Women’s Business Development Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing the tools and resources to help women thrive in business. We believe that when desire, education, and preparation come together, opportunities are created, ideas are ignited, and economies are expanded.
we have helped more than 18,000 women across 169 Connecticut towns become better business people.
Health and fitness enthusiast, Erin Jerde, was inspired to create a portable, gourmet food business after encountering a similar concept while living abroad. She turned to the Women’s Business Development Council for help with making her idea a reality, and soon, Stamford-based Corner Harvest was born.
Thirty three-year-old Debra Lutsky is a highly-sought-after designer and e-commerce expert for some of today’s best-known labels including Swarovski, Karl Lagerfeld, Kenneth Cole, and GUESS. But the brand that she’s most proud to work with is Digital Retail Partners, the online retail and branding agency she launched three years ago.
The value of the WBDC is “helping women navigate the technical, financial and foundational aspects of running a business. I learned early on that just because you start a business doesn’t mean that customers are going to come,” said Mubarakah. “Even if you do get customers at your door, your business isn’t going to succeed if you’re not making a return on your investment. WBDC makes that happen.”
The value of the WBDC is “helping women navigate the technical, financial and foundational aspects of running a business. I learned early on that just because you start a business doesn’t mean that customers are going to come,” said Mubarakah. “Even if you do get customers at your door, your business isn’t going to succeed if you’re not making a return on your investment. WBDC makes that happen.”
The Women’s Business Development Council pointed Dina in the direction of a small business loan from the SBA that enabled her to acquire a larger production facility in Bridgeport. Dina describes the network and support WBDC offers as “the shot in the arm she needs as she navigates the male-dominated field of grocery distributors.”
Number of clients serviced by Women's Business Development Council since its founding in 1997
Amount Women's Business Development Council clients have generated in gross revenue in the last five years
Amount of taxes paid by Women's Business Development Council clients to the State of Connecticut in the last five years
For every $1 raised by Women's Business Development Council, the amount that is reinvested in the community
