Author Archives: Desiree Patno

SBA Announces Joint Initiative with United Technologies Corporation

Posted on by Desiree Patno
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24 May

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) released a statement by Administrator Linda McMahon about their new strategic joint initiative with United Technologies Corporation (UTC), a Connecticut-based company. UTC announced that it plans to hire 35,000 new employees, invest $15 billion in the United States over the next five years, and spend $75 billion for its U.S. suppliers, with $19 billion going to small businesses.

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Financial Services Committee Confirms Brian Montgomery as FHA Commissioner

Posted on by Desiree Patno
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24 May

Chairman Jeb Hensarling of the House Financial Services Committee released an official statement confirming the dual appointment of Brian Montgomery as the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Commissioner and Assistant Secretary for Housing at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

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House Passes Dodd-Frank Act Deregulation Reform Bill

Posted on by Desiree Patno
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22 May

The Financial Services Committee announced today that the House of Representatives has passed the ‘Economic Growth Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act,” by a 258-159 vote. The new bill is presented as a “pro-growth financial regulatory reform package,” which features a significant number of rollbacks of Dodd-Frank Act regulations since the financial crisis almost a decade ago.

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The Fight for Women at Art Basel

Posted on by Desiree Patno
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14 May

With a busy schedule you’d need a guidebook to navigate, I never have enough time in the day to connect with everyone I want to. Oftentimes, by the time I remember that I wanted to call a colleague with a quick thought, it’s two in the morning and my puppies are crying for me to come to bed. Once in a while, though, I see something that is riveting.

I recently attended Art Basel 2017 and was deeply impacted by the connections I formed and the beautiful artwork abounding throughout Miami Beach. I had a cathartic experience when my eyes settled on the work of Italian artist El Gato Chimney. My excitement must have been obvious as I was captivated by the color and images in his work.

The painting I fixated on depicts a swan with a community of burning birdhouses on its back. Held down by ropes, and bleeding from its battle, the resolute swan won’t succumb to its restraints and fights to gain its flight and freedom. A different painting similarly portrays a bird with smoking birdhouses on its back, the difference being that this bird and its houses are already airborne.

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From the Netherlands to Washington, D.C. -An NAWRB Intern’s Journey-

Posted on by Desiree Patno
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14 May

In 2016, Marissa de Swart, a young woman from the Netherlands, traveled to the United States to study at Chapman University in sunny Orange, California. Chapman is a distinguished private, non-profit university, and one of only 75 colleges to offer a Peace Studies program. She took two courses in Peace Studies during her time studying abroad, as well as noteworthy courses in leadership and mediation.

Students enrolled in the Peace Studies program address the underlying causes of present international conflict and seek thorough nonviolent solutions. “Peace is not simply the absence of war and the end of conflict,” states the program’s brochure. “Lasting, sustainable peace involves the pursuit of human rights, sustainable development, and social justice.”

This sentiment hearkens to the evocative words Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote in a cell at Birmingham City Jail in 1963: “True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.”

Women’s economic opportunity and growth is one human rights issue that requires attention in order to achieve gender equality, a necessary component of world peace. NAWRB is on the front lines of this issue—driving collaboration in the housing ecosystem for gender parity and women’s economic growth, and providing women with resources to secure their financial independence.

Wanting to get involved in the women’s movement, and apply the skills she learned in the classroom to the workforce, Marissa interned at NAWRB. She was pivotal in bridging our connections with the Netherland’s Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, and she continued this intermediary role when she returned home. Shortly after her internship, she secured an opportunity to work at the Dutch Embassy in Washington, D.C., where she currently resides.

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sheCenterfold Gina Diez Barroso

Posted on by Desiree Patno
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10 May

NAWRB:What obstacles did you face while developing Centro, the first university in Mexico City that specializes in creative studies? How did you overcome them?

Gina Diez Barroso: The first obstacle was they didn’t believe that we needed a new university, and they didn’t believe creativity was important. We spoke from authorities and business people, to everybody involved in this. I had to get together a diverse group of people— creative thinkers, business people, academics—who were working not for me but for my vision and my passion. They were working with me. We also hired market analysts to do a study, and the study predicted that it wasn’t going to work and that I shouldn’t do it. When I was young, I never took no for an answer. I used to think this was a bad thing, but now I take it as a compliment.

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Natural Disasters: Know the Resources

Posted on by Desiree Patno

From the hurricanes that hit Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, to the wildfires that consumed parts of California’s Wine Country, this year has been fraught with catastrophic natural disasters which have uprooted countless Americans from their stable lives. These disasters, also including tornadoes, hail storms, droughts, cyclones and floods, destroyed properties, businesses, communities, cities and United States territories;  left families and their pets without shelter, food, utilities and vulnerable to disease; and caused hundreds of deaths and casualties.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that 15 weather and climate disasters in the U.S. have each caused over $1 billion in damages in 2017 alone. These events have resulted in the death of 282 people and have had consequential economic effects in the locations affected. As of October, the costs for the major hurricanes—Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria—are still being calculated.  An article from USA Today, however, estimates that Hurricane Harvey will reach at least $190 billion in damages.

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On the Margin of the 72nd U.N. General Assembly

Posted on by Desiree Patno
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10 May

On the Margin of the 72nd U.N. General Assembly
Women’s Global Leadership Advancing Economic and Innovative Growth for Women in Emerging Countries

Imagine the synergy of having a female President and five First Ladies across two continents come together with the mission to help women and girls. On the morning of September 21, 2017, New York City’s hustle and bustle perfectly matched the excitement at the 2017 International Conference on Gender and Sustainability (ICOGAS).On the margins of the 72nd U.N. General Assembly, and in this incredible setting, the Hilton in Midtown Manhattan witnessed the collaboration and camaraderie of leading global strategists, academics, CEOs and international leaders to generate actionable gender equality and women’s economic sustainability solutions.

Among leaders were Ameenah Gurib, President of Mauritius, and First Ladies Reema Carmona of Trinidad and Tobago, Sandra Granger of Guyana, Lorena Castillo de Varela of Panama, Roman Tesfaye of Ethiopia and Dominique Ouattara of the Ivory Coast. To have these leaders united at one event under a common goal ensured through power and dedication that the issues and questions raised during the conference did not fall on deaf ears.

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Submit to the 2018 NAWRB Top 50 WOSB Revenue Awards!

Posted on by Desiree Patno
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04 May

NAWRB is excited to launch the first and only earning recognition program for WOSBs within the housing ecosystem. As we celebrate these diverse sectors and merge industries into one list, we are raising awareness of leading women-owned small businesses and helping form profitable collaborations to propel women’s economic growth.

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sheCENTER(FOLD) Edie Fraser

Posted on by Desiree Patno
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21 Dec

Chairman and Founder, STEMconnector®/Million Women Mentors® (MWM)

Edie Fraser

Edie Fraser has spent her life in the service of equality with a passionate vision for a better tomorrow. Having led national poverty programs and worked to advance women’s gender equality for decades, she has a precise understanding of women’s progress. Discussing her life, Fraser alternates seamlessly between lessons learned in childhood and her biggest professional challenges, detailing her storied career and how the future is developing for women in America. 

NAWRB: In your opinion, what is the most important success women have had in the last 50 years?

Edie Fraser: Successes have been achieved and we celebrate them, and yes, we want parity. Studies show that it could take as long as 117 years to reach parity in the private sector. Let’s advocate for parity within every government institution, business, profession, organization, and in higher education.

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