WBDC Celebrates Grand Opening of New Stamford Headquarters After Devastating Fire
New 5,000-square-foot office restores WBDC’s permanent presence in its founding city nearly 18 months after the March 2025 Bedford Street fire
STAMFORD, Conn. — The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) celebrated the opening of its new headquarters at 422 Summer Street in Stamford on Tuesday, September 1, marking a return to a permanent home in the city nearly 18 months after a devastating fire displaced the organization from its former Bedford Street office.
WBDC clients, supporters, community partners, business leaders, and elected officials gathered for the grand opening, which included remarks, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and tours of the new 5,000-square-foot space.
Attendees included U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons, and State Representative Eilish Collins Main. Following introductory remarks from WBDC Chief Executive Officer Fran Pastore, Blumenthal, Bysiewicz, Duff, Simmons, and Collins Main offered remarks in recognition of the occasion. WBDC clients Louise Joseph (Dough Girls Pizza Truck) and Jamie Torns (Growing Minds Collective) also spoke about their work with the organization and its impact on their businesses.
“Stamford has always been our home,” said Pastore. “A fire displaced us, but it did not stop our work or our commitment to Connecticut’s women entrepreneurs. This new office gives our team, clients, and partners a place to come together, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who stood with us and helped us reach this day.”
The opening represents a major milestone in WBDC’s recovery from the four-alarm fire that damaged its former second-floor office at 184 Bedford Street and several neighboring downtown businesses on March 7, 2025. While working without a permanent Stamford location, WBDC continued to provide advice, education, funding opportunities, and other resources to women entrepreneurs and small-business owners across Connecticut.
The location (422 Summer Street, with its entrance near 17 Franklin Street) will serve as a home base for the organization’s team in Southwestern Connecticut. Founded in Stamford in 1997, WBDC has grown from its local roots into a statewide organization serving entrepreneurs in all 169 Connecticut municipalities.
About the Women’s Business Development Council
The Women’s Business Development Council’s (WBDC) mission is to support economic prosperity for women and strengthen communities through entrepreneurial and financial education services that create and grow sustainable jobs and businesses across Connecticut. WBDC educates, motivates, and empowers women to achieve economic independence and self-sufficiency. Since 1997, WBDC has educated and trained over 22,700 clients across all 169 towns in Connecticut — helping women launch, sustain, and scale over 17,000 businesses, create and maintain more than 42,890 jobs, and access over $90 million in capital. Since 2020, WBDC has provided more than $20.6 million in grants to help fuel growth in small businesses throughout Connecticut. Visit ctwbdc.org for more information.
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