Liz Whitehead, CEO of 12PointFive, is an executive with two decades of experience helping companies meet supplier diversity and inclusion goals. Liz founded 12PointFive to help businesses benefit from corporate diversity and inclusion initiatives. Her clients include Fortune 500 companies that are educating their staff on the value of supplier diversity and inclusion as well as certified business enterprises who are invested in making the most of their certification. She uses various skills to support her clients in reaching their goals including facilitation, consulting, and one-on-on coaching. With a business partner she launched Diversity Masterminds™, an online course to put business owners on the right track to leverage their diverse business certifications.
Liz’s clients benefit from increasing their one-on-one meetings with corporate representatives, winning new business with multinational corporate members, and increasing their visibility in the supplier diversity network. In recognition of her work, The Women Presidents’ Educational Organization in DC (WPEO-DC) awarded Liz the WBE Connection award for completing the most Done Deals™ with other certified women’s business enterprises in both 2018 and 2019. In March of 2019 she was awarded outstanding Women’s Business Advocate by WPEO-DC.
Before starting 12PointFive, Liz supported multinational corporations in connecting with entrepreneurs as a leader in local, national, and international diverse business organizations. From 2002 – 2011, Liz worked at the Women Presidents’ Educational Organization (WPEO), a regional partner organization to the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). As the Executive Director of WPEO-DC, Liz led the efforts of the organization in Maryland, Washington, DC and Virginia to grow corporate membership and make connections for supplier diversity representatives with women owned businesses. Under her leadership, WPEO-DC was the host council for WBENC’s National Conference and Business Fair in Baltimore, MD in 2010. Liz cultivated the local sponsors and led the council, which set a record for participating WBENC corporate members and conference attendees.
In 2011, Liz joined WEConnect International, an international certification organization, to create global standards for certification and strategically bring the certification to international markets. She oversaw the development of the WEConnect International e-network, a global directory of corporate purchasing organizations and women owned businesses.
In addition, Liz managed WEConnect International markets in Europe, Middle East, and Africa, and co-created the WEConnect Academy curriculum, an online series of trainings focused on doing business with major purchasing organizations. As part of the curriculum, she developed WEConnect Academy Live which provides an interactive platform for market leaders, business owners, and corporate representatives to share knowledge and expertise about the global marketplace.
Liz has her bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and her master’s in International Affairs from Columbia’s School of Public and International Affairs. She is married to Jason Whitehead and is the mother of two young sons, Hank and Ted.