L to R: Tracy Higginbotham,
Cynthia Scott, Leslie English

Women TIES President, Tracy Higginbotham, became an entrepreneur in 1995 when she created Five Star Events, a special event management company with expertise in organization, planning, logistics and public relations. Five Star Events now offers assistance in event management and promotion for women-owned businesses.

For nine years, Higginbotham was president of a Syracuse-based networking and support organization for women business owners where the organization grew substantially under her leadership until she stepped down from the position in 2005. In this role, her dedication to promoting women entrepreneurship grew and sparked an interest in creating Women TIES, where she has successfully created a larger regional buying network for women entrepreneurs.

Her dedication to supporting women entrepreneurship for ten years was recognized by the Small Business Administration in 2005 when she received the Region II "Women Owned Business Champion Award." The Women Business Champion award is given to someone for their significant contributions as an outstanding small business person and for dedicated support of small business.

Higginbotham is a graduate of the State University of New York at Oswego where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and post graduate studies in Business Management.

Higginbotham is a columnist for the Syracuse Post Standard; Advisory Board Member of the State University of New York at Oswego School of Business; Board Member of the Upstate Women's Business Center in Utica; Board President of Khoros Performing Arts for Children; Advisory Board Member of Maureen's Hope Foundation; Past Chairwoman of the 40 Below Emerging Entrepreneurs Program; Past Public Relations Co-Chair of the Women's Fund of New York; and Past Emcee for three years at Syracuse University's WISE Conference.

She is a guest speaker at local colleges including Syracuse University, Le Moyne College, Onondaga Community College, and Oswego State University; guest speaker regarding entrepreneurial issues on local television and radio stations; and guest speaker on a wide range of business topics for local chambers of commerce and business organizations. Higginbotham is also a published writer whose inspirational short stories and articles appear in several national publications and books.

Higginbotham has received numerous awards including: SUNY Oswego Alumni Association Community Service Award, 40 Under 40 Award, Women in Business Award, 25 Women in Leadership Award, and the SBA District 2 Women Owned Business Champion Award.

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