there's a need and those needs will change, you know, depending upon the environment. And, you know, the money gives you the opportunity to do that.

Right? And Sharon, and let us Note that all five of us are involved in the Pricing Women Foundation 27 City STEM Girls. The CEO panel that we just listened to talked about the importance of that STEM talent. So thanks to each of us that are part of the program, part of the scholarship. So, Sharon Reynolds, your legacy and your giving.

You know, I can't say enough about the enterprise in Women Foundation 2025 will mark our sixth year for supporting five at risk schools in Nashville. And Deb is one of my staunch supporters of the program where we have ment hundreds of girls, with STEM being a focal point of that program sponsored by Alliance Bernstein. It is just extraordinary. So part of my leadership style, I think, is deeply rooted in empowering others. One of my best, best things to do in my life is to work with a woman entrepreneur and help her along the way. There have been countless young ladies that I have helped to get into business and spend time with them along the way as they build their businesses. There's nothing more powerful than that. As we build sustainable businesses of women who are coming behind us, I think it's extremely critical to do that. And one of my companies is Devmar Global Healthcare Solutions, where we provide human donor milk to at risk infants in NICUs across America. So that's A passion of mine. Been in that business for almost 10 years. And little did I know that when my granddaughter was born that she would have to actually live from the nutrients from that product. Because she was born prematurely. We almost lost her to preeclampsia. So it was just one of the ideas that I focused on that was preordained. So it's all about giving back. It's all about helping those in our communities and then stretching ourselves beyond because it always comes back to us tenfold.

So think about the future as you see it as entrepreneurs and what we see for the environment to really build and scale. And clearly the sisterhood between women of color and white women, all lbdq, everything we want to do to up uplift others. So Deidre, kick it off again.

Okay, so I'll kind of talk about. So. So one of the ways that I see us continuing to grow in scale is really partnering with larger companies. Like I mentioned earlier, we've been in business for seven and a half years. We've not worked with many large companies. Last year was the first time that we actually subcontracted to a large company. So we're looking at building those relationships. What we've done a great job at is subcontracting to other companies. That's veteran owned companies, women owned companies, all types of companies. We collaborate quite a bit. Last year we probably subcontracted to over 30 companies. And so that's us as a small company subbing to other small companies. Because I believe that the way you help other companies. Thanks for all of the advice I've gotten over the years. But the way you help another company is as you put revenue in their business, you give them work, you help them, you lead them on the path to getting actual work so they can grow their business. But for us, what I see now is partnering with larger businesses so we can have that so we can build capacity and truly get to that next level. I think that's going to be very important for us. And again, like I said, doing a little, you know, trying to delve into the commercial side more so we can truly diversify.

Debbie so we have a tremendous opportunity for growth in several sectors. In the commercial side, really continuing to grow our referral partner program with like minded businesses, our sales and marketing rep program and our distributor program, and more importantly also working with the WBE and C network, the corporate supplier diversity representatives that help usher us into those corporations in order to provide our ESG type products. And what we're finding is there's a lot of tier 2 spend available there that we did not realize. So that's another huge area for growth. And then of course, the, you know, over 20,000 web's throughout the US and globally that we can partner with to help them grow their businesses. And then of course, being a manager, manufacture with a Made in America stamp, you know, opening up those doors with the federal, you know, state and local governments is another lane. So we're poised well and excited for what the future has in store for us.

Terrific, Laura.

So scaling to me is not only about getting bigger. Scaling is about growing efficiently while staying true to our values. I am saying that because I came up. I'm a founder of the Gatsby Showcase foundation. And a lot of times the employers, when God blesses them, they forget about the employees. So we have to think, I think about my employees. Empower, uplift, respect. And my leadership is one of empathy, commitment and inclusivity. If you do that, you start, but you cannot grow bigger. I believe if your employees, you don't include them in the community and help them. We have paid the rent for a good number of employees who are not doing well and they pay that forward and spread the word of your company and you grow bigger in your community that way. Respect, empathy and inclusive. Being inclusive, it's a very good way that I see scaling our business because by doing that, expanding, we expanded in a way of quality, innovation and relationship. That's how I look at it.

Yes, I love that.

Well, you're all talking about the theme of this panel. Empowerment, empowerment externally and internally. So think about your actions forward and some of your dreams that you want to share with this broad audience and how important it is that you're part of being an entrepreneur of purpose. What's your action as you think forward? Deidre starts.

I love what Laura said about the employees. Our motto is mission first. People always. So for us, we always put our employees at the forefront. So to me, to be able to grow and to build programs for our employees, I often, I used to tell, I always say this, I always tell people, like one of the best things that ever happened in my business, it didn't have anything to do with growth. It had, it was when our first employee bought her first home. And for me, that always sits that, that, that hit me deeply because it meant to me that, okay, we pay a living wage and we put somebody in a position to build a legacy for their family. So to me, growing it means being able to have those types of programs that the larger companies have. You know, when you're small and you're growing. You're just moving a million miles an hour. And it's like figuring out, what are those things that I can do? Because we have a very high retention rate. What can I do to continue having those employees want to be a part of our company? And to me, that is building out those things that, you know, obviously we provide benefits. We have very good benefits compensation packet. But there are so many other things that you can offer to your employees that will help them grow and help them build a legacy for their families and themselves professionally. So just thinking about that with the employees in mind, they're always first. We give back to the community, but we give back to our employees first, because without them, we wouldn't be where we are today. I often tell our first employee, like, she is the reason that we're growing, because I remember when our first client said, hey, send me somebody else like Kristin, you know, so to me, that means the world to me. And that just confirms that it is because of them that we are where we are today. It's because of what they do. It's not because of what I do.

And, Deidre, you give to them, but you are giving back to so many. As you said, other women owned businesses with contracts.

And.

And we always say it's contacts to contracts. Right. Sharon, you want to just comment on you.

Oh, absolutely. You know, one thing I always like to remind myself of and tell the audience is I come from a long line of really, really strong and powerful women. My great great grandmother was sold for $37 on the slave auction block in Atlanta, Georgia. That's what empowers me to get up and do what I do every single day and give back at the same time. One of the things I'd like to say is, as you're growing in the future of women in business, look at the trends. Mine is certainly sustainable manufacturing, and it certainly is developing products where your customers will have an insatiable appetite for them, whether you're there or not. And that's exactly what we're doing. We're changing the health of America with implementation of our specialty and unique products. And the legacy I'd love to leave behind is remembering all the things that we've done for the girls, especially these beautiful and powerful women on this panel, as we move forward, having us leave a legacy that is impactful, that will change lives. And that's exactly how I live my life every single day as we grow our business.

Yes.

So to all of you, as you think about the Future and the words that come to you as important as such. Purposeful women owned business. So, Laura, start with you.

Well, for me, I strive to leave a legacy of positive impact and create change for future generations. And again, I would say whatever I do, it has to be inclusive, uplifting, and empower, and it should empower the others. I have workers in India, China, you name it, different countries. And with all these different cultures, they are going through a lot. So one thing I make in a legacy that I leave, I'm accessible to all of my employees via cell phone. A lot of them do have private issues that they cannot say in public. Or you have managers that are maltreating them. The managers know all employees have access to me. So we should leave a legacy where you build an employee employer relationship with no disrespect. And I can stand firm and. And said with the number of employees I do have, I've never disrespected any of them in my entire career. With them, if they have to leave, we part ways in a positive, amicable way.

Okay.

Debbie, one of the words that I love is opportunity. And, Laura, I appreciate you bringing up the empathy word, which is just another word that I absolutely love. Our employees, I don't call them employees. Our team members are actually the best assets of our company, and without them, we wouldn't be able to serve our communities, improve the lives of others. And they all have an interest in the company, so they each have their own business unit, so they run it autonomously as if it's their own business. And you tend to get a lot of heart, soul, passion. And the other thing that's important is health care. We, even though we're a small company, we invest a significant amount of money in the best healthcare possible. A lot of the young women starting out have small children where healthcare is extremely important. And it's having that empathy and providing that opportunity and making them feel like they're part of a family. In fact, one of my key team members, she's a partner. Christine Flory just had her birthday, and we make sure we go out for a birthday celebration. And she said that she was so grateful for the relationship and the opportunity that she's had with us and how she's become, you know, a better mother, a better wife and employee. She used the word employee. I call her partner. But, you know, I'm a person of faith. And she said, I wouldn't have been able to do it had it not been the opportunity that you afforded me. So love that word and just want to continue to leave a legacy of empowering and creating opportunities for all.

As we end this session, think about what you believe can be the next couple of years for women entrepreneurs and that empowerment and opportunity. So, Deidra.

I think we live in a time now where it's not like how we grew up. Go to college, get a job. You can have any type of talent, and you can find your audience for that talent, and you can go out and make a life around that. I often tell sometimes I meet women entrepreneurs and I'll say, I often tell the story about a kid I met at. I was at the beauty salon Bubbles, and I was at the counter and I said, hey, can you do a reel for me against this music? And the kid did it probably in 10 minutes. I said, now go and find 10, 10 people like me. I said, those are your first clients. I said, because you find that thing that you do, and we take for granted that the things that we do, everybody knows how to do. But so I spread this message all the time when I meet women entrepreneurs, because I often meet women who are still in the workplace, which is fine because I, you know, don't quit your good job until you're ready to step out there. But figure out, what is that thing that you do? Do you write grants? Can you write a proposal? Find 10 people like me that need you to write a proposal. And that's how you get it started, by doing those things that you do. I often talk about the young lady who braids hair in college. Okay, she's in med school. But if you, if you got your 20 clients to help you, you know, bringing that, figure out what that thing you're good at and start building your client base that may not be your family and friends.

It could be one word from each of you. Sharon Star. And just as you look at the.

Future, my word is courage. Brene Brown is one of my most favorite authors, and she says you can choose courage or you can choose comfort, but you cannot have both. Not at the same time, right? Stay encouraged.

Optimism. Good optimism.

And Laura, embrace adaptability. Leverage your network and stay resilient.

And Deidre, Persevere.

Persevere. Find a way or make one.

And appreciation and the love of others. We have a sisterhood like none other that truly believes in purpose. We thank wbc. We thank the other organizations, and we just know that we ask everyone to join us with your business of purpose, your life of purpose, and to thank this esteemed and committed and joyful panel.