Small Talk with VR Small: Women Helping Women W.I.N. with Charlene I. Arnold, The CDL Queen

Behind every business is a woman with a mission—and a journey worth sharing. In honor of National Women’s Small Business Month, join VR Small, Founder & CEO of the Veteran Women’s Enterprise Center, for conversations with women business owners about challenges conquered, collaborations forged, and what women can build together. Her journey becomes our conversation. Charlene I. Arnold, widely known as “The CDL Queen,” is a Commercial Driver’s License Examiner, transportation entrepreneur, workforce advocate, and founder of IBEST Trucking Academy and the DriveHER Foundation. With more than 28 years of experience in the transportation industry, Charlene has dedicated this chapter of her career to helping people turn transportation careers into pathways toward economic stability and independence. Her work particularly focuses on women, single mothers, individuals reentering the workforce, and others who may face barriers to traditional career opportunities. Charlene’s mission is deeply personal. After navigating adversity and rebuilding her own life, she transformed those experiences into a commitment to create opportunities for others. Through CDL education and training, workforce-development initiatives, community partnerships, and advocacy, she works to ensure that people are not simply told opportunities exist—they are given the tools and access needed to pursue them. She is also the reigning Mrs. Maryland 2026, using her platform to expand conversations around workforce access, women’s economic empowerment, transportation, and community impact. At the heart of Charlene’s work is a simple belief: opportunity does not equal access. Her mission is to help close that gap and empower people to confidently take the driver’s seat in their careers, their finances, and their futures. JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Every Wednesday in October, we’ll celebrate the women behind the businesses and explore the experiences, decisions, and connections that continue to shape their success. Women Helping Women W.I.N. will lead our conversation during: W — Building Generational Wealth I — Inspiring Disruptive Innovations N — Nurturing Networks that Work