An alumna of the Pamplin College of Business and founder of a national support group for women-owned businesses will give the Wells Fargo Distinguished Lecture Wednesday at Virginia Tech.

The free talk is open to the public. Here’s more information from Tech:

Susan Bari

BLACKSBURG, Va., Nov. 1, 2012 – Susan Phillips Bari, Pamplin College of Business alumna and founder of a national support group for women-owned businesses, will give the Wells Fargo Distinguished Lecture, sponsored by the Pamplin College and Wells Fargo, on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 3:30 p.m. at the Holtzman Alumni Center’s Alumni Assembly Hall.

Bari, whose talk is titled “Finding Your Small Space in the Big Apple,” is currently a New York City real estate agent at Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate, which she joined in 2010.

In her former career, Bari was an advocate of women-owned businesses. She founded and served as president of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, a national organization that matches women entrepreneurs with corporate supply chain opportunities.

She is also the founding executive director of the Washington Regional Training Center of the American Woman’s Economic Development Corporation, where she helped more than 2,000 women start and grow their businesses. She chaired the Council on Women’s Business Enterprise and served on the National Women’s Business Council.

At Virginia Tech, Bari is a long-time member of the Pamplin Advisory Council. She has served on the board of visitors. She earned her MBA in 1985.

Bari is the author of four books, of which the latest, “The Guide to Moving Mom,” is a how-to on relocating an aging loved one. Her other books are “Breaking Through: Creating Opportunities for Women and Minority Owned Businesses”; “Partnering for Profit: Success Strategies for Tomorrow’s Supply Chain”; and “Yes, I Can Do That!”

The event is free and open to the public, no tickets needed. Free parking is available at the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center. Find more parking information online or call 540-231-3200.