A business development program in Connecticut has had a strong track record of helping mostly female business owners improve their operations and scale.
The Women’s Business Development Council and city of New London are partnering to give small businesses in the area a financial and educational boost.
For its latest distribution of American Rescue Plan Act funding, city officials have awarded $500,000 to a business development group to administer money to small local businesses in need.
The city is giving $500,000 in federal COVID-19 stimulus funds to a Stamford-based nonprofit that will disperse the money to Torrington businesses.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) recently announced that $9.8 million in funding will be provided to the Women’s Business Development Council, an organization that works to grow sustainable businesses across the state.
Despite millions of dollars in state and federal funds designed to shore up the childcare sector during and after the pandemic, business owners who spoke to CT Examiner say they are in a bind — with substantial numbers of parents looking for childcare, but not enough staff to accommodate them, and no obvious way to attract more workers at wages that the businesses – or parents – can afford.
In an interview with Hearst Connecticut Media, WBDC founder and Chief Executive Officer Fran Pastore discussed the organization’s 25th anniversary, the impact of its programs launched during the COVID-19 pandemic and its long-term goals.
The city is one of 24 municipalities to earn certification in 2022 from Sustainable CT, a statewide initiative that inspires and supports communities in becoming more efficient, resilient, and inclusive.
Entisar Elamin was chopping parsley Monday for a batch of baba ganoush when a parade of official visitors popped in with their own recipe — for helping other women like her make it in the Connecticut economy. Elamin, a refugee from Sudan, was at work in the kitchen of Havenly Treats within the cavernous strip of storefronts across from Criterion Cinemas on Temple Street. Havenly Treats, a nonprofit, is more than a restaurant. It runs training programs for refugees like Elamin to learn skills and land jobs or create new businesses of their own.
Shoppers in Stamford got a chance to make some unique purchases Thursday night. The Women's Business Development Council hosted a pop-up shopping event with local women-owned businesses on Spring Street. The purpose of the event was to support women-owned businesses in the area.
The Women’s Business Development Council on Wednesday launched a grant program in which New London businesses can receive between $2,500 and $10,000 to help them grow.
The Women's Business Development Council is expanding. The nonprofit opened the doors to its brand new office in downtown New London. "We really wanted to be in the hub, where the excitement was happening," said Fran Pastore, CEO of the WBDC.
The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) will honor Connecticut business leaders and celebrate 25 years of advocacy and support for women entrepreneurs at the 2022 WBDC Women Rising Gala and Awards Celebration — taking place this year on Oct. 28 at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich.
Waterbury officials are preparing to commit $1.5 million to help the Women’s Business Development Council to open a new office in downtown Waterbury. Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary’s administration is asking the city Board of Aldermen to approve spending $1.5 million from the city’s American Rescue Plan Act allocation to aid the nonprofit, which is dedicated to helping women succeed in business.
Gloria Montoya, of Meriden, has run a childcare business out of her home for the past 13 years. Working with small children is never an easy task, but it is made harder by the risk of business failure as the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) estimates that only one-third of new businesses survive their tenth birthday.
The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) is hosting two pop-up shopping days in Stamford on September 14 and October 20, providing an opportunity for residents of Stamford and its surrounding towns an opportunity to support local women-owned businesses.
Fashion icon and philanthropist Diane von Furstenberg will be the keynote speaker at the Women’s Business Development Council’s (WBDC’s) Annual Women Rising Gala and Awards Celebration, to be held Oct. 28 at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich. Annie Lamont, First Lady of Connecticut and Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Oak HC/FT, will serve as the event’s Honorary Chair.
Governor Ned Lamont today is applauding the release of a study from U.S. News & World Report ranking Connecticut as one of the best states in the country for gender equality. The governor said that this issue has been a key priority for his administration, particularly when it comes to ensuring equal access to economic opportunities.
Congressman Himes visited Natural Annie, a soy-based candle company located at 1313 Connecticut Avenue where he made his own candle during his visit. The Woman Business Development Corporation was also on hand and provided Annie with funding and technical assistance.
If you have kids, you know how hard it is finding child care. State officials say Connecticut is short 50,000 slots, but new programs are slowly filling the gap.
At Zen & Now, a yoga and fitness studio in East Lyme, owner Lisa Bragaw said she went from 34 instructors before the COVID-19 pandemic to about 18 now — but she’s trying to scale back and is doing more advertising than she had done before. Zen & Now is one of many small businesses across southeastern Connecticut that have received a grant through federal U.S. bailout laws that have been passed through towns and cities.
There’s really no other way to shorthand it — Gov. Ned Lamont is marketing Connecticut as a sanctuary state for abortion. In seizing landmark moments in history as business opportunities, governors reaffirm the essence of what their states represent. Connecticut’s shade of blue deepened when Roe v. Wade was overturned last month.
HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) - Connecticut always wants to attract new businesses, but now there’s a new approach. Governor Lamont is trying to encourage businesses in Florida and anywhere else that are pro-choice to move here. This comes after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. This is certainly a different approach but one that seems to be resonating, especially among women owned businesses.
BRIDGEPORT — At a recent visit to the city’s only Pilates studio, state Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, learned how to do double leg presses. “Steve did some exercises on what’s called the Wunda chair,” said Laura Pennock, owner of the Black Rock Pilates Studio, which is based in Stafstrom’s district. The special chair was purchased courtesy of the equity match grant from the Women’s Business Development Council. But the grant didn’t just allow Pennock to buy exercise equipment — it saved her business as well, she said.
STAMFORD — The city is seeking $9 million in funding through congressional earmarks for projects that include installing thousands of LED streetlights in Stamford and building a Ferguson Library branch location on the East Side. Mayor Caroline Simmons told the Board of Representatives about the effort to direct federal money toward five specific projects during a “State of the City” presentation last week.
Gov. Ned Lamont and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz are linking abortion rights with economic development, issuing an invitation Friday to businesses to leave states with restrictive policies and move to Connecticut where access to abortion has been law for 32 years.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade last week ended the constitutional right to abortion, handing the regulation of reproductive rights to the states. In Connecticut, which has some of the nation’s strongest abortion protections — and a former businessman at the helm — those rights have quickly become a recruiting tool.
The 61 Bank St. building that for decades was home to Liberty Bank will house a new tenant in the coming weeks. The Women’s Business Development Council, a nonprofit group founded in 1997 and dedicated to providing entrepreneurial and financial education services with a focus on women, plans to lease the street-level space in the building.
At CBIA’s May 19 When Women Lead conference, four state legislators shared their stories with Fran Pastore, founder and CEO of the Women’s Business Development Council.
Nancy Barrett, the owner of Scantic Valley Farm in Somers, was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Women’s Business Development Council, via its WBDC Equity Match Grant Program.
A women's business organization is ramping up efforts to support and create more childcare centers across Connecticut with a new round of business grants.
The Women’s Business Development Council was named the women’s business center of excellence by U.S. Small Business Administration's Connecticut office.
Local hairstylist Robin Manna’s business received a leg up this past week when she was awarded an $8,000 grant from an organization dedicated to the success of women entrepreneurs.
WBDC and Torrington Savings Bank CEOs discuss WBDC Equity Match Grant and WBDC/Torrington Savings partnership.
The Women's Business Development Council is ramping up efforts to support and create more childcare centers across Connecticut with a new round of business grants.
For the People with WBDC founder Fran Pastore - celebrating her agency's 25th year, promoting grant programs for small business owners and the WBDC's upcoming Women-Owned Business Day.
Bank of America announced Monday a $100,000 contribution for counseling, technical assistance and other services to support future rounds of the WBDC’s Equity Match Grant Program.
Thumbs down to the reality that the glass ceiling for Connecticut businesswomen is still barely cracked. In the latest Fortune list, there’s only one female CEO among the top 25 businesses in Connecticut (by revenue).
The Women’s Business Development Council and the Department of Economic and Community Development recognize that women and women of color are the future of entrepreneurism. They are leveling the playing field for women-owned businesses
A day after childcare providers rallied across the state for more funding to stay open, local and state officials held a panel discussion in Stamford to talk about the ways the state has helped such businesses survive the pandemic.
The Child Care for Connecticut's Future coalition coordinated A Morning Without Child Care to call for $700 million in state funding, and "to bring attention to the impending collapse of the child care industry."
Founded in Stamford in 1997, the Women’s Business Development Council educates women about starting and developing their own enterprises.
Pastore and Zahir-Uddin discuss the long partnership between WBDC and JPMorgan Chase to support women-owned businesses across Connecticut.
Checks delivered by Connecticut’s lieutenant governor are helping women entrepreneurs send off boxes of baklava and a flock of ceramic birds into New Haven.
Women-owned businesses are helping to change the landscape of New Haven thanks to equity match grants from the Women’s Business Development Council and the state of Connecticut.
Two Cheshire business owners have been chosen as recipients of the Women in Business Development Council (WBDC) Equity Match Grant program.
Fran Pastore, chief executive officer of the Women’s Business Development Council, joins us on Nyberg to share more about the grants and what they mean for the businesses they support.
Gina Facchini, who owns Norwich Fitness Center, expanded her 5,000 square foot gym to a 40,000 square foot space after receiving an Equity Match Grant through the Women’s Business Development Council.
Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and two representatives from the Women’s Business Development Council put a state spotlight on Gina Facchini and Michelle Blais, owner of MB Graphic Design in Norwich, both recipients of the WBDC Equity Match Grant Program.
State funding helped MB Graphic Designs owner Michelle Blais expand her home-based web design business, letting her add how-to courses for businesses seeking an online presence.
A Stamford nonprofit that supports the efforts of businesses owned by women announced Tuesday the organization has received a $300,000 investment from JPMorgan Chase for one of its programs.
WBDC just received a $300,000 investment from JPMorgan Chase to support its Equity Match Grant (EMG) Program, which has awarded nearly $925,000 to small businesses throughout the state since December 2020.
The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) today announced that it has received a $300,000 investment from JPMorgan Chase to support its Equity Match Grant (EMG) Program.
JPMorgan Chase is partnering with Connecticut’s Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) to give out $300,000 in grants to qualified small business owners.
Women-owned businesses in Connecticut get a little help from the Women's Business Development Council, by way of grants.
The Lieutenant Governor and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, the Mayor of New Haven, and the city’s economic development and small business team went on a shop-local tour in New Haven. The Lieutenant Governor highlighted the WBDC Equity Match Grant Program in her remarks
The Public Relations Society of America Greater Connecticut Chapter (PRSA CT) announced that Fran Pastore, CEO and founder of the Women’s Business Development Council, is the recipient of the organization’s 2021 Beacon Award for her outstanding efforts for almost 25 years as the voice for women entrepreneurs throughout the state.
Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and First Selectman Rob Brule on Wednesday visited local business owner Ivy Mellow, a recent recipient of an estimated $9,000 grant from the Women's Business Development Center's Equity Match Grant Program.
If you’re a woman whose career has taken a detour in the pandemic, you’re not alone. In fact, experts worry a so-called “Shecession" could set women back years. However, there are things being done to keep that from happening.
Fran Pastore, CEO of WBDC, spoke recently to the Westchester & Fairfield County Business Journals about the impact of women-owned businesses.
March and April are big months in the ongoing effort for women’s rights. In March, we took time to recognize generations of women innovators and advocates as we celebrated Women’s History Month as a nation.
The coronavirus pandemic upended our lives in every possible way over the past 12 months, impacting how we learn, live and work. It is a powerful reminder of the fragility of health and the immeasurable importance of family. The public health crisis has highlighted the need for workers to have access to family leave.
The Women's Business Development Council of Southeastern Connecticut is awarded the National Women's Business Center of the Year Award 2020 by the U.S. Small Business Administration for its impactful record as a leading SBA Women’s Business Center, championing the economic equity of women.
The Women’s Business Development Council was planning before the coronavirus crisis to expand a microgrant program to support women-owned small businesses throughout Connecticut.
The Women’s Business Development Council provided Milford area residents an opportunity recently to meet industry experts who offered one-on-one speed counseling and advice.
The Women's Business Development Council recently hosted its fifth annual "Women-Owned Business Day" at the state Capitol, sponsored by The Hartford. The event drew nearly 200 Connecticut women business owners.
Despite progress over the past several years, women business owners in Connecticut sill cite access to capital as the single biggest barrier to opening their own company. The data comes from a new survey sponsored by the Stamford-based Women’s Business Development Council, representing responses from 458 individuals, most of whom are women business owners.
The Women’s Business Development Council released the results of its first State of Women-Owned Business in CT survey. Fran Pastore, CEO of the Stamford-based WBDC, said the survey revealed some shocking numbers on the challenges, past and present, faced by women business owners.
For many Connecticut small-business owners, access to financing is not a concern going into a new year.
Fairfield business owner Melissa Squeo was recently recognized by the Women’s Business Development Council, founded in 1997.
On Wednesday evening, the League of Women Voters of Greenwich held an event at the Innis Arden Golf Club in Old Greenwich.
As a young cashier working at a bakery, Alyssa DeMatteo never imagined the day would come where she would own her own business.
Women-owned businesses ceded economic heft in Connecticut in the past year, according to a new study, though the state again saw an increase in the number of companies created or acquired by female entrepreneurs.
Nancy Coffey, CEO of KTT Enterprises, has built one the largest women-owned manufacturing businesses in Connecticut.
Three Norwalk women recently received awards from The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC).
Woodbury business owner Sue Martovich was recently recognized by the Women’s Business Development Council at its 20th Anniversary Luncheon Gala.
Carline Dean, the owner of Lace Affaire, was awarded The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) “20 for 20 Award."
Greenwich Library has recently partnered with a number of women’s business groups to host programming, including the newly launched Woman Owned Greenwich and the longtime Women's Business Development Council.
“The lending environment has changed dramatically, especially for small businesses,” reports Fran Pastore, president of the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) in Stamford.
With more than 650 people at a Friday event in Greenwich, the Women’s Business Development Council marked its 20th anniversary under CEO Fran Pastore.
Women's Business Development Council Chief Executive Officer, Fran Pastore, spoke during a council event kicking-off its Greenwich pilot program at Greenwich Library.
For the rest of the year, the Women’s Business Development Council will run a pilot program in Greenwich.
"I think that women's economic equity is the last piece of unfinished business for women in our country," Pastore said.
Twenty years ago, Fran Pastore saw a need — and an opportunity.
As with so many Connecticut businesspeople these days, Fran Pastore is holding her breath waiting for a state budget to be finalized.
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