Editor’s note: WRAL TechWire contributor Sarah Glova shares this column about supporting the legacy of women business owners and the North Carolina Women Business Owners Hall of Fame (NC WBO HoF). Glova is a founding Board Member and sponsor of the NC WBO HoF.
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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – March is a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of women throughout history, and one of the best ways North Carolinians can do that is by helping to preserve and amplify the legacy of our state’s women entrepreneurs.
We have been blessed in North Carolina with many successful, influential, pioneering women business owners. These are women who made significant impacts on their industries and communities, often overcoming significant policy hurdles and systemic biases to do so.
But we don’t know all of their stories, and many of their stories are at risk of being forgotten.
Seven years ago, the local chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) awarded me the Mary Diener Spirit Award—named for Mary Diener, who founded the NAWBO chapter in 1978 and served as its first president. After winning her namesake award, I tried to research her story—to learn more about her business and entrepreneurial advocacy. But I could find very little.
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So I started digging. I learned that Mary Diener was listed in some early articles as the first woman business owner in the Research Triangle Park. Check out this advert she posted in The Raleigh Times in the late 70s—listing her address at 50 Park Office Drive:
Advertisement posted August 15, 1978 in The Raleigh Times, by then female business owner Mary Diener, whose office Diener and Associates was located in RTP.
I was stunned that the story of the first woman business owner in RTP was not being preserved and amplified. So I pulled together all my research about her work and nominated her for the North Carolina Women Business Owners Hall of Fame (NC WBO HoF).
The NC WBO HoF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring and celebrating the contributions of women entrepreneurs in North Carolina. Founded in 2018, the organization seeks to recognize the achievements of women who have significantly impacted their communities and the business world, and to inspire future generations of women entrepreneurs.
My nomination of Mrs. Diener was accepted by the selection committee last year, and Mrs. Diener was posthumously awarded membership into the 2022 class of the North Carolina Women Business Owners Hall of Fame.
Mary E. Diener, President of Diener and Associates Inc., Research Triangle Park.
The NC WBO HoF created a video about her life and legacy, forever preserving her story for future generations of North Carolinian entrepreneurs. (You can find videos of all the past inductees on the NC WBO HoF website.)
I am so proud of, and so thankful for, that work.
But I’m also scared. If her story was at risk of being lost—how many others are at risk?
How many stories of other leading, inspiring, pioneering women entrepreneurs are there, like Mrs. Diener—and how many of those stories are at risk of being lost?
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As Women’s History Month approaches, the North Carolina Women Business Owners Hall of Fame is more important than ever. This month-long celebration of women’s achievements and contributions provides a perfect opportunity to highlight the accomplishments of women entrepreneurs in North Carolina and to raise awareness of the unique challenges they face.
My challenge to the community this Women’s History Month—think about whether or not you know the stories of women entrepreneurs across North Carolina. Challenge yourself to consider the women business owners and advocates who might deserve to be researched and amplified for this award.
Maybe you know someone who would be a perfect candidate for the North Carolina Women Business Owners Hall of Fame.
Let’s take a moment to consider who we can help recognize—not only to help celebrate the accomplishments of individual women but also helps to build a more diverse and inclusive story of business and entrepreneurship in North Carolina.
Let’s work together to ensure these remarkable women receive the recognition they deserve.
Nominations are currently open for the 2023 Class of the North Carolina Women Business Owners Hall of Fame. Learn more at ncwbohalloffame.org.
