NAWBO Names Movement Maker CEO 2026 Woman Business Owner of the Year

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Movement Maker CEO Wins 2026 NAWBO Award After 78% Revenue Growth and a 2,900% Client Demand Surge

San Antonio, United States – April 22, 2026 / Movement Maker /

SAN ANTONIO, TX – The National Association of Women Business Owners San Antonio Chapter, the largest NAWBO chapter in the nation, has named Leslee Owen, Co-Founder and CEO of Movement Maker, its 2026 Woman Business Owner of the Year. Owen accepted the award at the Women Who Inspire Gala, NAWBO-SA’s annual event recognizing women whose leadership and vision are shaping the San Antonio business community.

The award is given to NAWBO members who have been in business between 6 and 19 years and have demonstrated a sustained commitment to their industry, their clients, and the broader community of women entrepreneurs.

Owen has led Movement Maker for more than a decade. The company builds what Owen describes as demand infrastructure: systems designed to help professional service firms move beyond referral dependency and develop consistent inbound pipeline through AI search. As tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity continue to reshape how buyers discover and evaluate service providers, Movement Maker has been positioning its clients ahead of that transition.

The firm’s work with Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, one of the largest general contractors in Texas, offers a measurable example of that approach. After launching the company’s digital platform, Movement Maker delivered a 2,900% increase in online demand, tracked through contact form submissions and newsletter sign-ups. Bartlett Cocke evaluated several Texas firms before selecting Movement Maker, citing the team’s focus on human connection, AI search expertise, and collaborative approach.

“Bartlett Cocke is proud to partner with Leslee and the Movement Maker team,” said Bryan Benway, Director of Marketing at Bartlett Cocke General Contractors. “They stood out among the many firms we evaluated through their responsiveness, collaborative approach, and ability to bring our shared vision to life. We could not be happier with the outcome. Leslee is an exceptional partner whose leadership and vision continue to make a meaningful impact, and this recognition is truly well deserved.”

Movement Maker closed 2025 with 78% revenue growth, strong margins, and a full-time team of six.

“Every decision I have made over ten years has led to this moment,” Owen said. “It has been laced with sacrifice, with leaving good for great, with pioneering in a space before most people understood it existed. This award is an acknowledgment of my commitment to my clients, to my team, and to myself.”

Owen dedicated the recognition to her late grandfather, Manuel B. Cerda, a United States Marine Corps veteran and Korean War Bronze Star recipient, whose passing was the catalyst for starting her business.

Cerda’s story is part of the foundation of how Owen leads. In the 1990s, at 60 years old, he made a decision that defied conventional reasoning. His house on the south side of San Antonio was paid off. His wife had just finished renovating the kitchen. He chose to uproot all of it. He relocated his entire family – including Owen’s parents and siblings, three uncles, and two cousins – to a new home on the north side of the city when that area was largely undeveloped land.

His goal was to build a larger home and give his family opportunities and an education they would not have had otherwise. He moved 11 family members in and built toward that future.

“He taught me the importance of dreaming against all odds,” Owen said. “He left a paid-off house and a brand new kitchen because he saw something worth moving toward. That belief is in the foundation of everything I have built.”

The story reflects what Owen does for her clients. She helps established firms step away from what is already comfortable to build on ground their competitors have yet to reach.

Owen also recognized her husband, Brett Owen, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Movement Maker, as central to the company’s growth. “Brett has built this alongside me as my business partner and as my husband. This award belongs to him too.”

Owen holds certifications in life and business coaching and completed a specialized course in Motherhood and Work through Stanford University. She is a mother of four.

Movement Maker serves professional service firms across Texas and beyond, helping them build the infrastructure needed to be found, trusted, and recommended within AI-driven search – not only on Google, but inside the AI tools their buyers are already using.

About Movement Maker

Movement Maker is a demand infrastructure company based in San Antonio, Texas. The firm installs demand engines that help referral-based professional service firms diversify their lead generation and build AI search visibility. Clients include scaling businesses and multi-billion-dollar organizations across Texas. Learn more at movementmaker.com.

About NAWBO San Antonio

The National Association of Women Business Owners San Antonio Chapter is the largest NAWBO chapter in the nation. NAWBO-SA serves as a unified voice for women business owners through advocacy, education, and community.