Association of Women's Business Centers

What Association of Women's Business Centers does

The Association of Women's Business Centers (AWBC) is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1998 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. AWBC serves as the collective voice and support body for a network of 140+ Women's Business Centers (WBCs) across the United States—record 152 in 2024—that deliver free or low-cost business training, one-on-one counseling, mentorship, and access-to-capital support to entrepreneurs, with a particular focus on women, veterans, and underserved communities served across 38 languages. AWBC does not operate a proprietary technology platform; its infrastructure is a Google Maps-based WBC Locator, integration with the Verizon Digital Ready third-party learning platform, and a portfolio of sub-branded programs (HOPE2Women, VeteranStartup, Biz2Grow, the TikTok-powered Veteran Business Accelerator launched January 2026, and the Stearns Bank-partnered WBC Childcare Accelerator launched Summer 2025).

AWBC's revenue is generated through four primary streams: (1) federal funding via the U.S. Small Business Administration, which in FY26 reached a record $27M for the WBC Program; (2) membership dues from WBC member centers ($400/organization) and a multi-tier League of Extraordinary Women membership ($1,000–$25,000); (3) annual conference revenue from the Leadership Conference (2026 in Denver, CO at $949–$1,049 per attendee); and (4) corporate and foundation partnerships and grants, including Verizon, TikTok, Amazon, Stearns Bank, and a $1,386,285 Kauffman Foundation grant announced April 2026. Its customer base is horizontally segmented across women entrepreneurs, veteran entrepreneurs, childcare providers, underserved/rural entrepreneurs, and general small business owners. The organization is led by CEO Corinne Goble (appointed January 2019 as AWBC's first-ever CEO) and governed by a Board of Directors, with a small internal staff of four.

Name

Association of Women's Business Centers

Legal name

Association of Women's Business Centers

Website

https://awbc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AWBC is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) founded in 1998 that represents 140+ Women's Business Centers across the U.S., delivering free or low-cost business training, counseling, and capital access to women, veteran, and underserved entrepreneurs, funded primarily through the SBA and corporate partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Development Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

EHS Training, Competency & Culture Programs (BPAHAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Regional Development Banks (BPADACAB)

Keywords

• Small business development
• Women's entrepreneurship
• Business training services
• Microloan programs
• Veteran business support

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Funding (SBA): AWBC and its member WBCs receive federal funding through the U.S. Small Business Administration. The WBC Program received $27 million in record funding through the bipartisan Consolidated Appropriations Act. AWBC also received a $25 million RPTP grant project through the CARES Act.
2. Membership Dues: WBC membership with voting representation; League of Extraordinary Women membership at various tiers ($1,000-$25,000); Non-profit affiliate memberships; Young professional and student affiliate memberships. Registration price $400 per organization for WBC membership signup.
3. Conference Revenue: Annual Leadership Conference generates revenue through ticket sales. 2026 conference pricing: $949 for members/SBA, $1,049 for non-members, plus excursion tickets at $144.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with corporations like Verizon (Digital Ready program), TikTok (accelerator programs), Amazon (global programs), and Stearns Bank (lending programs) provide program support, technology tools, and funding resources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AWBC is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) association that represents and supports a network of 140+ Women's Business Centers across the United States. It provides business counseling, training programs, advocacy, and access-to-capital resources to entrepreneurs, with particular focus on women, veterans, and underserved communities. Core services include digital skills training (Verizon Digital Ready), accelerator programs (Veteran Business Accelerator, Childcare Accelerator), microloan program administration, membership programs for WBCs and corporate supporters, and an annual Leadership Conference.

Product overview

The Association of Women's Business Centers (AWBC) is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization representing 140+ Women's Business Centers (WBCs) across the United States. Rather than a single product, AWBC operates a portfolio of programs and membership services centered on advancing women's entrepreneurship. Core offerings include: the HOPE2Women national referral campaign (which also encompasses the Hope2Women Funding Center linking entrepreneurs to lenders); VeteranStartup and the TikTok-powered Veteran Business Accelerator for veteran entrepreneurs; Biz2Grow as a universal resource portal; the Verizon Digital Ready digital skills training program; and the WBC Childcare Accelerator Award Program for childcare providers. AWBC also facilitates membership — for WBCs (with voting representation and D.C. advocacy), the League of Extraordinary Women (multi-tiered sponsorship), and Non-Profit/Young Professional/Student affiliates. The annual Leadership Conference and the WBC Locator geographic search tool round out the service portfolio. All programs are funded in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration and corporate partners including Verizon, TikTok, Amazon, Stearns Bank, and T-Mobile.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HOPE2Women: National campaign to connect more women to Women's Business Centers across the country.
• VeteranStartup
• Biz2Grow

Products and services

• HOPE2Women National awareness and referral campaign connecting women entrepreneurs to local Women's Business Centers. Provides a digital gateway and resource hub for women seeking business support, training, and funding access.
• Veteran Business Accelerator Powered by TikTok Eight-week virtual e-commerce accelerator for veteran-owned businesses providing training on TikTok Shop storefront setup, short-form video strategy, digital marketing, and customer acquisition.
• WBC Childcare Accelerator Award Program Accelerator program for licensed childcare providers delivered through seven WBC hubs in partnership with Stearns Bank. Helps providers improve financial management, business planning, and operational readiness.
• Verizon Digital Ready Free digital skills training program offered in partnership with Verizon, providing self-paced courses covering financing, communications strategy, credit management, business proposals, SEO, and online loans. Includes access to mentors and potential $10,000 monthly grant opportunities.
• League of Extraordinary Women Membership Multi-tiered membership program for individuals and organizations supporting women's entrepreneurship. Tiers include Corporate Catalyst ($25,000), National Catalyst ($10,000), Regional Catalyst ($5,000), and Local Catalyst ($1,000), with benefits including advisory board seats, speaking opportunities, and conference registrations.
• Women's Business Center Membership Membership for SBA-funded Women's Business Centers at $400 per organization, providing voting representation at the AWBC Annual Meeting, advocacy in Washington D.C., shared resources, organizational tools, and access to the full portfolio of AWBC membership benefits.
• 2026 AWBC Leadership Conference Annual leadership conference held September 15-17, 2026, in Denver, Colorado, at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center. Features education sessions, networking opportunities, peer learning, and collaboration for WBC leaders and small business resource providers. Registration: $949 members/SBA, $1,049 non-members.
• Kansas City Microloan Program Three-year microloan program connecting underserved early-stage entrepreneurs in Kansas City with credit readiness support and microloans. Funded by a $1,386,285 Kauffman Foundation grant.

Quantifiable outcome

• WBCs supported 340,000 jobs and $16 billion in wages
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and flagship.

• GoodBread InnovationsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2026GoodBread Innovations leads a microloan program partnership with AWBC and Kansas City G.I.F.T., backed by $1.38 million Kauffman Foundation grant. The program aims to serve underserved entrepreneurs through community-based delivery and credit readiness support.
• Kansas City G.I.F.T.majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2026Kansas City G.I.F.T. partners with AWBC and GoodBread Innovations on a $1.38 million Kauffman Foundation-funded microloan program targeting underserved entrepreneurs in Kansas City.
• TikTokcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 January 2026TikTok partnered with AWBC on the Veteran Business Accelerator Powered by TikTok, an eight-week virtual e-commerce program. The accelerator provides training on TikTok Shop storefront setup, short-form video strategy, digital marketing, and customer acquisition for veteran entrepreneurs.
• VerizonflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 December 2025Nationwide partnership enhancing digital readiness, entrepreneurship training, and economic access for over 30,000 small business owners since inception. Verizon provides technology tools, funding, and resources through the Digital Ready platform supporting underserved communities, veterans, and rural entrepreneurs.
• AmazoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon partners with AWBC on 'Take Your Brand Global' program helping small business owners expand internationally.
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBA funds the Women's Business Center Program through a public-private partnership. In 2026, the WBC Program received record $27 million in funding. SBA Administrator Guzman signed Strategic Alliance Memorandum with AWBC in 2022.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation: Kauffman Foundation is a major philanthropic funder of entrepreneur research and inclusive entrepreneurship programs, recently awarding AWBC a $1.38M microloan grant; comparable as a sector funder/convener rather than a competing service provider.

Emerging players

• Ashoka: Ashoka is a global nonprofit supporting social entrepreneurs via fellowship, training, and network programs—comparable in mission (underrepresented entrepreneur support) and nonprofit membership-style structure, though focused on social-impact ventures rather than general small business.
• WomenLift Health: WomenLift Health runs leadership and entrepreneurship programs for women in the health sector, comparable as a women-focused economic empowerment program but specialized to the health vertical rather than general small-business support.
• Babson College's Center for Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership: Babson's CWEL is a higher-education-based program providing research, education, and programs for women entrepreneurs, overlapping AWBC's mission but operating from an academic, research-driven platform rather than a national center network.

Direct peers

• National Women's Business Council (NWBC): NWBC is a federal advisory council created by the Women's Business Ownership Act of 1988—the same statute that originated the WBC program—making it the closest federal-policy peer to AWBC, with overlapping mission around women's entrepreneurship data and policy.
• National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO): NAWBO is a dues-funded membership organization serving women business owners across the U.S., overlapping AWBC's core audience (women entrepreneurs) but focused on advocacy, networking, and education rather than center-based service delivery.
• America's Small Business Development Centers (SBDC): SBDCs are an SBA-funded national network of university-hosted centers providing business advising and training to entrepreneurs, making them the closest large-scale analog to WBCs in federal structure, funding model, and target customer (small business owners).
• SCORE: SCORE is a national SBA resource partner network providing free mentoring and education to small business owners, funded through a cooperative agreement with the SBA—directly parallel to AWBC's WBC network model, though SCORE is volunteer-driven rather than center-based.

Broad incumbents

• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses: 10,000 Small Businesses is a Goldman Sachs Foundation program offering business education, capital access, and networking to small business owners, comparable in target customer (growth-stage SMBs) and program structure but backed by a single corporate funder rather than a public-private model.
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): SBA is the federal parent agency of the WBC Program and AWBC's flagship strategic partner (Strategic Alliance Memorandum signed 2022), making it the natural policy and funding incumbent; SBA's broader portfolio (SBDC, SCORE, WBC) defines the competitive set in which AWBC operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Association-of-Womens-Business-Centers-110702504405044
• TikToktiktok.com/@associationofwomensbusinesscenters
• Xx.com/awbc_usa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/awbc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Association of Women's Business Centers