Women's Business Enterprise Alliance

What Women's Business Enterprise Alliance does

Women's Business Enterprise Alliance (WBEA) is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1995, that operates as a Regional Partner Organization of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and as an SBA-approved Third-Party Certifier for the WOSB Federal Contracting Program. Its core function is third-party certification of women-owned business enterprises (WBEs) in 94 counties of south Texas — businesses at least 51% owned, operated, and controlled by women — through the national WBENCLink certification database, alongside recertification on an annual cadence at tiered processing fees ranging from $350 (under $1M revenue) to $1,000 ($10M–$50M revenue). The organization currently lists ~1,000 certified WBEs representing $9B in combined revenue and 40,000+ jobs.

Beyond certification, WBEA runs two SBA-funded Women's Business Centers (Alliance WBC and Houston WBC) providing counseling, workshops, and online courses via an ed2go partnership; the WBEA EDGE virtual business development program with corporate-funded scholarships; and event-driven programming including an annual conference, EDGE, golf classic, business EXPOs, and quarterly procurement luncheons. The GTM model is event-led and relationship-driven, pairing WBEs with corporate members across energy (Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Marathon Oil, Fluor, CenterPoint Energy, Vistra), financial services (Capital One, Bank of America, Comerica), healthcare (UT M.D. Anderson), education (Houston ISD), and government (City of Houston, Port of Houston Authority).

Revenue is a hybrid mix of one-time certification processing fees, recurring corporate membership fees, SBA cooperative-agreement funding (~$150K federal share for Alliance WBC and 50/50 $600K total for the WBEA WBC), and grants/scholarships from corporate sponsors. Strategic partners include WBENC (the parent equivalent), SBA, Kauffman FastTrac, Dress for Success Houston, and the Houston Minority Supplier Development Council, with leadership under President April Day (since October 5, 2012) and a Chevron-aligned Board Chair.

Name

Women's Business Enterprise Alliance

Legal name

Women's Business Enterprise Alliance

Website

https://wbea-texas.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Women's Business Enterprise Alliance (WBEA) is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit and WBENC Regional Partner Organization that certifies and develops women-owned businesses across 94 south-Texas counties, serving both WBEs and corporate/government supplier-diversity buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Certification Processing Fees: Non-refundable fees charged for WBE certification and recertification based on annual business revenue tiers
2. Federal Funding (SBA Cooperative Agreement): Funded through cooperative agreements with U.S. Small Business Administration for Women's Business Center operations
3. Corporate Membership Fees: Fees from corporate members for access to certified WBE supplier directory and supplier diversity programs
4. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Grants from corporations like Shell Oil Company and Comerica Bank for specific programs like Operational Excellence 101 and WBEA EDGE
5. Executive Scholarships: Scholarships provided to WBEs for educational enrichment courses funded through sponsors

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

WBEA provides third-party WBE certification for women-owned businesses, Women's Business Center training and counseling, and event-based networking and capacity-building programs that connect certified WBEs with corporate and government buyers in south Texas. Certification is nationally recognized through WBENC; training and counseling are delivered via federally-funded WBCs; networking is delivered through an annual conference and the WBEA EDGE program.

Product overview

Women's Business Enterprise Alliance (WBEA) is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of certification, training, and business development services for women entrepreneurs. The core offering is WBE Certification, which validates women-owned businesses for supplier diversity programs. Supporting services include the Women's Business Center (WBC) Programs providing counseling and training, WBEA EDGE virtual business development programming, and an Annual Conference for networking and education. Online courses are delivered through an ed2go partnership. Together, these offerings form a unified ecosystem supporting women-owned businesses from certification through growth and market access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WBE Certification Third-party certification validating that a business is at least 51% owned, controlled, and operated by women. Provides nationally-recognized WBE status through the WBENC affiliate network, accepted by 700+ corporations and federal agencies for supplier diversity programs.
• Women's Business Center (WBC) Programs Federally-funded training and one-on-one counseling for women entrepreneurs in south Texas covering business planning, access to capital, government contracting, and capacity building. Delivered at WBC locations and through partner sites.
• WBEA EDGE Program Virtual business development program for certified WBEs providing ongoing capacity-building, training, and supplier-readiness support to help women-owned businesses compete for corporate and government contracts.
• Annual WBEA Conference & Business Expo Annual networking and business expo event connecting certified WBEs with corporate members, government agencies, and other resource partners for supplier diversity engagement and contract opportunities.
• WBEA Online Courses (ed2go Partnership) Online business and professional development courses delivered through a partnership with ed2go, available to WBEs and the public on topics relevant to small business growth and operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 1,000 certified WBEs representing $9 billion in revenue and over 40,000 jobs created
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWBEA is an affiliate and Regional Partner Organization (RPO) of WBENC. WBENC, founded in 1997, is the nation's leading advocate for women-owned businesses and the largest third-party certifier of businesses owned by women in the United States. WBEA adheres to WBENC's stringent Standards and Procedures for certification programs.
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWBEA operates Women's Business Centers through cooperative agreements with the SBA. The SBA provides funding and programmatic guidance for WBC operations, with WBEA receiving $150,000 federal share for Alliance WBC and $300,000 (50% of $600,000 total) for WBEA WBC.
• Kauffman FastTraccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWBEA affiliated with Kauffman FastTrac, a global provider of learning programs that equip aspiring and existing entrepreneurs with business tools and resources. WBEA delivers a 10-week, in-depth training program focused on revitalizing business by developing strategic plans for growth and revenue diversification.
• ExxonMobilmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerExxonMobil is listed as a supplier diversity partner and corporate member, participating in WBEA events and supporting women-owned business development.
• ChevronmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerChevron is listed as a supplier diversity partner and corporate member, providing board leadership support with representation on WBEA Board of Directors.
• Dress for Success HoustoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWBEA partners with Dress for Success Houston, which promotes economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, network support and career development tools. WBEA collects clothing donations from members for this organization.
• Houston Minority Supplier Development CouncilmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerHMSDC is a partner organization providing minority certification similar to WBEA but based on ethnicity, with training provided every second Wednesday of every other month.
• Bank of AmericamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as supplier diversity partner providing resources for diverse suppliers.
• Houston Women's Business CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA program partner of WBEA Alliance Women's Business Center, funded through SBA cooperative agreement, providing business development services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Astia: Nonprofit providing venture and growth support for women-led high-growth businesses through certification, capital access, and corporate partnerships - overlapping WBEA's mission of supporting women-owned business growth and supplier diversity.
• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses: Cohort-based business education program for small businesses that WBEA actively promotes to its WBEs; comparable as a capacity-building and growth-stage training provider serving the same entrepreneur segment.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Women's Business Centers: Federal program under which WBEA operates two WBCs through cooperative agreements; comparable as the network of WBCs delivering training, counseling, and capital access to women entrepreneurs nationwide.
• National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC): National third-party certifier for minority-owned businesses (MBE) operating a parallel regional council model; WBEA actively partners with the Houston Minority Supplier Development Council, indicating direct ecosystem overlap.
• Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC): National umbrella organization of which WBEA is a Regional Partner Organization; sets certification standards and accredits WBEA, directly comparable as the parent certifier in the WBE certification ecosystem.

Direct peers

• SCORE: Nationwide nonprofit network providing mentoring, training, and business development services to entrepreneurs including women business owners, overlapping WBEA's Women's Business Center capacity-building mission.
• Women's Business Enterprise Council - South (WBEC South): WBENC Regional Partner Organization serving the Southeastern U.S. with WBE certification, corporate membership, and supplier-diversity programming directly comparable to WBEA's model.
• Women's Business Enterprise Council Florida: Florida-based WBENC Regional Partner Organization providing the same WBE certification, corporate membership, and capacity-building services as WBEA, serving a different regional territory.
• Women's Business Enterprise Council - West (WBEC-West): Another WBENC Regional Partner Organization offering WBE certification in a different U.S. region; operates the same business model (certification processing fees, corporate memberships, events) as WBEA in a non-overlapping geography.
• Women's Business Development Center (WBDC): Chicago-based entrepreneurial assistance organization offering women's business certification, training, and corporate supplier diversity programs comparable to WBEA's certification plus WBC services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/texaswbea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/womens-business-enterprise-alliance

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Women's Business Enterprise Alliance