Carson Design Associates a Proud Women-Owned Business Enterprise
Many of you may know Carson Design Associates as a commercial design firm. However, you may not know that — thanks to the leadership of our President and Owner Julie Berry — we are also a proud certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE).
Get to Know Our President and Owner
For over 20 years, Julie has been an integral part of leading Carson Design Associates — evolving in that time period from designer to operations management to majority owner. Today, she spends most days overseeing the daily operations and providing overall direction for our Indiana office, while still regularly putting her interior design skills to work in creating unique, thoughtful design solutions for our clients.
Leading a WBE business is simply the latest in a long line of accomplishments. Julie earned two undergraduate degrees from Indiana State University: a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration & Interior Design and a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design. She also holds registered interior design licenses in Indiana and Florida, as well as both LEED AP ID+C and NCIDQ certifications. Julie sits on the advisory board at Indiana State University and participates as a member of IndyCREW.
How to Earn WBE Certification
To qualify as a Women-Owned Business Enterprise, a company must endure a rigorous certification process and reach stringent criteria, such as:
- Be at least 51 percent owned and controlled by women.
- Show fiscal responsibility via tax returns, bank statements and its business credit rating.
- Have the capacity to succeed by demonstrating a certain level of experience in a market by the principles.
Also, the for-profit business must be U.S. based and led by a woman with technical expertise in the firm’s primary business activity.
Why WBE Matters to Us
First and foremost, we at Carson Design believe that being a certified Woman Owned Business helps create greater leadership opportunities for women — not only those in our business or in our industry, but women at all levels and in all sectors.
The certification also benefits our clients. By working with a WBE-certified company, these businesses can fulfill city or state regulated requirements for diversification, while also gaining the added benefit of working alongside a distinguished market .eader.
And finally, our business benefits. Organized through the Indiana Department of Administration (IDOA), the WBE program allows us to gain additional exposure in our industry and opens the door to:
- Opportunities through large corporations and federal agencies.
- Training and educational programs.
- Buyers looking meet their subcontracting goals.
- Leads for bids and proposals.
- Networking opportunities.
- Mentorship programs.
. . .
We are proud to be a WBE-certified organization led by an incredible leader, and welcome the opportunity to continue to grow our relationships.
