Women Presidents Organization and W.E.W. Set August 11 Deadline for Entrepreneurial Women of Impact Awards

The Women Presidents Organization and Women Elevating Women have set an 11 August deadline for applications and nominations for the 2026 Entrepreneurial Women of Impact Awards, a North American recognition program for women of color entrepreneurs.

The awards page says the program is a collaboration between the Women Presidents Organization, known as WPO, and W.E.W. to recognize professional achievement and community service among women of color entrepreneurs based in North America. Eligible applicants must be entrepreneurs with ownership in a privately held, for-profit business and must serve as CEO or president. They must identify as women of color, be based in North America and have generated at least $500,000 in 2025 revenue.

The structure is specific. Applicants are placed into one of three revenue bands: $500,000 to $1 million, $1 million to $10 million, and $10 million and above. Eight winners are expected to be selected in each category, for 24 winners total. WPO says in-person attendance is strongly encouraged for selected honorees. The definition of women of color used by the program covers nonwhite women whose ethnic identities intersect with one or more nonwhite ethnic groups.

This story is founder-focused because the award is aimed at women who already run businesses, not only early-stage founders seeking a first spotlight. The eligibility threshold matters. A $500,000 revenue floor means the program is looking for operators who have moved beyond idea validation into actual commercial traction. That makes the awards relevant to a business audience because recognition can affect credibility, partnerships, customer trust and access to peer networks.

The W.E.W. connection adds another founder layer. Women Elevating Women identifies Betty Hines as its founder and chief executive. Its site describes her as a business strategist, former C-suite executive, entrepreneur and consultant with 40 years of experience working with women leading companies from $10 million to billion-dollar revenue levels. W.E.W. says it supports women through peer advisory groups, curated events and a network built around five pillars: courage, collaborate, connect, communicate and cultivate. Hines also serves in WPO leadership, including as a WPO board director.

For SheMeansNews readers, the deadline is a practical business signal. Awards are not capital, but they can become part of a founder's capital stack in a broader sense. They create external validation, make a company easier to search, place an entrepreneur in front of peers and sponsors, and sometimes open doors to advisory rooms that are difficult to access cold. For founders of color, those rooms can be especially important because traditional capital and procurement systems still rely heavily on referral networks.

The program also shows a useful distinction in women's business coverage. Some initiatives focus on inspiration or networking in general terms. This one is targeted by ownership, executive authority, geography, revenue and growth stage. That specificity makes it easier for qualified founders to decide whether to apply and easier for advisors, bankers, customers and community leaders to nominate someone with a real operating record. With the deadline one week away, the main question for eligible entrepreneurs is simple: whether they want national recognition to become part of the next stage of their growth story.