Fire up your future with NAWBO's annual event to inspire, encourage and educate women business owners in successful business negotiations. We invite all of you, our members and corporate partners alike, to create and develop successful business partnerships between one another at our luncheon and networking exhibit hall of local women owned businesses and corporations.

Join us in welcoming keynote speaker Elaine Mendoza of Conceptual Mindworks, Inc. (CMI) as she speaks about her successful joint venture negotiation with dNovus RDI that resulted in a $100 million dollar contract with the Department of Defense. CMI has realized steady growth and profitability since the company was founded in 1990 in San Antonio, Texas

Elaine has been fortunate to be involved in community initiatives revolving around the expansion of educational opportunities, health care and economic growth. She has been in the Hispanic Entrepreneur 100 twice as one of the top 100 Hispanic owned businesses in the U.S. and was awarded the Administrator's Award for Excellence by the Small Business Administration among many other accolades. Most recently, Elaine has also taken a lead role nationally; appointed by Senator Trent Lott to the Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering and Technology (CAWMSET) and statewide serving on Texas Governor Rick Perry's Special Commission on 21st Century Colleges and Universities.

Other keynote speaker, Melanie R. Sabelhaus was sworn in April 12, 2002 as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. President George W. Bush nominated her for the post and she was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate.

As SBA Deputy Administrator, Sabelhaus serves as second in command to Administrator Hector V. Barreto in managing an agency with more than 80 offices across the country. She is responsible for overseeing policy development and program supervision for the SBA.

Luncheon: 11:30-1:00

Exhibit Hall: 10:30-11:30 and 1:00-2:30