Women entrepreneurs in the Puget Sound region are encouraged to attend the ChallengeHER event in downtown Tacoma next week.

ChallengeHER aims to share information about the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program and provide event attendees with resources and knowledge to help grow their businesses through federal contracting. ChallengeHER is designed to bring more women-owned firms into the federal government’s supply chain and to provide an avenue for government agencies to meet qualified women-owned contractors.

Event speakers will include SBA Regional Administrator Calvin Goings, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) President Barbara Kasoff, and Thurston Economic Development Council/WA Procurement Technical Assistance Center Government Contracting Specialist Stephanie Scott.

ChallengeHER will be held on Tues., April 22, between 9 a.m. (registration at 8 a.m.) and 12 p.m. at the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center, 1500 Broadway (Commerce Room), in downtown Tacoma. Event and ticket information is available online here.

ChallengeHER is a joint initiative from American Express OPEN, the small business division of the financial services company, SBA, and WIPP.