Brittany Fugate
Brittany Fugate is a seasoned entrepreneur, proud mom, and innovator in the information technology and services industry. In 2008, she founded Cenetric Network Services, an IT-managed services company that began by supporting businesses in Kansas City and eventually expanded to serve clients across the United States. A high school dropout and self-taught business leader, Brittany has built her career on resilience, determination, and a relentless drive to learn from every experience, turning early setbacks into stepping stones for success.
Over the years, Brittany has earned recognition for her leadership and entrepreneurial achievements, including being named a Top 10 Small Business by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and receiving awards such as CRN Women of the Channel Power 80, Enterprising Woman of the Year, and Women of Influence honoree from the Kansas City Business Journal. Beyond her professional accomplishments, she is passionate about mentorship and empowering women in business, actively sharing her experience to help others navigate entrepreneurship and career growth.
Brittany is also deeply committed to giving back to her community. She serves on the board of the Love Fund for Children in Kansas City, sponsors and volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters, and supports causes like Go Red for Women. Outside of work, she enjoys travel, jet skiing, board games, and indulging her love for Battlestar Galactica. Currently, Brittany focuses on business development for the company that acquired Cenetric and is developing a subscription-based corporate gifting service to bring consistency, creativity, and care to client and employee recognition programs.
• SBA WOSB
• Woman Business Owner of the Year Finalist
• Love Fund for Children
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
What do you attribute your success to?
I think back on the really dark times - when I was evicted from my house because I couldn't pay the rent, when my car was repossessed and I was living out of my car and taking sales meetings - and I ask myself what kept me going. I think it's a combination of things. It's natural for me to wake up and say, today's a new day, and we're gonna put a smile on our face and make the best of it, one foot in front of the other. But the other side of it is there was something in me that was just driving me to continue. I don't know, I just couldn't let go of it. Friends and family were like, Brittany, maybe it's time to get a real job. And I just, I don't know, something told me no, keep going. So I did.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was to establish a mentor as early as possible. Mentors can be found in many places, and most people genuinely want to offer guidance and support.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I think the biggest one is to get a mentor established as soon as possible, and I think part of the success that I had in business was just that. I know it's a big ask for somebody that doesn't really know anybody in the business world to go up and ask somebody to mentor them, but the advice that I would give on that is that mentors are generally found in just about everybody that has something to offer for us to learn, and the vast majority of people want to help and want to support. If somebody would come up to me, I would be more than happy to mentor them, absolutely.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field is the extremely low rate of profitable exits for women-owned technology businesses. At the same time, there’s a significant opportunity to create visibility, representation, and supportive platforms for women in business—through mentorship, networks, and initiatives that can help change these outcomes.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide me in both my work and personal life are mentorship, perseverance, supporting other women, and giving back to the community.