Gail Warrior-Lawrence DESOTO- Wells Fargo & Company and the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) recoginized three woman-owned businesses with the 8th annual NAWBO/Wells Fargo Trailblazer Award at NAWBO’s 2009 Women’s Business Conference in Chicago, recently. The award demonstrates the two organizations’ long-standing commitment to the success of women-owned businesses.  Each winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize.

The Trailblazer Award is a component of Wells Fargo’s Women Business Services program. Established in 1995, the program uses outreach and education to help women business owners increase their access to capital and other financial services. The program forms key national and community relationships, conducts primary research, sponsors events, and provides financial information and resources to support the success of women-owned businesses.

The winners were selected from a nationwide pool of applicants and evaluated on their company’s business performance, innovation, growth, and service to the community. The Texas-based business Warrior Group received an award. The company provides construction and project management services and is a leading minority woman-owned provider of permanent modular buildings.  In 2007, CEO and President Gail Warrior-Lawrence, who accepted the award, founded the Heart of a Warrior Charitable Foundation to provide educational enrichment programs for underserved children in Texas.