Author Archives: NAWRB

sheCenter(FOLD) – Dr. Chitra Dorai

Posted on by NAWRB
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02 Aug

Former IBM Fellow, Master Inventor, VP, CTO Cognitive Services, IBM Services, Member of IBM Industry Academy & Academy of Technology

Dr. Chitra Dorai

Dr. Chitra Dorai, a Former IBM Fellow and expert in AI and Cognitive Sciences, takes NAWRB along the journey of her life. A precocious child in Chennai, India, who dreamed of becoming a brain scientist, she traveled to the United States to realize her aspirations, ultimately earning IBM’s highest honor and helping thousands of homeowners during the financial crisis. From her obsession with popular culture trivia to her experience being a mother, this influential woman is taking on the computer. 

NAWRB: Where did you grow up, and what was your childhood like?

Dr. Chitra Dorai: I grew up in a sunny South Indian city called Chennai, previously known as Madras, located on the south eastern coast of India. Chennai is one of the largest cosmopolitan cities in India and is well known as an economic, cultural, and educational hub in South India. In fact, it is often called the “Detroit” of India because many of the automobile manufacturers have their Indian operations there. It is also technology-centric. A lot of multinational companies, including IBM, have their IT service delivery centers in Chennai. At the same time, it is a city of contrasts. It continues to be traditional and conventional in certain ways, culturally-rich and conservative, compared to other major cities in India. It is famous for its soaring temples, luxurious silk, and centuries-old musical traditions.

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Innovative Ways Women Entrepreneurs Can Gain Access to Capital

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02 Aug

Capital is pivotal for the success of any entrepreneur to launch a sustainable and lucrative business. Traditional routes of access to capital are changing as technological development creates new avenues, and the distance between entrepreneur and investor decreases due to an increase in fast and efficient communication. 

Women entrepreneurs have notoriously faced hardships in gaining access to capital, from lack of information and resources and local and state government assistance, to facing cultural biases from investors. A 2014 report by the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship states women business owners received 16 percent of small business loans and 17 percent of loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

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NAWRB Response to the United States Forest Service’s NEPA Proposed Rulemaking

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Rulemaking
02 Aug

You don’t have to live in homes like the hobbits did in The Lord of The Rings to be among nature’s finest gifts. While making sure we are building enough homes to meet the demand of the rising population is important, we also need to consider the effects of construction and our daily lives on the environment. More environmentally-friendly homes are being built with sustainable resources, and there has been an increased focus on adapting our buildings to the land instead of forcing it to adapt to us.  

Earlier this year, NAWRB had the opportunity to write a request for comment (RFC) to the United States Forest Service’s proposal to revise its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures to better facilitate its goals of protecting the health and sustainable use of our national forests and increasing efficient environmental analysis. NEPA plays a key role in this by outlining the process by which the agency conducts its analysis and makes crucial decisions regarding the National Forest System lands. 

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The Investing in Opportunity Act: Private-Public Partnerships Helping Low-Income Communities

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02 Aug

In December 2017 Congress passed the heavily-debated GOP tax bill, with highlighted features such as a $1.5 trillion tax cut, lowered tax rates for individuals and corporations, a cap on mortgage interest deduction at $750,000, and a doubling of the standard deduction and child tax credit. The effects of these changes might make an impact on affordable housing in high-tax states as Americans adapt to decreasing home prices, new caps on mortgage and tax deductions and limits on HELOC deductibility. 

While the new tax bill has stirred concern over housing affordability in states with high taxes, especially those located in the Northeast, West Coast and South Florida, attention has now been focused on an aspect of the bill that could help rather than hinder distressed, low-income communities. According to the 2017 Distressed Communities Index by the Economic Innovation Group, one in six Americans, approximately 17 percent of the population, live in economically distressed communities, and the average state has 15.2 percent of its population living in these struggling areas. 

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Women on Boards: California Bill SB 826

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women on boards
02 Aug

NAWRB wrote a formal letter in support of 2020 Women on Boards to the Banking and Finance Committee of the California State Assembly regarding the SB 826 bill, which requires public companies without women board members to hire at least one woman by the end of 2019. The bill is an important step in diversity and inclusion, as well as for the advancement of women, although it should be adopted with a mindset that acknowledges gender diversity as a multifaceted issue that will require a concerted effort at all employment levels. 

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Historic Milestones for Women’s Independence: Fair Housing Act & H.R. 5050

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02 Aug

In the year 2018 we have observed milestones for the history of women’s social and economic independence. It marks the anniversary of two important pieces of legislation that helped women achieve economic growth through business ownership as well as homeownership—two interrelated tools that are pivotal for personal wealth building.

The Fair Housing Act, an act that tackled discrimination in the housing sector, has been in effect for 50 years, while the H.R. 5050 Women’s Business Ownership Act, which made it possible for women to take out a loan without a man’s signature, has been helping more women become entrepreneurs for 30 years.

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sheCenter(FOLD) – Gina Diez Barroso

Posted on by NAWRB
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28 Jun

President and CEO, Grupo Diarq; Founder, Fundación Pro-Educación Centro and Fundación Diarq; and Chariman, Dalia Empower

Gina Diez Barroso

Gina Diez Barroso, founder of the first university in Mexico City focused on creative studies, and the only Mexican belonging to the C200, never takes no for answer. In an exclusive interview with NAWRB, Diez Barroso takes us through her childhood in Mexico and her journey to becoming a resilient entrepreneur. Diez Barroso shares how she helps women leave abusive relationships and reach their full potential by teaching them to own their power.

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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CFPB Board Members Fired: NAWRB Advocacy Even More Crucial

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07 Jun

Yesterday, CFPB’s three advisory boards: the Consumer Advisory Board, Community Bank Advisory Council, and the Credit Union Advisory Council were disbanded. All boards directly reported to the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau established in the wake of the last decade’s financial meltdown. The fired members were advised they could not reapply for seats when an apparent new board forms.

The board, comprised of twenty-five members who according to The Washington Post, are made up of top consumer advocates, academics, and industry executives, have been critical of acting director Mick Mulvaney’s leadership, arguing that he is focused more on the industry than on protecting the American consumer. His critics also fear under his command the Bureau has focused more on weakening the consumer protection aspects of its work.

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Women Leaders at the Front of the Line – NDILC in the News

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11 May

Women Leaders at the Front of the Line – NDILC in the News

The NDILC are dedicated to helping raise the number of C-suite women and grow women’s employment at all levels in the housing ecosystem. Read below to find out how our council members are making a difference for women, local communities and the world at large.

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