working for firm where owner was not licensed

The owner of a company providing land surveying does not need to be licensed in my jurisdiction. However,  there needs to be a licensed land survey in charge of the surveying work. Your jurisdiction may have laws that make a different distinction.

Forty years ago I worked for a large government contractor. We, in turn had to hire consultants to assist us in some of our work. One, in particular, fell into the DBE category as Mrs. Whosit was the owner of the firm.  Her husband, Mr. Whosit, with all of the necessary credentials was her top employee.  She signed papers.  That's all she did.

Another DBE we used was a large construction firm based in Kansas City, Kansas.  The Amino Brothers firm is still busy today, however............."Mary Sullivan, CEO of Amino Brothers, was the first woman to lead the Kansas Contractors Association as board president. Founded in the 1930s, their third-generation company is one of the woman-owned and operated construction firms in our state." (From a KCA news item)  Some call them Amino Sisters jokinglly.

We had a construction and demolition landfill DBE operation in our county owned by a lady who was full Native American and a lady who was born in Nicaragua.  It was merely a coincidence that their husbands each had large trash hauling enterprises that frequented that landfill.  I knew both couples.  The ladies were both the kind that were never seen unless they were stylishly dressed with very nice jewelry and manicured nails.  If their house caught fire at 3:00 a.m. they would not leave it until they could appear "normal".  Once each month, they would appear at the landfill site and pretend to be working.  Perhaps weigh a few trucks coming and going so that those drivers could tell people who they had seen.

We had a joke of a DBE construction firm that is now a true DBE.  The firm started out as a DBE as the owner had a mother who was of full Mexican heritage.  Meanwhile, his father was co-owner of a large construction company and a multi-millionaire.  The owner married a very smart woman who immersed herself in the business.  They divorced after about 20 years and she got the company in the divorce.  She continues to grow the company today.

I would not have joined a consulting survey business if the owner did not possess a survey licenese in my State.  That is because I would have been pushed into signing surveys.  On the other hand, in being an employee of a huge government contractor, I would not have expected the owner to be licensed in all of the various ways we provided consulting services to the government. I obtained my licenses while employed there but was never asked to sign and stamp something.

@not-my-real-name I should have said engineering firm.  I do not think Texas required owner to be licensed.  There was a flood of DBE and WBE firms obtaining government contracts for which they were not qualified - still is today.  Where this may within legal requirements, this is often abused. 

I should have emphasized employment in unlicensed ownership of professional firms was not limited to DBE firms - just used that as one example.  I see non such firms advertising for licensed professionals as they have contracts and do not have a professional on staff.  

@holy-cow I can relate.  There are net worth thresholds for such firms and when they meet them, they need to drop out.