CANYON, Texas — In recognition of Global Entrepreneurship Week, the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business at West Texas A&M University will host a Women Leaders in Business event.

The event will celebrate women in business and provide access to successful women in business for students who may be considering entrepreneurship and business in their own futures.

Women Leaders in Business will run from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Nov. 15 in Legacy Hall inside the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on the WT campus. The event is free and open to the public. For information, visit wtsbdc.com/womeninbusiness.

Presented by departments in WT’s Engler College of Business, America’s SBDC at WTAMU and the WT Enterprise Center, successful women business owners will take part in a fireside chat with Gina Woodward, SBDC regional director, to tell their stories of entrepreneurship, discuss obstacles overcome, and reveal how business ownership allows them to positively impact their communities.

Attendees will meet and have a chance to ask questions of a trio of business owners: Amelia Balderrama, CEO and president of iDocket.com; Colette Lane, co-founder of Ruthette’s Bridal; and Mindi McLain, partner with Wright Law TX and real estate investor.

“The women on this stage together have a collective vision of the future that’s a world where their daughters and nieces are a force to be reckoned with—in business or whatever careers they might choose,” Woodward said. “Their message for students is one that encourages them to take business and life head on, knowing that they have the support to succeed.”

Audiences will be motivated, said Dr. Amjad Abdullat, dean of the Engler College of Business.

“Inspiring students to be successful leaders in entrepreneurship and business today, and not waiting for anyone’s permission, is at the heart of our mission to serve them,” Abdullat said. “Our graduates are uniquely equipped to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. They graduate with existing skills learned through hands-on experiences with small businesses through the College of Business and more importantly, a network of other entrepreneurial students and experienced business owners to support their endeavors.”

Economic development and the success of the Texas Panhandle as a region are key principles of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched in September 2021 — has raised more than $110 million.