Our Founder
Carmen Tapio
When it comes to building strong communities, Carmen Tapio, transformative leader and builder of all things business, people, and community is no novice. With a few phone calls—her own humble take on its inception—Carmen ignited the formation of Nebraska Black Women United. From that small spark, a fire roared, and today NBWU is an 800-strong, purpose-driven organization empowering black women across the state and beyond.
Carmen Tapio is the Founder and CEO of North End Teleservices—the largest African American-owned business in the state. Under her leadership North End Teleservices has injected over 600 million dollars into Nebraska’s economy; is a five-time honoree of the Inc. 5000’s List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies in the United States, a 2025 Real Leaders Top Impact Company, and is one of the 2024 U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Top 100 Small Businesses in America.
Carmen believes that a rising tide lifts all boats, focusing her energy and efforts on advancing the lives of others by creating pathways to fully participate in the economy, enabling choice and legacy building. Her relentless commitment to Creating Jobs and Changing Lives has led her to establish Forever North Real Estate, another history-making enterprise that is making the largest private investment in North Omaha. Working in and alongside the community, Carmen is reimagining North Omaha and helping to set it on a promising path, aligned with the visionary promise of a bustling community where people can work, live, and play.
Carmen is the founder of The NET Work Spot, a premier coworking space nestled in the heart of the North Omaha community that exists for collaboration and to nurture the ingenuity of brilliant entrepreneurial minds.
Carmen also lends her expertise by serving on various for-profit and non-profit boards. Carmen currently serves on the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, being the only person to have held the position of Chair for two consecutive years. Carmen is the City of Omaha Inland Port Authority Secretary; serves on the Omaha Zoological Society Board of Directors, Werner Enterprises Board of Directors and is Chair of the ESG Committee, and is a Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Trustee, to name just a few. Carmen is a thought-leader and trusted mentor whose visionary leadership challenges every boundary. “I believe in the human spirit and that anything is possible,” says Tapio. She is a leader with many firsts giving others an opportunity and platform to achieve their own. Carmen and her husband Robert enjoy traveling and gardening together.
An idea that was Turned into a Beautiful Reality
Carmen Tapio woke up one morning thinking “What can we do to bring Black women from across our state together?”… and from that, Nebraska Black Women United was born! Soon after, on a Sunday afternoon in late June 2021, nearly 200 Black Women from various backgrounds, ages and life experiences came together to support, celebrate and uplift one another. We as women are not setting out to reinvent the wheel, instead we are looking to collaborate with each other on all the things that we are already doing in our careers, our communities and our lives.
“It really is about connectivity, supporting each other and not only that, but bringing up the next generation as well. A lot of the women here are different ages, at different stations in life, on different career paths, so we want to make sure the younger generation has access, sponsorship and mentorship as well!”
— Carmen Tapio