Gallagher to be recognized as SBA’s Women in Business Champion of the Year

April 9, 2019 (Madison, WI) --The U.S. Small Business Administration will honor Laura Gallagher during National Small Business Week May 5-11 at a ceremony in Waukesha, Wisconsin on May 10th . Gallagher is the Wisconsin Women in Business Champion of the Year.

Laura Gallagher is President and CEO of The Creative Company, Inc. a PR and Digital Agency she founded 30 years ago in Wisconsin. She is among 17 small businesses and champions from around Wisconsin to be recognized.

Laura Gallagher is one of 90 women in Wisconsin to be recognized by the Governor as a Trailblazer in Wisconsin.  She is a 2016 graduate of the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) program with Harvard professor Michael W. Porter and the recipient of a scholarship from Goldman Sachs to become a scholar in 2017 at Babson College as part of the highly competitive 10KSB program for entrepreneurs. 

In 2017, Gallagher became a USA Ambassador for Women's Entrepreneurship Day (WED) representing Wisconsin. With the help of a diverse and inclusive board of leaders from every sector, Gallagher produced a sold-out conference for women in Wisconsin in 2017, as well as 2018. She brought many of the resources from her Babson and ICIC experiences as well her 30 years in business to the movement making a real impact in the lives of women in business in this region. She also served as a Regional Ambassador helping other US Ambassadors and worked with women from around the world to empower, support and celebrate women in business.

More than half of attendees of the WEDWisconsin conferences said they are more likely to seek capital to grow their businesses as a result of attending. 96% left more confident. It is a diverse and inclusive stage as well as an audience that represented a number of sectors, with 400 women  in attendance each year.

Gallagher also secured a proclamation from Dane County Executive Joe Parisi (2018) and Mayor Paul Soglin (2017) to join women globally as part of the Women's Entrepreneurship Day movement naming November 19th officially Women's Entrepreneurship Day. Because of Gallagher's leadership, the State of Wisconsin and the Governor proclaimed November 14th through the 19th Women's Entrepreneurship Week in Wisconsin.

Until 1988, the year before Gallagher started her company, a woman couldn't legally get a business loan without a man's signature in Wisconsin. Gallagher started her company in 1989. Today, women represent the fastest growing segment of new business start-ups. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that only 17.2% of businesses started since 1994 have survived. The Creative Company has been recognized with numerous Alchemy and Marcum Awards, has twice been recognized as one of the best places to work and as one of the best ad agencies in Wisconsin.

Eric Ness, SBA’s Wisconsin district director, congratulated Laura Gallagher saying, “Wisconsin’s 448,000 small business owners can find inspiration and resources for their own success with this champion and Wisconsin’s 2019 National Small Business Week award winners. They are creating jobs, driving innovation, and increasing America’s global competitiveness. We look forward to celebrating them at the state’s 34th annual SCORE/SBA Awards Breakfast on May 10 at the Marriott Milwaukee West in Waukesha.” Register for the event here. 

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.