Deb North of Yes! Athletics Named a 2025 Enterprising Women of the Year Champion
Monica Smiley, publisher and CEO of Enterprising Women magazine, has announced that Deb North of Yes! Athletics has been named a 2025 Enterprising Women of the Year Champion. Deb and her fellow winners will be recognized at the 23rd Annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Celebration and Conference, held from Thursday, March 27 to Saturday, March 29, in Nashville, TN. The conference will also mark the 25th anniversary of Enterprising Women magazine.
The Enterprising Women of the Year Awards is widely considered one of the most prestigious recognition programs for women business owners. To win, nominees must demonstrate that they have fast-growth businesses, mentor or actively support other women and girls involved in entrepreneurship, and stand out as leaders in their communities. Many of the honorees also serve as leaders of the key organizations that support the growth of women’s entrepreneurship.
The 2025 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Celebration & Conference will bring together dynamic women business owners from North America and around the world for two full days of top-notch workshops, networking opportunities, corporate sponsor exhibits, and awards presentations. The celebration will shine the spotlight on honorees, with award presentations at the Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Gala Dinner. During the annual “Hall of Fame Luncheon,” two women entrepreneurs will be inducted into the Enterprising Women Hall of Fame. For the second year, the Enterprising Women Business Icon Award, will also be presented at the Gala Awards dinner. In honor of the magazine’s 25th anniversary, two special award categories will be presented. Ten Corporate Legacy Award winners will be named for major corporations that have been outstanding champions of supporting women in business, and the Diamond Legacy Award will be presented to previous winners of the Enterprising Women of the Year Award who have achieved remarkable business growth since first being recognized by Enterprising Women.
The event is open to award honorees, corporate supporters, members of the Enterprising Women Advisory Board, VIPs in the women’s business community, readers of Enterprising Women magazine, and members of the many partner organizations affiliated with Enterprising Women.
Partner organizations represented on the Enterprising Women Advisory Board and supporting the 2025 event include:
The Women Presidents Organization (WPO)
Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP)
Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)
National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)
Women Business Collaborative (WBC)
The Global Initiative for Women’s Entrepreneurship Research
Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC)
The BOW Collective
KNOW Women
Quantum Leaps
Springboard Enterprises
National Association of Women in Real Estate Businesses (NAWRB)
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBEC)/Women Entrepreneurs Inc. (WE)
Women’s Leadership Exchange
The International Alliance for Women (TIAW)
Asian Women in Business (AWIB)
eWomenNetwork (EWN)
Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC)
“The recipients of the 2025 Enterprising Women of the Year Award represent an amazing group of women entrepreneurs from across the United States and globally,” said Monica Smiley, publisher and CEO of Enterprising Women. “We could not be prouder to recognize their accomplishments as CEOs of fast-growth companies, community leaders, and role models and mentors to other women and girls. We look forward to shining the spotlight on them at our 23nd annual awards event in March.”
