Women Who Win Opens International Pitch Competition for Zeta Entrepreneurs in Nashville

Women Who Win, the economic empowerment initiative of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, is using the organization's 2026 Grand Boule in Nashville to put women entrepreneurs on a bigger competitive stage. The initiative announced its first International Women Who Win Business Pitch Competition for 10 July, turning a conference gathering into a capital, visibility and procurement-readiness opportunity for business owners across the sorority's regions.

The competition is a timely women-in-business story because it treats entrepreneurship as infrastructure, not inspiration. Women Who Win began as a business directory and has grown into a platform offering education, partnerships, networking and growth opportunities for women-owned businesses. The Nashville competition now adds a public pitch format, with seven finalists advancing from regional rounds to compete in front of judges, business leaders and Grand Boule attendees.

The prize structure is modest by venture-capital standards but meaningful for early and growth-stage operators. The first-place business will receive $10,000, second place will receive $5,000 and third place will receive $2,500. The larger value may come from exposure: finalists get to present on an international stage inside a professional network that already has local chapters, corporate relationships and an audience oriented around service, economic empowerment and leadership.

That matters because many women-owned small businesses do not fail for lack of ambition. They hit gaps in capital, procurement pathways, customer access and networks that can translate a viable business into recurring revenue. Women Who Win says its broader work includes business-development programming, mentorship, strategic partnerships, procurement readiness and access to resources that help entrepreneurs compete in today's marketplace.

The format also shows how membership organizations can build economic development inside existing communities. Zeta Phi Beta was founded at Howard University in 1920 and has long operated through programs in education, health, economic empowerment, social justice and leadership development. Women Who Win gives that service framework a business channel by connecting entrepreneurs across the United States and internationally through a directory and events.

Diana L. Hilaire, international co-director of Women Who Win, described the competition as an investment in women and a way to create opportunities with lasting economic impact. Maryam Lynch-Tate, another international co-director, said the initiative's events were designed to bring durable value to businesses over time. Those comments point to the central issue for women founders: a one-day pitch can help, but the real test is whether the platform continues to connect owners with buyers, mentors, partners and practical tools after the prize money is awarded.

For SheMeansNews readers, the Nashville competition is worth watching because it sits at the intersection of small-business capital, Black women's professional networks and community-based economic development.