In 2024, WBENC continues its inspiring tradition by celebrating the WBE Stars for their remarkable achievements, contributing invaluable leadership, innovation, and influence on the dynamic business landscape. Each handpicked by one of the 14 Regional Partner Organizations (RPOs), these women serve as a wellspring of inspiration for others within their communities. The recognition they receive through the WBE Star Award is a powerful testament to the profound impact they’ve made in their respective business environments.
The 2024 WBE Stars received their accolades at the vibrant WBENC National Conference, a grand event held from March 19-22, 2024, in Denver, Colorado. This conference was a hub of innovation and networking, drawing nearly 5,000 entrepreneurs and business leaders who celebrated the accomplishments of these extraordinary women.
But the celebration doesn’t end there. Throughout 2024, WBENC will continue to spotlight these trailblazing women in various dynamic formats, including an engaging article series and captivating feature articles in WE USA Magazine this summer. Prepare to be inspired!
Meet Mary Fehlig, Founder and President of The Fehlig Group, with the Women’s Business Enterprise Council Greater DMV (WBEC Greater DMV) Regional Partner Organization. Mary believes that the ways to enact sustainability are as individual as the values that define each business. She supports the efforts of business owners and leaders to identify and implement the strategies and practices which best support their core values as well as their economic goals. While the field might be pushing for standardization and creating lists of “shoulds,” Mary emphasizes customization to meet each client’s distinct needs. The core of this approach is asking the questions, “What are the most important relationships for your business? And how do you put your values into action to influence these relationships?”
Prior to founding The Fehlig Group, Mary worked in business development and systems integration for Xerox and IBM. This experience provides the foundation for her unique business approach to sustainability and her focus on integrating technology to strategically assess, measure, manage, and communicate sustainable practices.
Get inspired by Mary and stay tuned for our 2024 WBENC Stars article series throughout 2024!
The Fehlig Group helps businesses succeed in applying their values to initiatives for a healthier planet, stronger communities and a more meaningful employee experience. Their “impact advisors” guide companies to strategically assess, manage, and communicate their sustainable practices and environmental, social and governance performance. The Fehlig Group approach allows clients to follow their own sustainability journey in ways that support their values, achieve business goals and meet the demands of their valued stakeholders.
The Fehlig Group’s core values highlight Mary’s commitment to surrounding herself with passionate people who want to make the world a better place – and that includes independent contractors, partners with whom she shares referrals, and suppliers who support the business. She particularly fosters relationships with women-owned, diverse-owned and local businesses, in support of The Fehlig Group’s social impact mission and the growth of their local economy.
The 2024 theme is AMPLIFY. What does AMPLIFY mean to you?
“To me, AMPLIFY means having a greater impact. We do this by focusing on our values and building our partnerships. We are each strong in our own ways and, as a collective, we have the capacity to combine those strengths to truly make a difference for our businesses, the economy and our communities.”
When and how was your business started?
I started The Fehlig Group in 1993 as a way to help companies bridge the intersection of their social mission with commercial success. After serving on the board of Business for Social Responsibility and working with pioneers like Ben & Jerry’s, I knew that these concepts did not need to be mutually exclusive. I wanted to support companies of all sizes to live their values through strategies that maximize positive social, environmental and economic impact.
What is one way you recommend people to “AMPLIFY” the impact of the WBENC network in the next 2 years?
Our experience at The Fehlig Group shows that we AMPLIFY our impact by investing in partnerships with like-minded woman-owned businesses. I highly recommend this strategy to fellow WBEs. Each WBE has “superpowers” that define our core competencies and makes us successful. Recognizing that we cannot be all things to all people, members of the WBENC network have the opportunity to interact with, get to know and work with subject matter experts in many different areas of business. The Fehlig Group is creating an ecosystem of sustainability that engages the strengths of WBENC, RPOs and fellow WBEs to help the community grow and succeed. Through engagement with the WBENC network, all WBEs have the ability to AMPLIFY their own ecosystems of influence. I recommend people take full advantage of WBENC’s many opportunities for interaction and professional development. Then take new relationships to the next level by getting to know WBE leaders and businesses; see how you to work together for mutual benefit. This is such a supportive community of talented women. When we participate, engage and work together – we all succeed.
How are you planning to AMPLIFY the mission of the WBENC network during your time as a WBE Star?
As a WBE Star, I plan to leverage my successes in building partnerships that, in themselves, AMPLIFY WBENC’s mission. I would love to AMPLIFY the success of the Sustainability Accelerator Program within other RPOs; helping more WBEs succeed in understanding and meeting corporate sustainability expectations and highlighting the opportunity for greater business success. By supporting WBENC, RPOs and WBEs in an ecosystem of sustainability, and creating mutually beneficial partnerships, I plan to help the organization and the network elevate women-owned businesses across the country.
Provide an example of how innovation helped you overcome a challenge, pivot, or adapt your business.
The rise of online learning and its innovative capacity to offer both interactive and learning-on-demand helped The Fehlig Group adapt our business and grow our capacity to train a multitude of small, diverse suppliers on the benefits and expectations of sustainability. Through a contract with WBENC corporate partner PG&E, the Fehlig Group worked with fellow WBE Mode Studios to develop and facilitate an online learning module for diverse suppliers to learn about sustainability. As people became more familiar with working remotely, attending virtual meeting and trainings, and using online tools, our ability to reach more people faster created a significant positive impact. We used this experience to inform the Sustainability Accelerator Program and are incorporating subsequent lessons learned in creating a more accessible sustainability ecosystem that will combine interactivity with self-paced learning to cater to individual preferences, schedules, and learning styles.
What areas of innovation do you foresee for women entrepreneurs over the next few years?
I foresee women entrepreneurs leading innovation for developing the tools, online platforms, and creative solutions that enhance productivity for remote work and create more opportunities for work life integration. We saw the number of women-owned business grow dramatically during the pandemic, proving our ability to be resilient and to adapt to an ever-evolving world. The “old normal” did not necessarily suit the way many women entrepreneurs, work. Remote work and the rise of virtual technology is creating an exciting landscape for women entrepreneurs to develop a sustainable business system that works for all people – and that includes recognition of and support for mental health and wellbeing.
What have you learned about yourself as a leader from mentoring or coaching others?
I know that I do not always have the answers. By being open to new relationships and new experiences, I can learn and grow as much as those I’m working with. And by finding new partners, colleagues and collaborators I can continue to develop and offer more to my community.
What do you view as benefits of being part of the WBENC network?
Certification, Opportunities, Resources, and Engagement. This is the WBENC CORE platform, and these are the benefits I experience. An advantage of being part of the WBENC network is the people you meet. The national and regional staff, programs, learnings, and the networking are amazing benefits. For the me, the greatest benefit is the opportunity to engage with smart, energetic, encouraging and supportive woman. It is truly inspiring to be part of a community that sincerely wants to see everyone succeed.
How has engaging in the WBENC Network as a Certified WBE helped your company?
The truth is, for many years, I did not want to be defined as a “woman-owned entrepreneur.” I thought my business should stand on its own to be successful without labels. At the encouragement of several corporate partners, and my daughter, I decided to become certified to expand my business opportunities, mainly with other corporate partners. While being a Certified WBE has definitely helped me interact with corporate partners, the certification has provided so much more than I ever imagined. I realized that the more I engaged, the more I learned, the more contacts I made. I learned that the entire WBENC community wants to help each other, whether it be by imparting wisdom, providing guidance, becoming partners or making valuable introductions. And, of course, I’ve learned that I can give back to the WBENC network by being an active member, offering my experience and making connections to help others succeed.
What suggestions would you like to share with a newly certified WBE who is looking to get involved in the WBENC community?
The biggest suggestion I would like to share with a newly certified WBE looking to get involved in the WBENC community is to engage. Participate in events and programs. Recognize that this is a welcoming and supportive community. Follow up on conversations and meetings via email or LinkedIn. If a speaker or fellow WBE said something that resonated with you during a program or training, reach out to them. It’s a great way to start slowly and build your internal network until you’re more comfortable. You will be energized by the willingness to engage with you.
