10 Jun Inacom's Benson named Women's Business Champion
MADISON – Inacom Information Systems CEO and Co-founder Laurie Benson was honored recently by the U.S. Small Business Administration as its 2009 National Women in Business Champion winner. She earned the award for her efforts to help women succeed in business.
Benson, who has led Inacom for 25 years, helped bring Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence’s “Make Mine a Million” business competition to the Wisconsin in 2006. The program provides assets to women-owned businesses who win the contest to help them reach $1 million in revenue by 2010. She also helped develop a state-administered certification for women-owned companies serving on the state Department of Commerce’s Women-Owned Business Certification Administrative Rule Advisory Committee.
“Laurie is a tremendous asset to our state both in her business life and her passion for promoting women’s business opportunities throughout the state and country” according to Wisconsin Department of Commerce Secretary Richard J. Leinenkugel.
Benson also spends her time working with organizations that empower women in their work and in their lives. She served as co-chair for the 2008 “Go Red for Women” luncheon aimed at promoting heart health in women. She currently serves on the National and Wisconsin Girls Collaborative Champions boards, which engage and support young women in choosing careers in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math). Plus, she co-chairs the UW Madison School of Nursing Board of Visitors, serves on the UW-Madison School of Business Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship MBA Advisory Board, and acts as a director on the Information Technology Association of Wisconsin board.
Wisconsin’s SBA District Director, Eric Ness stated, “We are proud and honored to recognize Wisconsin’s own Laurie Benson as SBA’s 2009 National Women in Business Champion. Her enthusiasm and commitment to helping women business owners is making a positive impact on Wisconsin’s women entrepreneurs.”
Founded in 1984, Inacom marks its 25th year in 2009 with over 150 employees and $80,000,000 in revenue. Inacom holds partnership with leading global technology manufacturers including Cisco Systems, Microsoft and EMC. With headquarters in Madison, Inacom has offices in Appleton and Brookfield.
Last year, Benson was named one of the most powerful women in the technology channel by Everything Channel’s VARBusiness Magazine, in its third annual VARBusiness Power 50 Women of the Channel awards. The designation honors woman executives making the biggest impact in IT. The list celebrates outstanding female leaders and role models for other women in the traditionally male-dominated IT industry.