HARTFORD, Conn. — The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) will bring Connecticut women entrepreneurs, business leaders, and elected officials together for the organization’s 12th Women-Owned Business Day on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. The event is free to attend; advanced registration is required.
The signature event for Connecticut’s women entrepreneurs creates space for women business owners to connect directly with policymakers, share real-world challenges and opportunities facing women-owned small businesses, and celebrate the impact women entrepreneurs have across Connecticut.
The event will be hosted with legislative co-chairs State Senator Patricia Billie Miller (Deputy President Pro Tempore) and State Senator Heather Somers (Senior Deputy Republican Leader). Gilda Bonanno, Principal of Gilda Bonanno LLC, will serve as emcee, and WBDC CEO Fran Pastore will deliver opening remarks. A number of state leaders, including Governor Ned Lamont and Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, have been invited to participate in the event.
A centerpiece of the program is the WBDC Accelerate Pitch Competition, in which finalists compete for one of four $25,000 grants to fuel business growth. Brenda Thickett, WBDC Chief Operating Officer, will provide an overview of Accelerate, and each finalist will conduct a brief presentation to demonstrate how the Accelerate grant will impact their business. The finalists will be announced in March, and WBDC will share details about the participants in the weeks ahead.
Also included will be a fireside chat on civic engagement between WBDC Chief Executive Officer Fran Pastore and Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas.
Women-Owned Business Day 2026 is supported by Champion Sponsors The Cigna Group and Liberty Bank.
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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