Every year, readers nominate and Biz 417 selects five women who embody strength, resilience and unwavering leadership as they guide their businesses toward bright futures. Do you know a woman who means business? Nominate her for our 2026 list.

Nominations for Biz 417’s annual Women Who Mean Business feature will begin later this year—check back soon for more info. Strong candidates are women who are leading the way in their field, running boardrooms or giving back in big ways.

Welcome to Biz 417's Ladies Who Launch, presented by Forvis Mazars: 417-land's ultimate women's business leadership event. New this year, you have the option of experiencing the classic conference or a fully loaded retreat experience!

Judith Martinez, Ph.D., one of Biz 417's Women Who Mean Business for 2025, is Director of Faculty Mentoring & Associate Professor of Literature at Missouri State University.

Welcome to Biz 417's Ladies Who Launch, presented by Forvis Mazars, 417-land's ultimate women's business leadership event. We're here to empower, inspire and uplift our female leaders and we promise to have a little (ok a lot) fun while we're …

A place to meet the business personalities in 417-land—sharing their successes, lessons learned and impact on our community. Each year, we honor five outstanding women making a difference in their industries. We are inspired by their leadership, innovation and determination. 👏 Join us in celebrating the 2025 Women Who Mean Business!

Meet the Biz 417 2022 Women Who Mean Business!

Through a six-week training program, Biz 417 helps women choose and clarify a shareable message, develop it into a compelling and impactful talk and learn how to confidently share it with others. The ultimate goal is to raise the confidence and visibility of local women who can speak at local and regional events and within their own industry ...

Powered by Women profiles are an opportunity to feature the female leaders guiding your business to success. This editorial-style profile lets you demonstrate your company's commitment to diverse leadership. You can see an example of this section in the digital edition. Issue: Biz 417 …

Stephanie O'Connor is a Biz 417 Woman Who Means Business As Vice President - Chief Information and People Officer of City Utilities in Springfield, Missouri, Stephanie O'Connor utilizes her unique skill set that combines interpersonal skills and a …