EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The growth of women entrepreneurs in the United States has been substantial in recent years; today there are 6.2 million women owned firms employing 9.2 million people and generating sales of $1.15 trillion. But women entrepreneurs are impacting much more than how business gets done in America.They are shaping and redefining the workplace, the nation's business networks, financial institutions, and our culture. Perhaps most of all, women entrepreneurs are deeply influencing how the busi-ness community, public officials and the media perceive and respond to women.

On March 18-19, 2002, over 1,200 women entrepreneurs from across the nation convened in Washington, D.C. for a two day interactive conference entitled Women Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century. Additionally, hundreds of others were able to participate in the conference via satellite in Bangor, Maine, St. Louis, Missouri, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Orlando, Florida.This event was a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Labor, the Public Forum Institute, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the White House Office of Public Liaison.

Conference delegates participated in workshops, panel discussions, and interactive voting sessions.They heard presentations from featured speakers throughout the event, including President George W. Bush, U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman, U.S. Secretary of Treasury Paul O'Neill, SBA Administrator Hector Barreto, and members of Congress.The highlight of the summit was the keynote address of President Bush, who pointed out, "When it comes to entrepreneurship and job creation, ours is an increasingly woman's world."

Women business owners are concerned about roadblocks to growth, long-term viability and financial health. Accordingly, the conference agenda and workshops were tailored to help women navigate the ever changing business climate and prepare for the future. Workshops focused on access to capital, health insurance costs, understanding the tax code, and achieving a satisfying work/life balance. Just as important, the Conference provided an excellent opportunity for women entrepreneurs to network with other professionals and share their outlook with key policymakers on the real world of women in the workplace today.