Bishop-Wisecarver president Pamela Kan was selected by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) as a 2018 Women’s Business Enterprise Star. This prestigious award is given annually to only 14 women from across the country based on their contributions to their local communities and respective businesses.

As one of the small number of female leaders in the manufacturing industry, Kan has been a long-time supporter of programs that encourage women to enter this field, and she actively works with industry, community and government groups to foster STEM learning and skills-based training from a young age.

Based on her continued contributions, WBENC also appointed Kan to the Women’s Enterprise Forum’s WBE Membership & Recruitment Team, which serves in an advisory capacity for the WBENC. This Forum provides opportunities for WBENC-Certified Women’s Business Enterprises (WBEs) to represent the voice of all women’s business enterprises and engage in networking and development activities with other WBEs, member corporations and government entities. In this new role as Second Vice Chair, Kan will help lead the team’s initiatives to provide input and feedback on WBENC membership and recruitment programs and other matters at the direction of the WBENC Board of Directors.

“While manufacturing has historically been a male-dominated industry, it provides great opportunities for women, which is why I have focused so heavily on increasing the number of women in this field, as well as other STEM-based industries,” said Pamela Kan, president of Bishop-Wisecarver.

“I’m passionate about encouraging women to consider STEM careers as viable options and to realize their potential for leadership in these industries. I’ve found the best ways to help with this includes serving on various boards committed to supporting women’s initiatives, mentoring female students and young entrepreneurs and providing corporate sponsorship of national and regional programs designed to help women succeed. Organizations like WBENC help break down the barriers many women face, and I’m honored to work with them so everyone can benefit from a more diverse, talented, strong workforce.”

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WBENC is the largest third-party certifier of businesses owned, controlled, and operated by women in the United Sates. WBENC partners with 14 Regional Partner Organizations (RPOs) to provide its world-class standard of certification to women-owned businesses throughout the country. WBENC is also the nation’s leading advocate of women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs. Throughout the year, WBENC provides business development opportunities for member corporations, government agencies and more than 14,000 certified women-owned businesses at events and other forums.

For more information on Bishop-Wisecarver, visit bwc.com.