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Connection, Collaboration, and Courage: Highlights from WBENC 2025

A look back at the 2025 WBENC National Conference, celebrating the connections, innovations, and unforgettable moments that defined the week.

Nearly 4,800 attendees — including more than 2,500 certified women-owned businesses — gathered in New Orleans for the 2025 WBENC National Conference. It was an extraordinary week of connection, inspiration, and collaboration.

But it was also marked by an immense loss.

As we continue to process the unexpected passing of WBENC President & CEO Pamela Prince-Eason, we are even more aware of the depth of her impact. Her fingerprints were on every element of this conference, from the powerful speakers to the visionary themes, to the unwavering commitment to uplifting women entrepreneurs.

Pamela led with purpose. She built a national stage for women-owned businesses to thrive, and her leadership has shaped WBENC into a force for economic empowerment and equity. Over the past 15+ years, she accelerated opportunity, created space for bold conversations, and championed a future where women-owned businesses are essential drivers of progress.

We honor her legacy by carrying her work forward with courage, with conviction, and with community.

Here are just a few of our team’s reflections on what made this year’s conference so impactful.

Unmatched Networking & Business Opportunities

The expo floor was alive with connections and commerce. Our team had powerful conversations with leaders from:

BMO
5th/3rd
Chevron
Delta
Disney
GSK
KPMG
Medtronic
Merck
NiSource
PENN Entertainment
RTX
Salesforce
Shell
ExxonMobil
Sony
Southern California Edison
Southwest Truist
Vizient
Wells Fargo
and many more…

The Power of the Theme: ACCELERATE

From sustainability to AI and double-digit growth, WBEs and corporate partners showed how mentorship and collaboration are propelling businesses forward. Shout-out to WBE leaders like Vicky Keramida and Avis Yates Rivers for inspiring us with their stories.

Celebrating Collective Excellence

The WBE Star Awards spotlighted women entrepreneurs making a national impact. These are the leaders embodying Pamela’s vision — creating jobs, building strong communities, and modeling excellence.

Future-Focused Innovation

AI took center stage in a powerful panel session led by Pamela, joined by executives Brett Howroyd of ActOne, Diana Gonzalez of Amazon, and Kathy Golding of EY. Together, they sparked a timely and essential conversation on responsible innovation, ethical leadership, and the future of opportunity in an AI-driven world.

A Candid & Creative Conversation

Chrissy Teigen, founder of WBENC-certified Cravings, joined Pamela onstage for a lively conversation on creativity, resilience, and reinvention, followed by a New Orleans-flavored cooking demo with Chef Kaitlin Guerin, a 2025 James Beard Award finalist.

Mentoring the Next Generation

The Collegiate Accelerator Pitch Competition and product showcases highlighted the next wave of women innovators. Paula Bratcher Ratliff, President of Women Impact Tech, was honored to mentor Angel Chuang, Co-Founder of MindMunch, who is already reshaping the future of business.

Angel Chuang is a sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley, passionate about the intersection of tech, health, and entrepreneurship, especially in edtech and biotech.

MindMunch is an edtech and productivity app that combats screen addiction and boosts student focus by turning scrolling time into study time. With just five months of development, Angel and her co-founder have raised $30K through pitch competitions, an impressive early achievement from a team determined to redefine digital wellness.

Angel’s 2025 goals are ambitious and inspiring:

Launch MindMunch across iOS, Android, and web
Grow a global network of mentors and partners
Secure pre-seed funding and strategic partnerships

Women Impact Tech is proud to have supported Angel through WBENC’s Mentorship Program and even prouder to watch her continue to thrive.

What This Means for the Future and for Pamela’s Legacy

Local impact, national scale: Regional meetups and partner events are turning conference momentum into real change across the country.
Job creation & innovation: As women-owned businesses grow, so do our communities and economies.
A powerful sisterhood: Pamela believed deeply in the emotional and professional strength women gain when we lift each other up. That bond was evident in every room this week.

We are grateful for this incredible community, and we are committed to continuing the work Pamela began, building the future she believed in so fiercely.