Celebrating Over
60 Years!

Come Grow with Us... Professionally and Personally

What is ABWA? American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) is a national organization of 45,000 members strong making it a major influential association that brings together women of diverse occupations and backgrounds. If you want to connect and network with the best, enjoy unique educational opportunities, and give your career a boost, then ABWA is the place to be. Our local Chapter of ABWA serves Cuyahoga/Summit counties and surrounding areas in Northeast Ohio.

Local meetings provide area businesswomen the opportunity to fulfill their professional/personal career goals and advance their education while sharing experiences and strategies to help others. You can also participate in district and national meetings and events to network and learn more from powerful leaders.

We are looking to grow stronger than ever! We invite you to share your passions and further develop your professional career. Together we can help shape the future of our world.

ABWA WOW offers many great benefits!

• Professional development, networking and credential-building.
• Contribution in serving on a Board and/or committees
• Discounts on member meetings and vendor tables.
• Meet important women in the community.
• A subscription to Women in Business®.
• Discounts on products and services.
• Scholarships
• Conferences
• Low fees for students/seniors and professional women.

Get Motivated! Get Educated! Get Inspired!

 

ABWA - American Business Women's Association

The American Business Women's Association strives to provide a quality experience for members both on a national and local level, focusing on these tenets of the mission...

Together: We believe our collective wisdom is the professional woman’s greatest untapped resource. Everyone has a skill, ability or advice that will benefit the woman next to you. It’s the ultimate networking circle.

Diversity: ABWA is all-inclusive. Here diversity is more than race, age, creed or color. It’s blue-collar, white-collar, CEOs, MBAs and telecommuters who never leave their home office. Our members own their businesses, or aspire to become the next entrepreneurs.

Mission

"To bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and to provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support and national recognition."

Leadership: In addition to assuming leadership positions within local chapters and networks, members have the opportunity to run for national office, a seat on our National Board of Directors.

Education: Lots of groups claim they offer professional development, but that’s a promise we honor. At District and National Conferences, ABWA is proud to partner with such renowned groups as the University of Kansas School of Business, FranklinCovey, and Rockhurst University.

National Recognition: By its very nature, recognition is loaded with positive reinforcement. It is an essential component of career development - whether the recognition is on the job or through your professional association. With such programs as Best Practices and the Top Ten Business Women of ABWA, members receive recognition on both the local and national level for personal and professional achievements.

 

ABWA History

Founded in 1949 by Hilary A. Bufton Jr., a Kansas City, Mo., businessman, ABWA has thousands of members in chapters and Express Networks nationwide. The organization provides business training and networking opportunities for women of diverse occupations and backgrounds. ABWA has dedicated more than half a century to women's education and provided workplace skills and career development training for more than 545,000 members.

 

Post World War II, Mr. Bufton recognized the positive impact women had on the economy. On September 22, 1949, Mr. Bufton and three Kansas City businesswomen incorporated the American Business Women’s Association, and the American workforce was changed forever.

“It was my feeling all women were seeking and deserved equal business opportunities.” He later wrote, “They had gained tremendous business knowledge during World War II, through necessity, and I felt a new organization for all businesswomen was needed. "