Hello sports fans,
TGW Studio is newly WBENC-certified, and I hope you’ll stay with me for a minute so I can share why this is important, and remind you to please support women-owned businesses you know, and intentionally look for ones you don’t yet know.
I played in a lot of co-ed leagues back in the day. Often, the teams would have 1 token woman represented (just the one). And if it wasn’t mandatory for her to be in during gameplay, she likely didn’t play much either. But why, you ask? So the guys could dominate and increase their chances of being winners.
The WBENC is considered the gold standard for certifying women-owned businesses in the US. So, on paper, this means we’re now recognized nationally as a women-owned business (+ certified NYS MWBE, NGLCC, and B Corp). Great! But in reality, this means something more important and a bit more complicated.
WBENC is important because of structural barriers. Things still “happen” in business in very predictable ways. From who gets the invitation and access, to who gets the funding.
Facts are, women-owned businesses represent 39% of all U.S. businesses. That sounds optimistic, but in my opinion, buries the lead: they account for and generate only 6% of total national business revenue.
The 6% shrinks further when talking about minority women-owned businesses. It is estimated that there would be an additional $832 billion in revenue if BIPOC women-owned businesses reached parity with white women-owned businesses.
LGBTQ+ folks aren’t included in the data at all, which illustrates again who gets measured and who gets missed.
The system is inequitable. It’s a reality that’s frustrating to hear and frustrating to say. Visually, I picture these amazing women-owned U.S. businesses squeezed around a make-shift card table that’s shoved up next to the much grander dining room table.
Certifications like WBENC are one way to interrupt, even if just a little. Maybe it creates potential to open doors with Gov contracts and supplier diversity programs at Fortune 500s. It could increase your chances of getting a meeting.
The last bit is that, as someone who considers themselves gender expansive, I also hold this certification with some nuance, while understanding labels and categories are part of the whole deal. So we push forward.
We’re not sure how we’ll use the certification yet, but we knew it was important to pursue it as a proudly independent studio that doesn’t fit the traditional mold nearly 15 years in.
We are in when it comes to anything that provides access to those historically left out. I’ll say it again: be intentional and integrate women-owned businesses into your life. Look for them, we do great work.
*Stats from the Wells Fargo “2025 Impact of Women-owned Businesses” Report.
*Shout out to the other gender expansive/fluid-identifying business owners out there doing the binary thing when necessary.
