NAWBO® And Bank Of America Take Relationship To Next Level

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Women Business Owners® (NAWBO) and Bank of America are proud to announce that the two organizations have taken their relationship to the next level, benefiting women entrepreneurs nationwide with valuable financial advice and resources to grow their businesses.

Bank of America will serve as presenting sponsor of NAWBO's Women's Business Conference for the second consecutive year. The 2014 event will be held September 8-9 in Indianapolis, Indiana—home to NAWBO's largest chapter—and is expected to attract hundreds of women business owners from all U.S. industries and sectors. Keynote speakers include sisters Katherine Kallinis Berman and Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne, co-founders of Georgetown Cupcake and stars of the hit series DC Cupcakes on TLC, as well as Muffy Davis, professional speaker and world champion disabled ski racer who was inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2012. View the complete conference agenda and register here. 

Additionally, Bank of America has joined with NAWBO to launch a new e-series for 2014, called "Breakfast With Bank of America," with the first e-blast to be released in July. "Breakfast With Bank of America" bi-monthly e-blasts will feature videos and financial advice to support women and small- to mid-sized business owners, who continue to identify access to capital and other financial issues as critical success factors for their businesses.

"Bank of America has been a tremendous partner to NAWBO and support to women and small business owners," said Billie Dragoo, NAWBO National chair and president/CEO of Indianapolis-based RepuCare. "They understand our powerful contributions in creating jobs, driving innovation and strengthening the overall economy. One of the key steps toward our continued success is equipping us with the resources and expertise we need, and Bank of America is clearly commited to that."

"Investing in women to connect them to the resources, networks and mentoring they need to help them achieve success is a special area of focus for us at Bank of America," said Anna Colton, small business banker national sales executive for Bank of America. "We are doing our part to offer support and resources for women in local communities across the country by hiring an additional 200 small business bankers in 2014. We're also developing relationships with organizations dedicated to strengthening women-owned businesses, such as our connection with NAWBO."

Bank of America's commitment to women and business
Bank of America has a longstanding commitment to supporting women through internal programs that support its efforts to be a best place to work and partnerships to advance women's economic empowerment. The company has developed initiatives that focus on mentoring as a tool for skills building, such as its work with Vital Voices on the Global Ambassadors Program, which pairs senior executives—including Bank of America leaders—with women engaged in business or social enterprises, to its partnership with the Cherie Blair Foundation, which connects women entrepreneurs to online mentoring.  In addition, in response to the need for women to access low-cost capital in order to grow their businesses, the company launched Elizabeth Street Capital in partnership with the Tory Burch Foundation to support emerging women entrepreneurs in the U.S. 

Bank of America has a nationwide network of banking centers and professionals that are committed to its more than 3 million small- and mid-sized business clients and their local communities. The personal connection of its bankers, client managers and practice solutions specialists contributes to the success of small- to mid-sized businesses and their communities by making expertise more accessible. The resources of Bank of America help business owners succeed by offering convenient interactions and comprehensive banking, credit and cash management solutions. In 2013, Bank of America announced that it extended $10.7 billion in new loans to small businesses—a 24-percent increase over 2012.

For more information on the NAWBO Women's Business Conference, visit www.nawbo.org. 

About NAWBO®
Founded in 1975, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) is the unified voice of America's more than 10 million women-owned businesses representing the fastest growing segment of the economy. NAWBO is the only dues-based organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs across all industries.   NAWBO develops programs that help women entrepreneurs navigate through the various stages of their business growth.

About Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small businesses, middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 49 million consumer and small business relationships with approximately 5,100 retail banking offices and approximately 16,200 ATMs and award-winning online banking with 30 million active users and more than 15 million mobile users. Bank of America is among the world's leading wealth management companies and is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations in more than 40 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Media Contacts:
Christina Jorgensen
NAWBO® Media Relations
p: (818) 772-9555, ext. 103
e: [email protected]

Don Vecchiarello
Bank of America Media Relations
p: (980) 387-4899
e: [email protected]

SOURCE National Association of Women Business Owners