In 2026, WBENC proudly continues its tradition of honoring exceptional women business owners through the WBE Star Award. Selected by their Regional Partner Organizations, the 14 WBE Stars exemplify this year’s theme of IMPACT, demonstrating meaningful influence across their businesses, communities, and industries through leadership, excellence, and service.
Throughout the year, the 2026 WBE Stars will be featured on the WBENC website, culminating in their celebration at the 2026 WBENC National Conference, June 15–18, in Salt Lake City, Utah, where thousands will gather to do business and honor the strength and impact of the WBENC Network.
Meet Patti Winstanley, President of Winstanley Consultants, with the Women’s Business Council Southwest Regional Partner Organization. Patti is a nationally recognized expert in business certification strategy and engagement. With more than 20 years of experience in the certification space, Patti is known for her practical, results-driven approach and her ability to turn certification into meaningful business opportunities. An entrepreneur who has started and sold four certified companies, she brings trusted insight and firsthand perspective to every engagement.
Since entering the certification world in 2004, Patti has helped businesses and corporations navigate the diversity network with confidence and clarity. Through Winstanley Consultants, she advises clients on using certification effectively, identifying authentic connections, and building solution-oriented partnerships. Often called “The Connectanator,” Patti is widely regarded as a go-to connector and problem solver for both corporations and certified businesses.
A dedicated leader within the business community, Patti has served the Women’s Business Council Southwest in multiple leadership roles, including long-standing board service, and has held national leadership positions with WBENC, including service on the Forum and WBENC Board of Directors (2018-2020). Deeply committed to community impact, she also supports numerous philanthropic and professional organizations focused on education, mentorship, and opportunity.
Get inspired by Patti’s insights!
Winstanley Consultants helps businesses build relationships that matter. Through analyzing client needs, addressing gaps, and building practical and actionable solutions, Winstanley Consultants works with clients to develop the business strategies that clearly differentiates their company from the rest. Whether it’s helping a small business understand the maze of certifications or coaching a corporate team on how to partner more thoughtfully, Winstanley Consultants turn complexity into clarity.
Wisdom from WBE Star, Patti Winstanley
How do you define “IMPACT” in your own words?
Impact is being present and aware of the current demands, showing up in all aspects of your life and not being discouraged from working hard, both professionally and personally. It can require out of the box solutions and starting with great care to make things better.
Impact is filling a void to offer services for unique challenges while also being able to step back and carefully evaluate each next step.
Winstanley Consultants becomes an advocate for organizations that helps to expand their reach.
Impact, for me, means leaving things better than I found them, not only for my clients, but in my personal life and for the non-profits I support. Did my actions or recommendations change things for the better? I love hearing that I helped my client double her business in one year. That’s impact.
For business owners and leaders who are looking to accelerate their “IMPACT,” what key advice or actionable steps would you recommend for them to implement today?
Show up. It is your best business development tool anyone can deploy.
Often business leaders get stuck working in the company. The old saying, “People do business with people they know and trust,” is so true. Buyers feel more comfortable that you will deliver and provide value when they know you personally. Remember that their recommendation reflects on them if it doesn’t work out.
Be prepared, be knowledgeable, people feel that it is safe to use your services and recommend your company if you show up personally.
What key lessons have you learned from mentors and peers as a business owner?
I’ve learned that as a business owner, you never stop learning—sometimes from mentors, sometimes from peers, and occasionally from the person sitting next to you at a coffee shop. The world has a funny way of teaching you something if you’re paying attention.
One of my biggest lessons is that you don’t have to do this work in a vacuum. Reaching out when I’m stuck—or when I simply need a sane voice reminding me I’m not crazy—has saved me more times than I’d like to admit. The best mentors (and sometimes the boldest mentees) ask the tough questions. You know—the ones that make you rethink your entire strategy… and occasionally your life choices.
I’ve also learned that delaying action almost always costs more than dealing with things early and respectfully. Procrastination may build character, but it does not build a business.
And perhaps the most humbling lesson: what made you successful at one stage can absolutely hold you back at the next. Letting go—of tasks, of decisions, even of old versions of yourself—isn’t failure. It’s growth. And the more willing I am to evolve, the further I can go.
What strategies do you use to stay motivated and inspired as a leader?
I stay motivated by keeping my mission front and center—and by celebrating my clients’ wins as if they were my own, because honestly, they usually feel like they are. I work hard and hit my deadlines, but I’ve also learned the magic of stepping away to recharge with friends. It turns out burnout is not a leadership style—who knew?
A dear friend constantly reminds me to ask the big question: Why? Why this choice? Why this goal? Why does this work matter? That little word keeps me honest, grounded, and occasionally humbled.
I’m inspired every time I help someone spot a pattern they couldn’t see up close, or when I meet new people doing astonishing things. Their ideas fuel me. And mentoring? That’s one of my greatest joys—helping others grow faster and with fewer bumps than I did.
But most of all, I stay inspired by simply showing up, again and again, and somehow walking away with lifelong friends. If leadership has taught me anything, it’s that the work is important—but the people are the special part.
Looking ahead, what legacy of impact do you hope to leave in the business community?
I hope I can continue to build trust, encourage others to take the right risks to grow.
To show up, be present, learn every day, and to share the lessons that I have learned over 20 years in business.
I want to be remembered for having made a difference!
