DE PERE, Wis. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Wisconsin District honored O’Connor Connective owner and founder Bridget Krage O’Connor with the 2020 Women in Business Champion award today.
O’Connor has led O’Connor Connective, a strategic communications consultancy, since 2013 as well as its social enterprise, The Connective: A Community for Women in Business, which she founded in 2018. Both are located in historic downtown De Pere.
Eric Ness, director of the SBA Wisconsin District, presented the Women in Business Champion award to O’Connor during an in-person ceremony at O’Connor Connective today. Local dignitaries including De Pere Mayor James Boyd and Greater Green Bay Chamber President/CEO Laurie Radke and O’Connor Connective guests attended the event.
“I’m grateful for this honor and call on all of us to find ways to advance women in business—because it’s good business for all. At a time like this, we need leaders who cast a bold vision, communicate, and motivate so to retain and grow the small businesses on Main Avenue in De Pere, the large corporations throughout our state and the nonprofits that serve our community. Let’s build up these leaders—together,” O’Connor said.
Patricia Grimm of Business Lending Partners nominated O’Connor for the award that is given annually as part of an SBA state awards program during National Small Business Week. This year’s scheduled awards breakfast May 8 was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Women in Business Champion award recognizes O’Connor’s sustained efforts to increase business opportunities, support legislative and regulatory action, managerial assistance, and volunteerism on behalf of women in Wisconsin’s New North region.
