The National Minority Supplier Development Council is holding its quarterly meeting this week in Washington, D.C., with its focus the importance of minority-owned businesses. The organization, presidents of its 38 regional affiliates, board chairmen and representatives of their certified minority businesses are gathering for three days of meetings, which began Tuesday.

Contrary to social stereotypes, the majority of Hispanics not only support a woman's right to choose, but they also want continued government funding for birth control as well as sex education in schools, according to a survey by the Public Policy Institute of California

U.S. colleges are breaking their silence on immigration, urging Congress to allow students who are illegal immigrants to apply for financial aid and qualify for in-state tuition. In a report released Tuesday, the U.S. College Board, which is best known for heading up the SAT program but also comprises 5,000 colleges, is also asking that Congress provide illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.

With regular appearances on Fox News and CNN, Lloyd Chapman is a small-business advocate whose star is on the rise. And although he may not be a household name, if he has his way, everyone will know the name Chapman before too long. The 59-year-old Texas native, who founded the American Small Business League, is on a one-man crusade against the Small Business Administration. But more importantly, perhaps, the eccentric Chapman is on a mission to clear his good name.

The number of Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States is expected to grow 41.8 percent in the next six years to 4.3 million, with total revenues surging 39 percent to more than $539 billion, according to new estimates by HispanTelligence. Spurred by growing entrepreneurial trends and affluence among the nation's largest minority population, the increase is expected to come at a robust rate of 8.5 and 8.7 percent, respectfully, over the next couple years.

For more than two decades, the annual Hispanic Business 500 directory has served as a barometer of the U.S. Hispanic economy. A purchase of the 2007 directory provides the top 500 Hispanic-owned companies list in Excel format including: CEO names; company addresses and telephone numbers; e-mail addresses for 375 companies and Web addresses for 430 companies; and company revenue and employees numbers for 2005 and 2006.

While the debate surrounding personal computers tends to center on Microsoft vs. Apple, when it comes to smartphones, Windows Mobile is often an afterthought. WinMo needed a homerun to get back in the game. Good thing the Samsung Omnia wields a mighty bat.

Frances Garcia broke some bones on her way to breaking the glass ceiling. This first-generation Mexican-American picked cotton and sugar beets; waited tables; and worked side by side with the white men as the first woman and Hispanic at accounting firm Arthur Andersen in Dallas. She also survived a serious car accident -- one that left her with broken bones and other major injuries. Years of hard work and personal sacrifices ultimately led her to the nation's capital, where she has been Inspector General of the U.S. Government Accountability Office since 1996.

Every April, in celebration of the sometimes gravity-defying strides made by Hispanic women, HispanicBusiness.com recognizes the significant achievements and advancements made by Hispanic women in America. This year, continuing a tradition that began in 2003, Hispanic Business magazine surveyed a group of Elite Women identified by HispanTelligence, the research arm of Hispanic Business Media.