The Barbour Group LLC

Karen Pecora-Barbour is the President of The Barbour Group LLC, a surety bond company she founded in 2022. With 22 years in business, Pecora-Barbour has established herself as a trailblazer in the industry, being the first female bond broker to start her own agency in Maryland.

Starting with just $20 and 69 clients, she has grown her company to serve clients throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Her leadership has earned numerous accolades, including the US SBA Small Business Person of The Year and the EY Winning Women Award. Despite facing challenges as a single parent, she has successfully balanced her business achievements with family responsibilities.

What does it mean to you to be a women-owned business?

In 2022, I started the business to be more capable of caring for my elderly father and two small children after her husband left the country, leaving her to manage a household on her own. She also started her company to be a bigger voice for small and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) construction firms, becoming legislatively active and getting landmark legislation approved in Congress and in Maryland. She wanted to be a game changer and create less barriers for small businesses, especially MBE, firms.

What challenges have you faced as a women-owned business?

I faced challenges in accessing capital, only able to secure a $25,000 line of credit, not enough to hire a key employee for growth. I was the first female bond broker to start my own agency in Maryland, and most likely the Delmarva area.

I started with $20.00. All of my clients followed to start her own company, 69 at the time, along with 10 corporate sureties.

This profile is part of The Daily Record's In the Lead: Best Women-Owned Businesses in Maryland list for 2024. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree. See the full list at thedailyrecord.com.