Every Member Can Thrive
DEI&B stands for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. This acronym encompasses a comprehensive approach to fostering a workplace or organizational culture that values and celebrates diversity, ensures equitable treatment, promotes inclusion of all individuals, and creates an environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging.
For us, DEI&B emphasizes the importance of creating a business landscape that supports women entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds, ensures fairness in opportunities and access, encourages participation regardless of identity or background, and ultimately cultivates an environment where every member can thrive and contribute their unique perspectives.
The NAWBO-Indianapolis DEI&B Policy
“In principle and practice, NAWBO-Indianapolis values and seeks a diverse and inclusive membership in alignment with NAWBO National’s commitment to DEI&B. NAWBO-Indianapolis seeks full participation in the organization by all business owners who support our mission to empower women entrepreneurs, regardless of race, religion, age, sexual orientation, national origin or disability. The goal of NAWBO-Indianapolis is to effectively represent the full diversity of the women business owner community and to equitably expand access to leadership opportunities for the full spectrum of our membership base.”
Goals and Strategies
Establish strategies to ensure a diverse membership
- Take a deep dive into the member data to identify gap areas
- Identify strategies to address gaps
Enhance visibility and branding
- Increase the presence at events and collaboration with organizations to address any gaps identified
Encourage continuous training
- Provide opportunities for members and corporate partner to participate in DEIB Training at least two times annually
Initiatives for a Better Tomorrow
NAWBO National has showcased its commitment to diversity by prominently featuring it in these initiatives, ensuring that inclusive principles and practices are central to its organizational agenda.
NAWBO Institute for Entrepreneurship DEI&B Programs
- NAWBO Institute “Brave Is” National Women’s Business Conference Scholarships
- AARP “Established and Ready to Grow” Accelerator Program
- Wells Fargo Grant: Launch Right Program
- Verizon Small Business Digital Ready
- AARP “Power Your Dream” National Women’s Business Conference Scholarships
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Professional Certificate
- Backing Black Business Small Business Grants from Reimagine Mainstreet
National Leadership and Investment in People
DEI&B Consultant
Chapter Leader Diversity Education
National Nominating Committee—Board Member Selection
HQ Team and Training
Five-Year Strategic Imperative
The Strategic Imperative strives to build an organization that reflects all women business owners' membership and objectives by the organization’s 50th Anniversary.
- DEI&B Committee
- DEI&B Committee Supported Focus Groups
- Focused Chapter Support
Communication Elements
Monthly Communication Theme
Pictorial Representation Considerations
National and Virtual Events
Connect and Learn Speaker Selection
Women’s Business Conference Keynote and Breakout Speaker Selection
DEI&B Education and Training Sessions
NextGen Initiative
Multilingual Educational and Translation Services
DEI&B Virtual Events to Encourage Dialogue
DEI&B Report
Download the NAWBO National DEI&B report for more details.
Inclusion Code of Conduct
Download the NAWBO National Inclusion Code of Conduct for more information.
The NAWBO-Indianapolis DEI&B Committee
Our local committee aims to represent the full diversity of the women business owner community and expand access to leadership opportunities across the full spectrum of NAWBO-Indianapolis membership. We do this by establishing, monitoring, and updating goals and strategies that ensure the chapter is a recognized advocate for DEI&B and regularly provides DEI&B information and opportunities for members and corporate partners.
Committee Goals
The NAWBO-Indianapolis DEI&B Committee serves members with these five goals in mind.
Establishing Comprehensive Member Data
The committee's primary objective is to compile a comprehensive and disaggregated member data list, meticulously capturing the diverse identities of the NAWBO-Indianapolis membership. This valuable data will serve as a foundation for establishing, closely monitoring, and consistently updating Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI&B) goals and strategies.
Fostering Targeted Membership Growth
Collaborating closely with the membership and programs teams, the committee aims to create and execute specialized events to attract potential members from underrepresented backgrounds. This proactive approach aligns with the NAWBO-Indianapolis commitment to achieving its DEI&B goals by cultivating a diverse and inclusive membership base.
Amplifying Visibility and Recognition
By working closely with the communications and executive director, the committee seeks to amplify the visibility of members and new additions to the NAWBO-Indianapolis community through strategic publications such as the IBJ, Indianapolis Minority Business Magazine, and Indianapolis Recorder. This initiative is designed to enhance the recognition of diverse voices and accomplishments within these influential platforms.
Enhancing Collaborative Engagement
The committee envisions building deeper engagement and partnerships with African-American sororities, African-American organizations, Latino associations, and professional groups for female veterans. This collaboration involves working closely with the board, all committees, and the executive director to forge meaningful connections that strengthen diversity and inclusivity within the broader professional landscape.
Creating a Vibrant DEI&B Resource Hub
Leveraging the DEI&B tab on the NAWBO-Indianapolis website and the private Facebook page, the committee aims to curate and showcase a wide array of diversity initiatives, activities, and resources. This dedicated platform will highlight ongoing DEI&B initiatives and provide valuable tools and information that cater to the unique needs of members and corporate partners, actively promoting a culture of inclusivity and support.
New NAWBO National DEI&B Actions
While we take pride in the strides we've made through recent initiatives to strengthen our dedication to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B), as we work towards our aspiration of becoming the most diverse national business organization by 2025, we remain steadfast in our determination to elevate our organization's commitment to DEI&B. This ongoing commitment is evidenced by the introduction of the following newly launched tools and programs.
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NAWBO National created a new incident reporting hotline where members and partners can provide critical feedback to help us grow, understand, and be better—to help unify the community of women we serve. This is now an available option through our toll-free number: 800-556-2926.
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NAWBO National launched a new website landing page dedicated to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. This page includes our diversity statement, accomplishments, and upcoming actions.
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NAWBO National implemented an incident reporting web form easily accessible from the top-left of the www.nawbo.org home page. Members, national or local leaders, headquarters staff, or partners are expected to use this form to report incidents that violate NAWBO National’s Inclusion Code of Conduct as we all work together to create a culture where every woman business owner feels included, supported, and cherished.
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This web form was added to the email signature of every NAWBO National HQ staff member for increased accessibility. We will also promote it through all appropriate communication channels.
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NAWBO National HQ staff, National Board members, and Presidents Assembly Steering Committee (PASC) members received specialized DEI&B training. This same training was held for our chapter leaders and is now being offered to members nationwide.
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NAWBO National introduced a monthly virtual DEI&B circle-format series designed to facilitate candid conversations about the unique experiences of our members around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging—both in the organization and in their businesses.
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NAWBO National rolled out our Inclusion Code of Conduct. This policy aims to provide members, national and local leaders, headquarters staff, and partners with a process to support addressing concerns that could be inconsistent with or in violation of our mission, vision, and Diversity Statement or that do not support an inclusive culture. NAWBO National will regularly review this policy for necessary revisions. We appreciate feedback from our members to assist us in this process. Click here to view the latest Inclusion Code of Conduct.
Contact Our DEI&B Committee
If you witness an event or situation violating our diversity and inclusion policies, please get in touch with our NAWBO-Indianapolis DEI&B committee. We’re your support system as we work to find a resolution.
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