A new organization is looking to help women-owned suppliers in Indiana gain certification for corporate contracts. 

Taja Graham is the Indiana Chapter President for Queen City Women in Business. She says a chance meeting with the organization’s CEO and Founder, Dawn Nicole McIlwain, inspired her to bring the Charlotte, North Carolina-based business to Indiana.   

McIlwain says she wanted to help women entrepreneurs understand the procurement space and how to gain access to contracts after obtaining certifications from cities and states. She says too many women don’t get their fair share of opportunities. “I deserve to be heard.”

Queen City Women in Business focuses on not only helping women-owned businesses gain their certification, but the organization also connects them with corporate contractors and provides direct access to opportunities. “We do the heavy lifting for you,” McIlwain says.   

Connecting to supplier partners can be daunting and complicated. Getting in front of business owners is not easy, and many women-owned businesses aren’t sure what to do after obtaining their certification. 

Graham says she was inspired to open an Indiana chapter after hearing the stories of women who had trouble connecting to supplier diversity partners. She wants to help provide a platform for women-owned businesses to connect and grow.  

With over 600 members in 15 states, McIlwain says Queen City Women in Business is the fastest-growing supplier-sourcing development platform in the country.