During National Business Women’s Week (NBWW), October 20-24, 2014, Business and Professional Women’s (BPW) Foundation honors and salutes the following five outstanding military/veteran business women and the employers who support them. NBWW awards are given in honor of these courageous and creative women and employers who are making a difference in their military/veteran communities. Today we honor:

Graciela Tiscareño-Sato: A decorated military veteran, Ms.Tiscareño-Sato is trailblazing pathways for Latina women in military and STEM careers. She leads workshops on personal branding for military veterans to help them successfully navigate the transition to civilian jobs. She is a sought-after speaker on environmental entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation and the Latino educational crisis and solutions. She’s the author of four-time award-winning Latinnovating: Green American Jobs and the Latinos Creating Them, the first book showcasing Latino-led innovation and entrepreneurship in the green economy.

Her bilingual children’s book, Goodnight Captain Mama/Buenas Nochas Capitan Mama, shows children between the ages of three and eight in preschools, elementary schools and homes across America why women and mommies wear military uniforms and fly on airplanes. It debuted on three Amazon Children’s Bestseller lists (Military, Transportation and Hispanic/Latino categories)

Ms. Tiscareño-Sato was honored by The White House as a Woman Military Veteran Leader Champion of Change in March 2014 for her military service as an Air Force officer and for her entrepreneurship, demonstrated by what her Latina veteran-owned multicultural educational book/eBook publishing company with global distribution called Gracefully Global Group. Gracefully Global Group’s mission is to create aspirational literature to showcase positive images of highly-educated Latino Americans serving this nation as innovators, scientists, entrepreneurs, military members and more. She brings this inspirational content to life as a STEM Consultant and speaker in K-College settings, so that all students and their educators can view accomplished Latinos in a positive light. More importantly, through this unique literature, Latino students are introduced to role models that may be missing in their lives, and aspire to pursue higher educational pathways.

To amplify the voices of her fellow women vets, Graciela recently cofounded the National Women Veterans Speakers Bureau with a U.S. Navy veteran and aviator. It’s the first such bureau to highlight the award-winning literature and keynote speaking topics from women who have served in our nation’s armed forces. Find women vets turned published authors and professional speakers at www.WomenVetsSpeak.com.