O’Connor Connective founder to receive SBA award

Bridget Krage O’Connor, founder of O’Connor Connective and The Connective, has been chosen to receive the SBA Wisconsin 2020 Women in Business Champion award.

Eric Ness, Wisconsin district director for the U.S. Small Business Administration, will present O’Connor with the award on Thursday. The award recognizes O’Connor’s sustained efforts to increase business opportunities and support legislative and regulatory action, managerial assistance and volunteerism on behalf of women entrepreneurs in De Pere and Green Bay.

When O’Connor purchased a building in downtown De Pere as a home for O’Connor Connective, she not only grew her company but embarked on a path of neighborhood development, advocacy and helping women entrepreneurs find trusted expertise, networks and growth opportunities that resulted in the creation of The Connective: A Place for Women in Business. Patricia Grimm of Business Lending Partners nominated O’Connor.

Every year, the U.S. SBA honors the 32 million U.S. small businesses that create two of three net new jobs and those that support them during National Small Business Week, usually held in May.  With those celebrations delayed as SBA provided coronavirus relief to small businesses, SBA Wisconsin is now traveling the state to recognize its National Small Business Week award winners in their communities.  SBA and its partner SCORE will celebrate all of Wisconsin’s winners with a video to be launched in late September.

To revisit Insight’s cover story featuring O’Connor, click here.