WEConnect International

WEConnect International We envision a world where women business owners have equal opportunity to sell their solutions and create prosperity.

Connecting Women-Owned Businesses to Global Opportunity

WEConnect International expands access to opportunity for women-owned businesses worldwide—strengthening supply chains, driving economic growth, and enabling women to compete and succeed at scale. Through our global network, we help transform connections into real business outcomes that benefit companies, communities, and economies.

When a leading global professional services firm set out to rethink how it supported employees through career transition...
08/20/2026

When a leading global professional services firm set out to rethink how it supported employees through career transition, it needed a partner that could offer something different.

They were fortunate to find Sandy Hutchison and Career Money Life, an Australian women-owned business that helps organizations support their people through the moments that matter most in work and life, including career transition, parental leave, and retirement.

After getting certified with WEConnect International in 2022, Sandy did the work: showing up at events, building relationships, and connecting with procurement and sourcing leaders across the network.

“Being a WEConnect certified business alone would not be enough to win a large contract, but it was certainly a benefit. It got us the exposure and the opportunity to get in front of them,” Sandy says.

And when the opportunity came, Career Money Life was ready. The company won the competitive tender and went on to support 295 employees with a more flexible, personalized approach to career transition — earning an average participant rating of 4.8 out of 5 and delivering transition times that beat industry benchmarks.

It’s a powerful example of what happens when access, sustained relationship-building and a strong solution come together.

Read the full story → https://hubs.la/Q04tH2Xx0

We're growing our global team!As WEConnect International continues to expand our impact and strengthen opportunities for...
07/30/2026

We're growing our global team!

As WEConnect International continues to expand our impact and strengthen opportunities for women-owned businesses around the world, we're hiring for several key leadership and operational roles.

We're currently looking for talented professionals to join us as:
▪️Director, Global Markets & Supplier Programs
▪️Director, Global Membership & Engagement
▪️Associate Director, Membership Growth and Development
▪️Business Operations Manager

If you're passionate about building strategic partnerships, supporting business growth, and helping shape a more connected global marketplace for women-owned businesses, we'd love to hear from you.

Explore the opportunities and apply here: https://hubs.la/Q04r6mJ60

Know someone who would be a great fit? Please share this post with your network.

Eight years ago, Hamidah Mustafa recognized the potential of AI and data analytics long before it became a boardroom pri...
07/29/2026

Eight years ago, Hamidah Mustafa recognized the potential of AI and data analytics long before it became a boardroom priority.

She built Parrot Social from the ground up. Self-funded, without a mentor or roadmap, and as a Malay Muslim woman entering a technical field where few people looked like her.

Today, Parrot Social serves global banks and pharmaceutical companies in more than 180 languages and is expanding across Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Hamidah credits WEConnect International with helping her connect with procurement leaders and global customers, creating opportunities that accelerated her company's growth and international reach.

Her story is a powerful reminder of what's possible when women-owned businesses have access to networks, opportunities, and markets.

Read her story: https://hubs.la/Q04r6pp90

Today we're sharing an important leadership announcement.After 18 years of building WEConnect International from the gro...
07/17/2026

Today we're sharing an important leadership announcement.

After 18 years of building WEConnect International from the ground up, Elizabeth A. Vazquez will step down as CEO and President on December 31, 2026, to launch a new global B2B business.

Under Elizabeth's leadership, WEConnect International has grown into a global network spanning 135 countries, connecting more than 20,000 women-owned businesses with over 180 member buyers representing more than $4 trillion in purchasing power.

Effective January 1, 2027, Saritha Venumbaka, our Chief Operating Officer, will become CEO and President. Over the past seven years, Saritha has helped shape our strategy, strengthen our global operations, and position the organization for its next phase of growth.

Over the next six months, Elizabeth, Saritha, our Board of Directors, and our global team will work closely together to ensure a seamless transition. Our mission remains the same, our commitment to this community is unwavering, and we're excited about what comes next.

Thank you for being part of this journey. More to come in the months ahead.

Read the full announcement here: https://hubs.la/Q04pS20T0

What happens when women-owned businesses gain the right tools, mentorship, and market access?In France, the results spea...
07/15/2026

What happens when women-owned businesses gain the right tools, mentorship, and market access?

In France, the results speak for themselves.

Through our Women-Owned Capacity Building & Mentorship Program, delivered in collaboration with Disneyland Paris, 40 women-owned businesses strengthened their procurement readiness, received one-on-one mentorship from industry leaders, and sharpened their growth strategies.

The impact:
✨ 40 entrepreneurs completed the immersive training program
🏅 26 businesses earned WEConnect International Certification
🌍 More women-owned businesses are now positioned to compete for opportunities with global buyers

This is what happens when businesses engage in supplier development and women entrepreneurs gain access to the networks, knowledge, and opportunities they need to grow.

Read the full impact report: https://hubs.la/Q04pBJ0F0

Women-owned businesses in New South Wales: this opportunity is for you.WEConnect International is launching a pilot prog...
07/08/2026

Women-owned businesses in New South Wales: this opportunity is for you.

WEConnect International is launching a pilot program that will provide up to 50 women-owned businesses with fully funded WEConnect International Certification, along with education, buyer insights, and support to help businesses become more procurement ready and better positioned to pursue corporate and government contracting opportunities.

Successful participants will receive:
✔️ Fully funded WEConnect International Certification (valid for 3 years)
✔️ Guidance throughout the certification process
✔️ Educational workshops on certification, inclusive sourcing, and procurement
✔️ Buyer insight sessions with procurement professionals
✔️ Increased visibility within our global network of buyers

If your business is based in (or has significant operations in) New South Wales and is at least 51% women-owned, managed, and controlled, we encourage you to apply.

🗓️ Applications close July 20.

Learn more and apply today: https://hubs.la/Q04nT2sT0

Help us spread the word: Share this post with a woman entrepreneur in NSW who needs to see it!

Connecting qualified suppliers with the buyers and partners actively seeking them is not a simple task. It takes infrast...
06/16/2026

Connecting qualified suppliers with the buyers and partners actively seeking them is not a simple task. It takes infrastructure, trust, and ongoing investment.

We are grateful to the partners whose support makes WEConnect International Day 2026 possible. Their commitment to our network helps create the conditions for real business relationships to form and grow.

Thank you for helping build a stronger global marketplace!

What would you say if you had 3 minutes in front of global buyers, corporate leaders, and partners?WEConnect Internation...
05/27/2026

What would you say if you had 3 minutes in front of global buyers, corporate leaders, and partners?

WEConnect International is now accepting applications for the WEPitch: Global Supplier Showcase at International Day on June 18!

This is your opportunity to showcase your business, sharpen your story, and gain real-time feedback from buyers and business leaders on how your company and value proposition resonate.

Are you the right fit? We're looking for WBEs (certified by WEConnect International or WBENC) who bring:
▫️A unique product or service with a differentiated value proposition
▫️Bold innovation, sustainability, or high-impact technology
▫️A track record of empowering communities
▫️Scalability and readiness to serve global markets

Submit your application with a 1–10-page pitch deck or company profile describing your business, the problem you solve, and what you hope to gain. Applications are due by June 3. Finalists will be notified June 5.

👉 Apply here: https://hubs.la/Q04j0b1G0

Not yet registered to attend International Day? Grab your ticket here: https://hubs.la/Q04h_VJm0

From our position connecting 180+ member buyers with women-owned businesses across 144 markets, the pattern is clear. Th...
05/21/2026

From our position connecting 180+ member buyers with women-owned businesses across 144 markets, the pattern is clear. The companies with the most resilient and competitive supply chains have something in common: they localize. Wherever they operate in the world, they invest in identifying and building relationships with qualified local suppliers embedded in those markets.

What's often less discussed is what happens downstream when a regional supplier wins a contract. A local business hires locally, buys locally, banks locally. The contract feeds an ecosystem rather than extracting from one, and that ecosystem's resilience compounds.

Our CEO and Co-Founder Elizabeth A. Vazquez shares what two decades of connecting global buyers and suppliers has taught us about what actually builds supply chain strength.

Read the full piece in Forbes: https://hubs.la/Q04hjksV0

This is what International Day looks like. ✨Our primary global gathering of the year — women-owned businesses and global...
05/20/2026

This is what International Day looks like. ✨

Our primary global gathering of the year — women-owned businesses and global buyers coming together in one room with purpose. The peer connections, the candid conversations, the energy of being surrounded by women building businesses across every border.

This is the community showing up for each other.

June 18 is less than a month away, and spots are filling up. If you've been thinking about it, now is the time to join!

📍 Salt Lake City | June 18, 2026
🔗 Register here: https://hubs.la/Q04hhW-h0

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1100 H Street NW
Washington D.C., DC
20036

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