In 2025, WBENC continues its legacy of honoring exceptional women business owners through the WBE Star Award. Each WBE Star has been hand-selected by one of the 14 Regional Partner Organizations, with a special focus this year on honoring those who embody the spirit of “ACCELERATE” by championing progress, growth, and advancement for themselves, their businesses, and the communities they serve. The WBE Star Award stands as a powerful acknowledgment of the profound impact these extraordinary women have made throughout their careers, shaping industries and inspiring lasting changes in their communities.
The 2025 WBE Stars will be celebrated throughout the year, culminating at the vibrant WBENC National Conference from June 23-26, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana. This dynamic event will serve as a hub for business excellence, innovation, and networking. Thousands of attendees will gather to celebrate the strength and rich tapestry of the WBENC Network. It will be a time to recognize the ongoing contributions of entrepreneurs and change makers, including the 14 exceptional WBE Stars, who are ACCELERATING impact across the network.
Meet Jennifer Schaumburg, CEO and Founder of Fuse Solutions, Powered by RBL, with the Women’s Business Council Southwest Regional Partner Organization. Jen Schaumburg is a force redefining business and innovation. As the visionary behind Fuse Solutions and co-founder of the groundbreaking Real Business League (RBL), Jen exemplifies what it means to lead with purpose, resilience, and uncompromising integrity. With over a decade in enterprise technology, supplier management, and operations, Jen didn’t just identify challenges in traditional business systems—she tackled them head-on. Fuse Solutions, launched in 2014, was her first bold response to inefficiencies that stifled business growth. By 2024, she co-founded RBL to address these challenges at scale, empowering entrepreneurs—starting with WBEs—with tools to compete, collaborate, and grow. Jen’s leadership is rooted in her commitment to performance-driven inclusion, sustainability, and measurable impact—principles that define both Fuse and RBL as leaders in fostering business growth and innovation.
Get inspired by Jennifer’s insights, and stay tuned for more wisdom from the other 2025 WBE Stars throughout the year!
Fuse Solutions, powered by the Real Business League (RBL), is transforming how businesses grow and innovate. Using cutting-edge AI technology, they enable entrepreneurs, enterprises, and communities to scale sustainably, strengthen global value chains, and create lasting economic impact through inclusive collaboration. The RBL software platform delivers AI-driven tools, training, and contract-matching services, which address critical business needs by building scalable ecosystems, ensuring traceability, and optimizing performance. Fuse Solutions thrives at the intersection between AI, a relentless focus on measurable results, and a commitment to foundationally correct frameworks. Their frameworks and technology equip businesses to align with global priorities, enabling sustainable growth and responsible leadership in competitive markets. Fuse Solutions, powered by Real Business League, works to build sustainable ecosystems, ensure compliance and security, and provide critical program management, operational excellence, and supplier readiness. They allow businesses to grow and innovate within the greater global arena by unleashing the potential that lies within technology.
Wisdom from WBE Star, Jennifer Schaumburg
Can you share personal strategies or actions that have successfully AMPLIFIED efforts in the WBENC community over the past year? How can those strategies be built upon to ACCELERATE outcomes in 2025?
Over the past year, I’ve focused on redefining impact in the WBENC community by integrating technology, mentorship, and accountability into everything I do. My goal has been simple but ambitious: to empower women entrepreneurs to seize this historic moment and turn opportunity into measurable success.
One strategy that has truly amplified efforts is the WINFED AI Contract Matching System, which bridges the gap between access and action. It’s not just about opening doors—it’s about making sure WBEs connect to enterprise and federal opportunities in meaningful ways. What once felt out of reach is now a reality, backed by measurable outcomes.
Another cornerstone has been the AI Avatar-Driven Academy. By equipping WBEs with the skills they need—contract readiness, operational excellence, and leadership—we’ve set a new standard for what’s possible. Through programs like the SIMX Venture Studio, we’ve taken bold ideas and turned them into market-ready solutions, driving real innovation and measurable growth.
Looking ahead to 2025, these strategies can be accelerated by:
- Expanding Access: Opening even more doors to larger, high-value contracts and unlocking opportunities in new industries, ensuring WBEs are positioned to compete and thrive.
- Deepening Mentorship: Using AI to track progress and provide real-time, actionable feedback, ensuring that mentorship is not just supportive but directly tied to measurable outcomes.
- Prioritizing ESG Alignment: Helping WBEs align with global ESG priorities to lead responsibly while staying competitive in evolving global value chains.
These aren’t just strategies—they’re personal commitments to ensuring that women entrepreneurs have the tools, knowledge, and pathways to succeed on their terms. By building on this foundation, we can drive even greater influence, opportunity, and sustainable outcomes in 2025 and beyond.
How have you driven or influenced ACCELERATION for women-owned businesses within your network?
We have transformed acceleration from a buzzword into an actionable framework by championing performance-based inclusion and scalable growth. Through the Real Business League (RBL) software platform, we’ve empowered women entrepreneurs to thrive in enterprise ecosystems by fostering real-time learning and operational trust.
Key Initiatives Driving Impact:
- Targeted Opportunity Access: Leveraging the WINFED AI Contract Matching System to connect WBEs with high-value contracts in enterprise and federal markets, expanding inclusivity and market presence.
- Empowering Leadership: Offering mentorship programs and skill-building workshops tailored to develop leadership in competitive, high-growth industries.
- Driving Measurable Results: Equipping WBEs with tools for audit-ready operations, enabling them to demonstrate compliance, transparency, and performance—earning trust and repeat business.
- Our priority is clear: to equip WBEs not just to participate, but to lead. We focus on delivering tools, strategies, and connections that enable sustainable growth and measurable economic impact.
For business owners and leaders who are looking to ACCELERATE their success, what key advice or actionable steps would you recommend for them to implement today?
- Adapt Now or You’re Already Behind: AI is reshaping industries every second. If you’re not using it to outpace, outperform, and outthink your competition, you’re already playing catch-up. Start integrating AI into your strategy today, or risk becoming irrelevant tomorrow.
- Results Are Non-Negotiable: Nobody cares about your effort—they care about your outcomes. Crush every target and make your wins undeniable. Track everything, measure relentlessly, and show the world you’re the best at what you do.
- Surround Yourself With Game-Changers: Your network should challenge, inspire, and push you to be better every single day. Find people who are doing more, thinking bigger, and moving faster. If your circle doesn’t demand excellence, you’re in the wrong one.
- Speed is the New Competitive Advantage: Don’t wait for perfection. Launch, fail, learn, and adapt—quickly. The market rewards action and agility, not hesitation. Be the one driving change while everyone else scrambles to keep up.
- Double Down on Self-Investment: Be relentless in upgrading yourself. Learn new skills, embrace new tech, and get out of your comfort zone. Your competition is getting smarter—make sure you’re smarter and faster.
Final Word: Stop Waiting, Start Leading. The rules of business have changed. AI and innovation wait for no one. Adapt now, deliver results, and surround yourself with people who demand greatness. The future is already here—own it.
How has being engaged in the WBENC Network as a Certified WBE helped your company?
High-Value Networking: The relationships I’ve built through the WBENC network aren’t just connections—they’re growth opportunities. These partnerships have opened doors, inspired innovation, and created real opportunities for myself and my company to grow.
Seizing Opportunities: WBENC can be a launchpad if you show up and engage. Every event, introduction, and opportunity has been a chance for me to learn, grow, and take my business further. By really getting involved, I’ve learned strategies and found markets I had never even considered.
Peer Support: The support I’ve received from my RPO, WBCS, and incredible women like Bliss, Billie, and Stephanie has been truly transformational. Their advocacy has helped me navigate challenges, stay focused, and reach milestones I once thought were out of reach.
What suggestions would you like to share with a newly certified WBE who is looking to get involved in the WBENC community?
Being certified is just the beginning—it’s up to you to make the most of it. High-value networking is a critical tool in your journey, opening doors and creating relationships, but it’s not everything. It’s what you do with those connections and opportunities that truly makes the difference.
Learn More about Fuse Solutions, Powered by RBL.
