1-Sentence Summary:
Leslee Owen, Co-Founder and CEO of Movement Maker, was named Woman Business Owner of the Year 2026 by NAWBO San Antonio, the largest NAWBO chapter in the nation, in recognition of over a decade of entrepreneurial leadership, AI-driven demand innovation, and client results like a 2,900% increase in online demand for Bartlett Cocke General Contractors.
50-Word Summary:
San Antonio-based Movement Maker CEO Leslee Owen received the 2026 Woman Business Owner of the Year award from NAWBO San Antonio. Recognized at the Women Who Inspire Gala, Owen was honored for 10+ years building demand infrastructure for professional service firms and helping clients generate predictable inbound pipeline through AI search visibility.
The National Association of Women Business Owners San Antonio Chapter named Leslee Owen, Co-Founder and CEO of Movement Maker, the 2026 Woman Business Owner of the Year. Owen received the award at the Women Who Inspire Gala, NAWBO-SA’s annual event honoring women whose vision and leadership are changing the fabric of the San Antonio business community.
The award recognizes NAWBO members in business 6 to 19 years who demonstrate exceptional commitment to their industry, their clients, and the broader community of women in business.
Owen has led Movement Maker for over a decade. The company builds what Owen calls demand infrastructure: systems that help professional service firms stop relying solely on referrals and start generating predictable inbound pipeline through AI search. As AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity reshape how buyers find and evaluate service providers, Owen has positionedMovement Maker at the front of that shift.
Client Results That Speak for Themselves
The results are hard to argue with. Movement Maker recently launched the digital platform for Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, one of the largest and most respected general contractors in Texas. The result was a 2,900% increase in online demand, measured by contact form submissions and newsletter sign-ups. When Bartlett Cocke set out to find an agency to take on their new website project, they interviewed multiple Texas firms before selecting Movement Maker, citing the team’s commitment to human connection, innovation in AI search, and drive for exceptional collaboration.
“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, healthy margins, and a full-time team of six.
A Decade of Sacrifice and Purpose
“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 death was the catalyst for launching her business.
Cerda’s story is woven into the foundation of how Owen leads. In the 1990s, at 60 years old, he made a decision that defied every reasonable argument against it. His house on the south side of San Antonio was paid off. His wife had just finished renovating the kitchen. And he chose to uproot all of it — moving his entire family, including Owen’s parents and siblings, three uncles, and two cousins, into a new home on the north side of the city when that part of San Antonio was nothing but open land.
He dreamed of building a big house in the country and giving his family a life and education they would not have had otherwise. So 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.”
It is a story that mirrors what Owen does for her clients every day — helping established firms leave the comfort of what is already working to build on ground that most of their competitors have not found yet.
Owen also recognized her husband, Brett Owen, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Movement Maker, as an integral part of the company’s success. “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 and a voice for women navigating both leadership and life through the Mission and Motherhood podcast.
Building the Infrastructure to Be Found in AI Search
Movement Maker serves professional service firms across Texas and beyond, helping them build the infrastructure required to be found, trusted, and recommended in AI-driven search — not just on Google, but inside the AI tools their buyers are already using. Explore our articles for the latest insights and strategies.
Learn more at movementmaker.ai/.
