After Franco became 100% women-owned in 2024 (the first all-female ownership group in Franco’s 61-year history!), an important next step was to become certified as a women-owned business.
We’ve been working on this very intensive process over the last several months, and I’m proud to announce we are nationally certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nation’s largest third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the United States!
The Great Lakes Women’s Business Council, a regional provider organization of the WBENC, granted the certification after a rigorous review of the business and site inspection to affirm that Franco is at least 51% woman-owned, operated and controlled by women.
As women in leadership face headwinds and DEI initiatives shift, I’m so proud of this achievement and what it means to our business and clients. This milestone underscores the importance of inclusive entrepreneurship even in the face of persistent challenges. I’m confident the certification will expand our capacity to contribute, connect and lead. It will open the door to deeper collaboration and new partnerships that allow us to not only deliver great work, but also greater value to the clients and communities we serve.
I, along with my co-owners Tina Benvenuti Sullivan and Nikki Little, firmly believe by including women-owned businesses among their suppliers, corporations and government agencies demonstrate their commitment to fostering diversity, which in turn empowers women as leaders and brings about a more diverse, balanced and sustainable economy.
Thank you to WBENC for this important recognition and milestone in Franco’s history!
Tina Kozak is Chief Executive Officer at Franco. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
