Sandy Bartow

Sandy Bartow is Executive Director of the Jacksonville Women’s Business Center (JWBC) and the Chamber’s Small Business Center in Jacksonville, Florida. Appointed executive director of the Jacksonville Women’s Business Center (JWBC) by the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce Foundation in November 2004, Sandy helped the Chamber launch the JWBC to the Northeast Florida region. A community initiative, Sandy built a local support system of corporate sponsors, professional advisors and volunteers, and collaborated with other service providers. JWBC delivers mentoring, training, networking and consulting programs and services to aspiring and existing entrepreneurs. Based on her success, Sandy was also named head of the Chamber’s Small Business Center in June 2007. Previously, she served as Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Kansas Women’s Business Center.

Prior to her work with women’s business centers, Sandy was president of Kansas City-based The Licata Group, where she delivered strategic business services to small businesses. Her work included creating a success formula and a strategic planning process rooted in the belief that with proper planning businesses could thrive. Sandy has also fueled her entrepreneurial spirit with successful ventures in retail franchising, advertising, and publishing that include hands-on negotiation of a profitable sale of a company.

Sandy’s penchant for all things entrepreneurial is evidenced in her many roles: as a small business owner and not-for-profit leader; a former radio talk show host and small business instructor for Wayne State University; the current radio voice for the JWBC; and local and national community volunteer. Sandy currently speaks nationally on topics such as success and entrepreneurship and sits on a for-profit, privately-held company’s Advisory Board.

Sandy serves on the board of Women Business Owners of North Florida, the City of Jacksonville’s Small and Emerging Business Advisory Board, and the Center for Women’s Business Research National Advisory Council. She is also a member of the Jacksonville Women’s Network. Recently Sandy was appointed to the Jacksonville Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women. Her past volunteer involvement has included Northeast Johnson County Economic Development Council and Task Force on Entrepreneurship, Women’s Lyceum Advisory Council, Athena PowerLink Program Governing Body, Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC) National Board Member, president of the Wichita Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, teacher of entrepreneurship for Junior Achievement, and Rotary International representative to Thailand to participate in a five-week business exchange.

Sandy received the U.S. Small Business Administration’s district, region VII, and national Women in Business Advocate Award for the Year 2002, was named Women’s Business Advocate of the Year for the State of Kansas by the Kansas Department of Commerce and Housing, Office of Minority and Women Business Development in 2002, and was honored by Wayne State University as national Business Instructor of the Year in 2001. She has earned region-wide honors as one of the Jacksonville Business Journal’s 2006 Women of Influence, and most recently received the 2007 Individual Mentor Award at the Jacksonville Business Journal’s Mosaic Award Luncheon.

At the age of 44, Sandy went back into the classroom as a college student, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree with concentrations in Business and Literature from Vermont College in 2005. Sandy is currently earning a Master of Science in Entrepreneurship at the University of Florida with an expected completion date of June 2008.

Happily married to Terry Bartow, Head of School for Jacksonville Country Day School, Sandy enjoys time with her two adult sons, Bill and Bryon, and their families, along with her four amazing stepchildren, Elliott, Tim, Katie and Samantha, ages 20 to 14.

This Speaker's Events

Reception Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs Hosted by the National Women’s Business Council

Invitation Only
A reception to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of the legislation establishing the Women’s Business Centers.

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