Since becoming a WBENC-Certified WBE in 2018, Prelude Solutions has experienced firsthand what it truly means to ACCELERATE. For us, WBENC isn’t just a certification, it’s a launchpad. The access to corporate partners, the business development programs, the deep relationships we’ve built, and the opportunities to give back to a community of powerhouse women have collectively transformed our business.
We specialize in optimizing communication technology to deliver significant cost savings, an average of 33%, for organizations of all sizes. But our work is about more than saving money. It’s about creating clarity in complexity, empowering clients through transparency, and helping reinvest freed-up dollars into what matters most: innovation, infrastructure, and impact. It’s through the WBENC Network that we’ve been able to scale this mission.
The Power of the Network
WBENC has connected us with corporations committed to supplier diversity, companies that are actively looking for women-owned businesses like ours to bring new ideas and drive meaningful change. These introductions have opened doors to clients that once seemed out of reach and given us a seat at tables where transformative decisions are made. That visibility and validation have accelerated our growth in ways that we never imagined.
Just as importantly, WBENC has given us the chance to pay it forward. From mentoring fellow WBEs and serving on committees, to launching philanthropic programs like the Prelude Cares Network, we’ve used our growth to give back. We donate a portion of our revenue to nonprofits nominated by our clients, many of them also WBEs, amplifying the economic and social impact of every deal we close.
Tech as a Catalyst for Acceleration
As a technology consulting firm, we’ve seen time and again how digital transformation drives business resilience and growth. Yet too often, we meet companies that are stuck in costly, outdated systems without even realizing it. Whether it’s legacy telecom contracts, underutilized wireless plans, or inefficient billing platforms, these hidden inefficiencies quietly eat into profits and stunt growth.
Our advice to fellow WBEs looking to accelerate? Let technology work for you. Small steps toward optimization can create big momentum.
Here are five key actions to take today:
1. Engage in the WBENC Network:
Make time to build genuine relationships, not just transactional ones. Attend events, join forums, participate in business matchmaking. Some of our most valuable partnerships came from casual conversations that turned into long-term collaborations.
2. Invest in Digital Transformation:
Streamline your operations. Even if you’re already using cost reduction software tools, an outside audit often reveals overlooked savings. Efficiency is the engine of acceleration.
3. Track Your Economic Impact:
From supplier diversity spend to charitable giving, start measuring the ripple effects of your work. It helps refine your strategy and strengthen your story when pitching to purpose-driven clients.
4. Diversify Your Supplier Base:
Collaboration with other diverse-owned businesses doesn’t just check a box, it fosters innovation and agility. We’ve found that working with fellow WBEs often leads to faster solutions and stronger shared values.
5. Prioritize Purpose-Driven Growth:
Growth is good, but growth with meaning is better. Align your services with social impact, whether through sustainability, philanthropy, or community support. It strengthens your brand and builds loyalty that lasts.
Acceleration Through Collaboration
To us, ACCELERATE isn’t just a theme, it’s a mindset. It means pushing boundaries, embracing change, and seizing every opportunity to grow with purpose. It means propelling not just our own business forward, but those around us. It means using every tool, technology, partnerships, advocacy, and innovation, to build a future where women-owned businesses don’t just participate, they lead.
Through WBENC, we’ve seen the power of what happens when women-owned businesses lift one another up. When we accelerate together, we all go further.
We’re honored to be part of this network, and we’re just getting started.
Learn More: preludesolutions.com
Author
Cate Heaman, CEO of Prelude Solutions
Cate Heaman is the CEO of Prelude Solutions, a technology consulting firm specializing in optimizing communication services and reducing operational costs. Using a data-driven approach, the company uncovers an average of 33% savings for clients by streamlining telecom expenses, contract negotiations, and vendor management.
Learn More: preludesolutions.com
