Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Small Business Services Commissioner Gregg Bishop announced on December 14, 2016 that nearly 1,500 women have been reached through the City’s WE NYC program, a new program connecting women entrepreneurs with the resources and support they need to build a thriving business.
In addition to reaching nearly 1,500 women, WE NYC achieved the following milestones:
· 256 Hours of Workshops;
· 140 Hours of Direct Mentoring;
· Launched courses on:
*Leadership
*Credit building
*Funding
*Mentorships, and
*Networking events.
WE NYC was founded on the principle that women entrepreneurs are vital to the New York City economy as they build businesses that support families, uplift communities and generate jobs. Although there are almost 360,000 women entrepreneurs in the City that have roughly $50 billion in annual revenue, men own 1.5 times the number of businesses, have 3.5 times the number of employees, and generate 4.5 times the amount of revenue. WE NYC aims to bridge this gender gap through fostering potential and empowering women entrepreneurs by helping women to start and grow their own businesses. Since its launch WE NYC has reached nearly 1,500 women and is on track to meet its goal of reaching 5,000 by the end of 2018.
WE NYC developed tailored programs based upon research and direct feedback from women entrepreneurs to better connect upcoming women entrepreneurs with the resources, education, and community they need to flourish.
Over the past year, WE NYC successfully launched ongoing workshop series that provide women with a variety of tools and resources to be successful in developing their business.
WE Master Leadership offers tips for mastering negotiation skills, crafting formal business pitches, and honing collaborative leadership skills.
WE Master Money Credit provides insight on how to improve and understand credit. Participants have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a certified financial counselor.
WE Master Money Funding teaches women about capital planning and investment options. At these workshops, participants meet with representatives from alternative lending sources.
WE Connect Mentors and WE Connect Events connect women with mentors and a network of successful entrepreneurs. Workshops include one-on-one sessions, small group sessions, and brainstorming sessions.
The WE Connect Portal was launched this year to provide women entrepreneurs access to a one-stop shop equipped with how-to guides for starting a business, access to local resources, a searchable database of professional development events, a map of women-owned businesses, a platform for interacting with mentors, and narratives from successful business owners. The WE Connect Portal can be found at https://we.nyc/.
Photo credits: Isseu Diouf Campbell
Photos of WE NYC Inaugural Class of Mentors
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