Governor Abbott, Governor’s Commission For Women Announce Women-Owned Business Series

Texas - Governor Greg Abbott and the Governor’s Commission for Women today announced the 2022 Women-Owned Business Series beginning with four weekly webinars Wednesday, August 31, through Wednesday, September 21. The webinars will feature subject-matter experts offering actionable advice for Texas women business owners and entrepreneurs on starting, growing, and sustaining a business.

"Texas is home to 1.25 million women business owners," said Governor Abbott. "I am especially proud that we lead the nation for jobs created by Hispanic women, African American women, and veteran women business owners.

Women who invest in themselves and their ideas for the future of their families and their communities are critical to our economy. I look forward to continuing working alongside all of our entrepreneurs and small business owners to ensure they have the knowledge and tools needed to succeed. Working together, we will continue to create even more new jobs across every region of this great state.”

Each of the weekly webinars, offered at no cost and in partnership with the Beacon State Fund, will take a deep dive into important topics and available resources for women-owned small businesses and women entrepreneurs in Texas.

Additionally, an in-person event, the Governor’s Small Business Series – Honoring Women-Owned Businesses, will be co-hosted by the Governor’s Commission for Women, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism, and the Beacon State Fund on Thursday, October 6, in South Padre Island. The event will be an opportunity to network with other business owners and hear first-hand from experts who will share timely, relevant, actionable information on a multitude of small business topics.

The Governor’s Commission for Women will also host a women-owned small business pitch competition following the webinars and in-person event, with awardees selected for each region of Texas.

Women-Owned Business Webinar Series

• Wednesday, August 31: Legal Considerations for Small Businesses
• Wednesday, September 7: Finance and Supply Chain Planning for Small Businesses
• Wednesday, September 14: Marketing Your Small Business
• Wednesday, September 21: Managing Burnout and Employee Retention for Small Businesses

For more information on the no-cost weekly webinar series and to register for one or more, visit: https://gov.texas.gov/organization/women/business-series

Governor’s Small Business Series – Honoring Women-Owned Businesses
• Thursday, October 6: In-Person, South Padre Island

For more information on the in-person event, bookmark this page for details to be released on the time, location, and registration fee: https://gov.texas.gov/business/event/governors-small-business-series-south-padre-island

Women-Owned Small Business Pitch Competition

The Governor’s Commission for Women, in partnership with the Beacon State Fund, will also host a women-owned small business pitch competition following the webinars and in-person event, with awardees selected for each region of Texas. Women small business owners in Texas are invited to submit an application to the pitch competition explaining the challenges their business faces and the creative solutions, tactics, and adjustments used to face these challenges. Completed applications must be submitted by July 31, 2022, via the online application form. Finalists from each region will be invited to then present a live pitch to judges following one of the four webinars or the one in-person event. For more information, visit: https://gov.texas.gov/organization/women/pitch-competition

A Texas Junior Small Business Pitch Competition for young Texas female entrepreneurs ages 4 to 14 will also be hosted by national non-profit Lemonade Day and the Beacon State Fund in partnership with the Governor's Commission for Women. Completed applications must be submitted by the July 31, 2022 deadline via an online application form. See full details here: https://lemonadeday.org/junior-business-pitch-competition

The Governor’s Commission for Women is dedicated to advancing economic opportunities for Texas women and making Texas the No. 1 state for women-owned businesses. 

The Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism is tasked with marketing and promoting the state of Texas as a premier business location and travel destination; the Small Business Assistance team is a resource for small and medium Texas businesses through advocacy, entrepreneurial support, education, and technical assistance.

The Beacon State Fund, a 501(c)(3) Texas nonprofit, works cooperatively with the Governor’s Commission for Women to promote opportunities for and support the successes of Texas women.