Liz Sara

Liz Sara is an entrepreneur and business executive with more than three decades of experience in the high-tech sector. Her career includes executive roles at companies such as SpaceWorks Enterprises, LexisNexis, United Press International, Thomson Financial, and Best Marketing LLC. As co-founder of SpaceWorks, an e-commerce software company, Sara facilitated its startup and growth to nearly $25 million in revenue. She later founded Best Marketing LLC, providing executive-level expertise to more than 100 early-stage and growth-stage technology companies, supporting their growth and market development.

Sara served as chair of the National Women's Business Council, a federal agency that advocates for female founders. The council provides independent advice and policy recommendations to the President, Congress, and the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration on issues related to women's business enterprise. During her tenure, Sara focused advocacy efforts on improving access to capital for female entrepreneurs, encouraging women to start companies in STEM fields, and addressing challenges faced by women in rural areas. She also worked with SBA officials to ensure women-owned businesses accessed Paycheck Protection Program loans and advocated for a set-aside of $60 billion in funding for small lenders.

Sara became president of the SCORE Foundation, the philanthropic arm of SCORE, which provides free mentoring and business programs to small business owners and entrepreneurs nationwide. During her tenure, she increased corporate sponsorships to the highest levels in two decades. Her commitment to education and mentorship includes serving as the first female chair of the Dingman Center of Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland and as an adjunct marketing professor at the Smith School of Business. She mentors startup CEOs at incubators and accelerators in the Washington, DC, area and invests in women-owned startups in the region.

Sara is a frequent author and conference speaker on entrepreneurship, business, and angel investing. She has also supported the arts and performing arts in Washington, DC, and has managed Opera Camerata of Washington. With a career focused on building companies, shaping policy, and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs, Sara is recognized for her expertise in entrepreneurship, women in business, and small enterprise development in the United States.