FROM GLOBAL RISK TO GLOBAL IMPACT, CERTIFICATION IS ELEVATING DONNA CHILDS' VOICE ON THE WORLD STAGE

The following information was released by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO):

After spending years helping organizations understand some of the world's biggest risks, from natural disasters to climate change, Donna recognized an opportunity to help businesses prepare before disaster strikes rather than simply recover afterward.

That vision led her to found Prisere LLC, a Rhode Island-based company that develops technology and practical tools to help small businesses strengthen their resilience against disasters, cyber threats and other emerging risks.

"I recognized that reinsurers were going to need new technology to deal with emerging risks," Donna says. "Starting my own company allowed me to innovate in ways that are much harder to do inside a large corporation."

Building Resilience Before Disaster Strikes

Before becoming an entrepreneur in 2011, Donna served as a senior executive with one of the world's largest reinsurance organizations, where she worked on issues ranging from hurricanes and earthquakes to the growing impact of climate-related risks.

Those experiences fundamentally shaped how she viewed business continuity. "I saw firsthand how a single disaster can reverse yearseven decadesof economic development," she says. "The same is true for small businesses. One event can change everything if they're not prepared."

That realization inspired Donna to write a book on disaster preparedness and recovery for small businesses, a project that ultimately became the catalyst for launching Prisere. One of the company's earliest milestones came when it secured the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction as a client.

"We've been able to work on disaster resilience projects in countries around the world," Donna says. "For a small business, that was an extraordinary opportunity."

Today, Prisere works with organizations, including World Bank Group and Asian Development Bank, in addition to developing a digital resilience platform designed to help small businesses prepare for disasters at scale.

Rather than relying solely on in-person workshops, the platform will guide business owners through practical modules covering everything from cybersecurity and insurance to emergency planning. By the end of the program, participants will have a customized resilience plan they can use to protect their business, strengthen their supply chain relationships and demonstrate preparedness to customers and insurers.

"We're trying to make resilience accessible," Donna says. "Instead of reaching a few hundred business owners at a time, technology allows us to help thousands."

Certification That Creates New Possibilities

Like many women business owners, Donna viewed certification as an important investment in her company's future, and last year she received a certification scholarship, which covered the cost of earning her Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) Certification through the NAWBO Institute.

While the certification hasn't yet translated directly into new contracts, Donna says it has already created meaningful opportunities in other ways. One of the most significant came when she was selected as a U.S. delegate to the W20, the official G20 engagement group that advises member governments on policies supporting women's economic empowerment.

"I am delighted to report that one of the tangible outcomes of receiving the NAWBO WBE Certification scholarship has been my nomination and selection as a U.S. delegate to the W20," Donna shares.

With the United States holding the G20 Presidency this year, Donna now chairs a working group focused on using artificial intelligence to strengthen disaster risk reduction and support economic growth. "This is the kind of outcome that illustrates what NAWBO Certification can unlock," she says.

Looking Ahead to the Broader Strategy

Donna sees certification as one piece of a much broader strategy to expand access to resilience planning for women-owned businesses and other small companies across the country.

As Prisere prepares to launch its digital learning platform, she's also exploring ways to help corporations strengthen their supplier networks by making resilience planning more accessible.

"When small businesses are resilient, supply chains become stronger, communities recover faster and economies are more competitive," Donna says.

For Donna, that's the ultimate goalnot simply helping businesses survive the next disruption, but giving them the confidence and tools to thrive beyond it.