The National Association of Women Business Owners is the voice of more than 10 million women-owned businesses in the United States. Since 1975, NAWBO has helped women grow their businesses by sharing resources and providing a collective viewpoint to help shape economic and public policy. It is the only dues-based national organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs across all industries.
NAWBO started as a small group of women in the Washington, D.C. area who met to trade information about federal contracts, bank credit, and other business issues. Every few weeks, additional women began attending the meetings. It soon became clear that there was a great demand for a formal organization devoted to helping women business owners; so NAWBO was created.
Today the organization features chapters in almost every metropolitan area in the United States, including New York City. NAWBO-NYC was founded in 1985 by a group of like-minded women who understood the need for an association that would support the growth of women-owned business in the metropolitan area. NAWBO-NYC’s goals are:
- To build lasting and supportive relationships among our members
- To help our members develop increasingly strong and successful businesses through education, networking, and mentoring
- To support the needs of emerging women business owners
- To build strategic alliances, coalitions, and affiliations for our members
- To impact public policy through active participation in the political process
- To encourage and develop leadership skills to move women business owners into positions of influence
NAWBO-NYC’s strength comes from the diversity of its membership—women from all backgrounds, regardless of race, religion, age, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability. Membership is open to sole proprietors, partners, and corporate owners who have day-to-day management responsibility. Other types of memberships are available for those who wish to support NAWBO-NYC.
Susan Combs – Susan began her entrepreneurial journey in 2005 when she formed Combs & Company at 26 years old. A mentor told Susan that her tenacious spirit and “fixer” personality would shake things up in the insurance industry. Combs & Company is a full-service insurance brokerage firm with an expertise in the “weird & unusual.” Leveraging a knack for solving difficult circumstances, Combs & Co. has become a go-to resource for those companies that don’t fit an insurance carriers’ typical profile, such as entertainment, food, and international companies setting up their first U.S. operations. Susan also serves on the Advisory Board of Directors for Allay, Inc. and Oscar Health, both insurance technology companies based in San Francisco and NYC respectively. Susan has built her company on the concept of “Do more, better,” and has worked to instill that attitude in every member of her team. She also takes this message to the companies she advises and the developing leaders who she mentors through Women in Insurance & Financial Services (WIFS). Susan is noted as the youngest National President (2014-2015) in the 80+ year history of WIFS, and served on the National Board for 7 years. She is one of seven brokers in NYC to have the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) designation. Susan is part of seveal organizations with the express desire of helping others. Most recently, Susan was recognized as the 2017 “Broker of the Year” by BenefitsPro Magazine, the first woman to receive this honor.
