The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) is proud to announce Dr. Laura Blake as its new Program Manager, East Region. Dr. Blake will be based in WBDC’s downtown New London office to support a number of current and future projects in Eastern Connecticut.
Child Care Business Opportunity Fund is now open for a new round of applications, and child care businesses throughout Connecticut are encouraged to apply for grants of up to $25,000.
The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) is now accepting applications from women-owned businesses for its Ignite grant program — which offers grants of up to $10,000 to qualified Connecticut businesses
WBDC’s Equity Match Grant Program is now known as Ignite, a title that better describes the program’s objective — to ignite growth in Connecticut's women-owned small businesses.
The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors for 2024. Erin Kang (Chief Underwriting Officer, Regional and Specialty at Gen Re), Nichelle Waddell (Owner at Watch Me Grow Daycare and Preschool), and Michael Weinstock (Regional President, Hartford at M&T Bank).
The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) visited a pair of local women entrepreneurs in the City of Groton on Wednesday, November 15. Both Angelique Cyriaque of Angelique Aesthetics and Adrienne Kneeland of Curls by Adrienne were recently awarded a grant through the WBDC Launch Pad Grant Program. Senator Heather Somers and Cierra Patrick, Economic Development Manager for the City of Groton, City leaders and local elected officials joined representatives from WBDC and Wells Fargo, a lead funder of the program, to recognize these local small business owners.
The Women’s Business Development Council recognized and honored women entrepreneurs throughout Connecticut at the 2023 Women Rising Gala and Awards Celebration on Friday at the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich.
The Women’s Business Development Council officially opened the doors to its brand-new office in downtown Waterbury on Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring many prominent government officials and community leaders, including Senator Joan Hartley, Representative Ron Napoli, Representative Geraldo Reyes, Board of Aldermen President Paul Pernerewski, Alderwoman Kelly Zimmerman, SBA Deputy District Director Moraima Gutierrez, and others.
The gala will recognize several business leaders and entrepreneurs, presenting awards to a pair of Impact Award honorees, the Patricia Billie Miller Award for Outstanding Community Service, and several Women Rising Award recipients.
The gala will recognize several business leaders and entrepreneurs, presenting awards to a pair of Impact Award honorees, the Patricia Billie Miller Award for Outstanding Community Service, and several Women Rising Award recipients.
The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) is announcing the additions of Joy Braddock and Annya White-Brown to its team of Business Advisors. Specifically, Braddock will serve as Torrington Business Advisor, focusing on supporting emerging and existing business owners in Torrington, as well as other areas; and White-Brown, as Marketing Business Advisor, will use her own experience to guide Connecticut women entrepreneurs looking to expand their business through marketing.
The Women’s Business Development Council’s Child Care Business Support Program and Opportunity Fund is now open for a new round of applications and child care businesses in Connecticut are encouraged to apply for grants of up to $25,000. The innovative grant program, supported by a partnership with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC), will accept applications through September 27.
In August, the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) will once again be accepting applications for both its Equity Match Grant Program and its Child Care Business Opportunity Fund. The Equity Match Grant Program is made possible through the support of multiple corporate, foundation, and private funders, and the CT Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). The Child Care Business Opportunity Fund is supported by partnering with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC).
The Women’s Business Development Council is pleased to announce Katrina M. Adams as the keynote speaker at its 2023 Women Rising Gala and Awards Celebration on October 27 at the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich. Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz will serve as the event’s honorary chair.
The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) is announcing the launch of a pair of grant programs aimed to give a boost to established small businesses based in the cities of Waterbury and Torrington. The programs are being offered through partnerships with the City of Waterbury and the City of Torrington, and make grants of up to $10,000 available to eligible businesses in each city. The programs each launched on June 21.
The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) is announcing the hiring of Ronae Mason-Craig as Outreach Coordinator for its new office location in Waterbury — scheduled to open later this year. In this role, she will be responsible for expanding WBDC’s reach in the Waterbury area.
The Women’s Business Development Council is encouraging child care businesses in Connecticut to apply for grant funding through the WBDC Child Care Business Support Program and Opportunity Fund. The program is supported by a partnership between WBDC and the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) and offers grants of up to $25,000 to qualified child care businesses.
More than 300 registrants from 79 Connecticut cities and towns registered to celebrate Women-Owned Business Day on April 26. Women-Owned Business Day is WBDC’s signature event to honor and promote Connecticut’s robust community of women entrepreneurs and to connect them with members of the state’s leadership, 125 of whom joined the event’s Host Committee to show their support of women-owned businesses.
The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) is announcing a pair of recent new hires, bolstering a strong team of professionals available to support Connecticut’s women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs.
The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) was honored to receive the 2023 Outstanding Business Supporter of Arts & Culture at the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT Annual Meeting & ECTy Celebration. The Southeastern Connecticut Cultural Coalition presented the award in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut at the March 30 event held at Foxwoods Resort Casino.
Four New London businesses have been selected by the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) to receive a combined $40,000 in the latest round of awards for the New London/WBDC Small Business Grant Program. The program, launched in October through a partnership between the City of New London and WBDC, makes available grants of up to $10,000 to eligible New London-based businesses.
The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) has announced several new additions to the organization. WBDC is welcoming four new members of the organization’s Board of Directors — Laura Davis, Sonia Hounsell, Monica Moore, and Sarah Watson. In addition, Johanna Bloom has been hired to serve as a Marketing Business Advisor, where she will work with clients to develop marketing strategies and tactics to drive business goals.
Applications are now being accepted for a new round of the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) Equity Match Grant Program. The program offers grants of up to $10,000 to qualified women-owned small businesses in Connecticut, and since its launch in 2020 has awarded grants to 167 businesses, totaling $1.5 million, and counting.
Governor Ned Lamont recently announced the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) will be awarded $9.8 million in grant funding, distributed over a five-year period, through a business support initiative administered by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). In total, the DECD program is providing $46.6 million in funding to ten local nonprofit economic development organizations across the state.
The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) officially opened the doors to its brand new office in downtown New London (61 Bank St.) with the announcement of a grant program offered in partnership with the City of New London. The New London/WBDC Small Business Grant Program makes available grants of between $2,500 and $10,000 to eligible New London-based businesses.
The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) is hosting a pop-up shopping event in Stamford on October 20, providing an opportunity for residents of Stamford and its surrounding towns an opportunity to support local women-owned businesses.
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. The event will feature an awards ceremony recognizing several individuals and entrepreneurs from throughout Connecticut for their contributions to women’s economic empowerment.
A partnership between the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) and the CT Office of Early Childhood (OEC) began in 2020 to support child care businesses through the WBDC Child Care Business Support Program and Opportunity Fund. In its first two years, the program — powered by this first-of-its-kind partnership — has distributed 366 grants to 219 child care businesses, totaling $4.19 million in funding to Connecticut’s child care providers — an industry devastated by the pandemic.
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.
The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) is pleased to announce the hiring of five new staffers, including three new business advisors specifically committed to supporting home- and center-based child care businesses in Connecticut. The child care industry has been particularly hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many providers closing their doors due to factors such as severe revenue losses, increased health compliance costs, and staffing shortages. This situation has wider ramifications for the economy as a whole, as a lack of available child care has forced millions of parents — primarily working women — to pause or stop their careers to care for young children.
Applications are now being accepted for a new round of an innovative grant program administered by the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC). Since the program’s launch in 2020, WBDC’s Equity Match Grant program — which offers grants of up to $10,000 to qualified women-owned small businesses in Connecticut — has awarded grants to 129 businesses, totaling $1.2 million, and counting.
The Women’s Business Development Center’s (WBDC) Central Connecticut Regional office has been named Women’s Business Center of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
In honor of the 8th WBDC Women-Owned Business Day, the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) will host a virtual event Thursday, April 21, 2022, celebrating 25 years of igniting ideas and empowering women.
Leyla Dam is just one proprietor of a women-owned enterprise in Connecticut who was able to pivot, survive, and then thrive during the pandemic — largely through the support of an innovative grant program administered by the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC). Since the program’s launch in 2020, WBDC’s Equity Match Grant program — which offers grants of up to $10,000 to qualified women-owned small businesses in Connecticut — has awarded grants to 98 businesses, and counting.
A program designed to support, sustain, and grow child care businesses in Connecticut — an industry devastated by the pandemic — has shown in its first two years to not only have affected economic growth and job creation in that industry, but has also yielded positive outcomes for many of the state’s child care providers. The program is accepting new grant applications between March 23 and April 12.
The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) is pleased to announce that five new members have been appointed to its board of directors.
Women’s Business Development Council Grant Program Application Period Opens January 17; Program Receives Investment from JPMorgan Chase.
The Women’s Business Development Council’s (WBDC) Equity Match Grant Program for women-owned businesses in Connecticut is now accepting applications. Applications will be accepted online at ctwbdc.org through Sept.28.
WBDC has added four high-impact business professionals to its Board of Directors to provide direction and drive valuable resources to women-owned businesses throughout the state.
WBDC is awarding nearly $400,000 in grants to women-owned businesses in Connecticut. These grants are the second round of awards through WBDC’s Equity Match Grant Program, an initiative that has already aided 56 local businesses since December 2020.
WBDC has added four high-impact business professionals to its Board of Directors to provide direction and drive valuable resources to women-owned businesses throughout the state.
After a successful six-month pilot program, the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) received second-phase funding to continue its Blue Stream program, a customized training program for military spouses and entrepreneurs relocating to Connecticut.
The Women’s Business Development Council, a not-for-profit providing the training, education and borrowing power necessary for women to launch and grow their own businesses, has teamed up with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) to provide emergency relief grants of up to $20,000 to qualified child care providers in Connecticut.
The Women’s Business Development Council, a not-for-profit providing the training, education and borrowing power necessary for women to launch and grow their own businesses, is currently providing resources and support to women-owned businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Women’s Business Development Council, a not-for-profit providing the training, education and borrowing power necessary for women to launch and grow their own businesses, recently announced the appointment of Gail Lehman, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Hexcel Corporation, as a new member of their Board of Directors.
The Women’s Business Development Council, a not-for-profit providing the training, education and borrowing power necessary for women to launch and grow their own businesses, recently announced the appointment of Gail Lehman, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Hexcel Corporation, as a new member of their Board of Directors.
The Women’s Business Development Council, a not-for-profit providing the training, education and borrowing power necessary for women to launch and grow their own businesses, recently announced the appointment of Leanne Shofi, Special Counsel in the Litigation Group at Cuddy & Feder, as a new member of its Board of Directors.
The Women’s Business Development Council, a not-for-profit providing the training, education and borrowing power necessary for women to launch and grow their own businesses, recently announced the appointment of Vanessa Abrahams-John, Executive Director of Global Diversity and Inclusion for Praxair, Inc, as a new member of its Board of Directors.
At the Women's Business Development Council's 5th Annual Women-Owned Business Day at the State Capitol, Fran Pastore, CEO of the Women’s Business Development Council released the results of the organization’s recent survey on the state of women-owned businesses in Connecticut. The survey results represent responses from 458 individuals, most of whom are women business owners.
The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC), the largest not-for-profit organization in Connecticut dedicated to women’s economic equity, will host the 5th Annual Women-Owned Business Day at the State Capital sponsored by The Hartford. All are invited to the free event on Wednesday, May 2nd from 9:15 a.m. to noon at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.
The Women’s Business Development Council and the National Organization of Italian-American Women Connecticut Region in conjunction with the Ferguson Library invite the public to meet CNN New Day Co-Anchor, Author and Connecticut resident Alisyn Camerota on Tuesday, December 12 from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Ferguson Library, One Public Library Plaza in Stamford.
The Women’s Business Development Council and the National Organization of Italian-American Women Connecticut Region in conjunction with the Ferguson Library invite the public to meet CNN New Day Co-Anchor, Author and Connecticut resident Alisyn Camerota on Tuesday, December 12 from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Ferguson Library, One Public Library Plaza in Stamford.
The Women’s Business Development Council will host its 20th Anniversary Gala Luncheon on Friday, October 20th at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich, 1800 East Putnam Avenue, Old Greenwich. The event will begin at 11:00 a.m. with networking followed by lunch and an awards program at noon.
On Thursday, October 24, 2013, at 7:30am at the Stamford Marriott, the Women's Business Development Council (WBDC) will celebrate the passage of HR 50/50, the historic federal law that made it possible for women to access capital for commercial purposes without having a male relative co-sign a loan.