Edie Fraser, a past NAWBO president, traces the organization's history and honors founders Jillian Rudd and Susan Hager for their work on the 5% set-aside for women-owned businesses and the Center for Women's Business Research. She calls on members to nominate leaders and keep pushing to scale women's entrepreneurship.
Foreign how proud I am to have been a part of NALBO since its beginning. How proud to be a recipient of the Gillian Rudd Award. How proud to have been a great friend of Susan Hegar and Jillian Rudd. How proud to recognize that in essence the national association of Women Business Owner was the first made with women's business organization. How proud that NABO helped spawn the leadership for the national foundation for Women's Leadership and the center for Women's Business Research. How proud that NABO was the impetus for C200. So as we look back and we share Susan Hager and Jillian and their awards, how proud that we can be. I've been a women's business owner for three companies. I've been an advocate of many movements. I'm currently the chair and the former founder and CEO of the Women's Business Collaborative working with 83 women's business organizations to drive equal position pay and power. I was there as president of NABO in D.C. with Susan Hager and on the scene when we pushed the 5% for women business owner and we pushed for the best resources. So stop and look at the Gillian Rudd Award that recognizes the women business owners who have making significant contributions and that Jillian was our first national president of NALBO. That was 198788 and she contributed to the strategy and brought her personal charm to the early political and policy aspects of naobo. She was a tireless advocate in establishing the national foundation for Women Business and with us for the 5% rule for the set aside. Susan Hager was known as one of the founding mothers and visionary leaders and yes, the first national president. She was the first chairman that would really push economic empower from in her steady voice in using her communications to celebrate. And when she said get a seat at the table or build your own table and make sure to include other women at the table, it reminds us that Ruth Bader Ginsburg used the same words to get our tables include others. So how proud that the Susan Hager Award recognizes the champion of NALBO members that is pushing forward with a mission locally and nationally towards entrepreneurship now and for generations to come. Susan was a guiding force in that center for Women's Business Research as well and worked with the Gillian Rudd Leadership Institute helping the center craft and build research that we could share around the nation and with our policymakers. Getting the Gillian Rudd Leadership Award meant the world to me. I've built and fought for with boldness and with intent with our women entrepreneurship colleagues. I'm so proud to be a founding member of the committee of 200 and serve today on its board. I'm so proud to be on the board of Enterprising Women and its foundation. I'm so proud of wbc. And we salute now, BO this award means the world. So that we hope and we say our call to action, that we hope everyone will think about their leadership, their advocacy for other women, and to nominate yourself, to nominate others that have put forward their lives and are leading their legacy in support of NABO and its fervent mission to scale women's entrepreneurship for this nation. Thank you.
