- 303 Haggar College Center
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556
(574) 284-4579 - Director of Media Relations
Gwen O'Brien
gobrien@saintmarys.edu
Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative is in Business
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative Underway at Saint Mary's College
—April Seminar Planned for Business-Minded Women—
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Ind.
(574) 284-4579
March 19, 2010—America is emerging from its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. But even in the midst of the fallout, “The American Dream” is alive and well: People still dream of having their own businesses. While some local businesses have folded, others are expanding or just starting up. In October 2009, Saint Mary's College received a $245,000 Small Business Administration grant to support women’s entrepreneurship in the South Bend area. Now, the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI) is up and running, and local business owners are already benefiting.
WEI, developed by the College’s Department of Business Administration and Economics (BUEC) and the Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership (CWIL), moved into full gear this semester:
o Martha Smith, a local entrepreneur and owner of two successful businesses, joined the College in January as WEI’s project director.
o Susan Vance, WEI’s senior project director and professor of business law and accounting, debuted Small Business Consulting, a course where fourth year students serve as consultants to a handful of local women-owned businesses.
o WEI plans a half-day seminar in April for the public called “Personal Financial Strategies for Business-Minded Women.”
“Saint Mary’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative is here to partner with community businesses, non-profits and organizations to provide financial and business education services to women entrepreneurs,” Vance says. “Most people in the South Bend community probably haven’t heard of WEI yet, and we welcome the community to the April seminar as a way to learn more about it. Whether you’re an established business owner or just getting started, the speakers at this event will offer insights on how to grow your personal and professional future.”
The “Personal Financial Strategies for Business-Minded Women” seminar will be held on April 9 from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. in Vander Vennet Theatre in the Student Center at Saint Mary's College. There is a $5 registration fee ($10 with lunch). The event is free for Saint Mary's College students, faculty and staff, but please let Smith know if you plan to attend. You may reach her at (574) 284-5262 or email her.
“Our vision is that WEI will offer women business owners a ‘home’ to discuss with each other issues important to them in a safe, confidential setting,” Vance explained. “It's lonely at the top and often these women have no one to discuss the very real issues they face in their businesses on a day-to-day basis. Relationship building is important to all business owners who are interested in growing their businesses. Providing women business owners an opportunity to develop strong relationships with each other is a ‘win-win’ for everyone.”
There are several other WEI initiatives in the works, like providing women- and minority-owned business certification training. Such certifications can open doors for small business owners when bidding on government and corporate contracts. WEI is also exploring ways to provide entrepreneurial outreach to veterans and to the local Hispanic/Latina community. If you would like WEI to email you with news of its upcoming events, email WEI.
About the Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership (CWIL): Saint Mary's College, rooted in its history of pioneering change, its position within the Catholic tradition and its commitment to ecumenical and interfaith dialogue, established the Center for Women's Intercultural Leadership in 2000 with the generous support of the Lilly Endowment, Inc. CWIL advances the College's mission of “preparing students to make a difference in the world” by empowering women to realize their call to leadership and to develop the intercultural knowledge and competence critical in today’s increasingly interdependent world.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. Saint Mary’s College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary's College ranks among the nation's top 100 liberal arts colleges in U.S. News & World Report's 2010 annual survey. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
