KC’s Women’s Business Leaders Muster Support from Senator Claire McCaskill
May 18, 2013 - This article courtesy of the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City.
 |
Pictured left to right: Jami Henry, NAWBO; Denise Farris, WIPP; Colleen White, WIPP/WCOE; Senator McCaskill; Sherry Turner, OneKC for Women; and Rosana Privatera-Biondo, WCOE |
A group of Kansas City’s women business leaders recently met with Missouri’s Senator Claire McCaskill to engage her support on several issues directly impacting women owned businesses in the KC area. Colleen White, president of Strategic Workplace Solutions Inc., an active WIPP and WCOE member, brought the Senator together with Jami Henry, president of Bellewether, and current president of KC’s National Association of Women Business Owners (KC-NAWBO); Denise Farris, Farris Law Firm LLC, and Regional Coordinator for Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP); Sherry Turner, Founder, OneKC for Women and president, Women’s Employment Network (WEN); and Rosana Privitera-Biondo, president of Mark One Electric Co. Inc., EDC Board Member and National President, Women Construction Owners and Executives (WCOE).
“The Senator wanted to hear about small business issues and needs from our points of view,” said White. The group related how existing small business programs and assistance actually work for them, both positively and negatively. ”The Senator provided some great feedback and suggestions, along with some very specific action items we can all work on to better the situation for both women and small business owners in our Kansas City area.”
The group stressed that small businesses were what make the purchases and get the tax dollars flowing. However, there was a consensus that small business owners are not heard at the same level as large corporate entities.
Issues discussed were:
-
Better access to capital for small businesses
-
Tax credits for angel investors
-
Providing better assistance in understanding and working with the federal government procurement process
-
The need for more federal agencies to learn about and use the Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) and other small business program incentives
-
Recommendations to continue addressing size standards for small businesses
-
Contract bundling
The participants stressed to the Senator that she has a great opportunity to tap into the area’s women’s business groups for assistance and feedback. Some national women’s group leaders are either currently from, or have come from this vicinity. In addition to the organizations noted above, Kansas City is also home to the Women Angel Investors Group and the Kansas City Council of Women Business Owners, among others.
The meeting ended with the Senator agreeing to assist with specific action items. The women committed to keeping up a regular dialogue with the Senator, and assist her in modeling some of Kansas City’s unique programs, like the Angel Investors, in other Missouri cities.
For further information or questions, contact Colleen White, Strategic Workplace Solutions, Inc.
