The mission of the Forum is to promote, translate and advocate the needs, issues and benefits of women's business enterprises and to facilitate corporate and supplier business opportunities for WBE members of WBENC.

Through their representative women business owners from across the country, the Forum will provide practical information and policy recommendations to the Leadership Council and the Board of Directors. The Forum will conduct surveys to analyze the needs of WBEs and recommend replication of programs which WBENC partners have implemented to enhance and promote business opportunities for WBEs.

As a Certified WBE you are automatically a Florida Forum member.  You have to be appointed to the National Forum.  Each affiliate has 2 appointments available.  In addition, each corporate sponsor of WBENC can also make 2 appointments.  The benefits for participating at both the local and national level are GREAT:

• Collaborate with other women's organizations to pool power and build a broader power base from which to impact positive change in your business community.
• Access to regional and local corporations and local offices of national corporations with inside information on how to do business with Corporate America.
• Provide input to WBENC's National Women's Enterprise Leadership Forum on local issues and topics of importance to women's business enterprises.
• Provide input to corporations about supplier diversity "Best Practices".
• Network with other successful WBEs.
• Work with corporate representatives and other WBEs on mentoring programs

Because of our geography, we have 4 Florida Forum Groups:  South Florida, Central Florida/Tampa, Central Florida/Orlando and Jacksonville. Our National Forum representatives are:

National Appointments:

Annette Taddeo, LanguageSpeak, Inc.
www.languagespeak.com

Niki Beavers, Jeva Technologies, Inc.
www.jevatech.com

Leslie Saunders, Leslie Saunders Insurance & Marketing International
www.lsimi.com

Florida Affiliate appointments:

Mercedes LaPorta, Mercedes Electric Supply, Inc.
www.mercedeselectric.com

Kaie Latterner, TEC, Inc.
www.tecconsultants.com