Deborah Oatts now serving as Past President of NAWBO-Indy
June 26, 2014, Indianapolis—After a year of significant progress in promoting and supporting women-owned businesses, Debbie passed the baton to incoming Board President of NAWBO-Indianapolis, Jeryl Mitsch. A key initiative under Debbie’s leadership, the YEA! Academy launched at the IUPUI campus with 24 students for the fall of 2014. An educational program that takes students in grades 6 through 12 through the process of starting and running a real business, the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) has been the focus of efforts by NAWBO-Indianapolis to encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs. Ending her year as Board President, Debbie states, “ I am thrilled that we were able to participate in the national movement of making experiential entrepreneurship education available to youth all across our country. And I’m excited to feel I was able to contribute in some small way to this effort.”
NAWBO is the unified voice of America’s women-owned businesses, serving to strengthen the capacity of its members, promote economic development, create change in the business culture, build strategic alliances and transform public policy to benefit women business owners.
The Indianapolis chapter of NAWBO was established in 1997 and, with more than 220 members, is currently the largest of 70 chapters in the country. NAWBO-Indianapolis is the leading organization in Indiana connecting women business owners to information, growth opportunities, and each other. Through its advocacy efforts, economic impact, diversity, influence, membership size and power, NAWBO-Indy strives to propel Indiana to be a leading state for women-owned businesses.
