Women's Enterprise Development Center Inc.
Empowering Entrepreneurs, Strengthening Our Economy
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
There is a great need to support women and minority business owners, particularly low-income individuals, to help them overcome the barriers and challenges they face in starting and succeeding with their small businesses. As is well documented, self-employment through entrepreneurship provides low-income individuals with the opportunity to step out of poverty or to supplement low-wages earned in the job market, and to become self-sufficient. However, even with women-owned businesses on the rise, women entrepreneurs continue to experience more challenges and barriers than their male counterparts, including difficulty accessing capital, lack of business specific training and confidence, as well as limited access to mentors or advisors. The enormous potential of women-owned businesses is not being matched by the kinds of policies and investment that would facilitate their growth and level the playing field for women so that they can achieve economic equality.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
60 Hour Comprehensive Entrepreneurial Training Program
Participants learn "what it takes" to be a successful entrepreneur. Topics include business structure and management, marketing, social media, technology, accounting, financial statements, budgets, insurance, communications, and presentation skills. Students prepare detailed and professional business plans and present them to an executive panel that includes representatives from the business and banking sectors. At completion they receive a certificate. Classes offered in Spanish and English.
One-on-One Business & Loan Counseling
WEDC provides free counseling sessions to business owners to address challenges with the business as well as accessing capital. Counseling topics include marketing, business structures, financial statements, cash flow, financing, and operations. Offered in English and Spanish.
Workshops & Webinars
Workshops and webinars are offered throughout the year to support both start-up and existing business owners to sustain and grow their businesses. Offered in English and Spanish.
Networking Opportunities
WEDC provides numerous opportunities throughout the year for women business owners to network, build their contact base, and cultivate their relationships. Those opportunities occur at our workshops, graduate reunions and our annual Networking Event at which we recognize a woman business owner who has given back to the community with the Lillian Vernon Award.
Where we work
Awards
Award for Excellence 2012
Empire State Development - Entrepreneurial Assistance Program
External reviews
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our organization aims to address the need for support and training for low-to-moderate income women and minorities seeking to start and strengthen their businesses.
WEDC's goal is to open the door to business ownership for low-to-moderate income women and minorities in Westchester and the Hudson Valley, and to help them create profitable businesses to support themselves and their families and to contribute to the economic vitality of the communities and benefit us all.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
WEDC can empower entrepreneurs to build successful businesses by providing high quality training programs, advisory services, access to capital and mentoring opportunities.
These programs and services include (1) Individual Assessment of potential participants to determine readiness for business owners, (2) Path to Entrepreneurship classes, (3) WEDC's core comprehensive 60 Hour Entrepreneurial Program, which leads to the completion of a written business plan, (4) Advanced Training Programs with topics such as marketing, finance, micromanufacturing and business strategy, and (5) networking events and mentoring programs.
WEDC’s programs and services are set up to offer our clients with ongoing support and training not only as they start their businesses but also as they grow their businesses and aim to take them to the next level. Our goal is for our clients to start and strengthen their businesses and to succeed.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
WEDC has been offering high impact entrepreneurial training programs and services since 1997. Anne Janiak, CEO, has been with the organization since its founding, and has extensive background in non-profit management, women's entrepreneurship and public policy issues. All of WEDC's programs and services are administered by experienced staff who have strong backgrounds in small business program development and business counseling. In addition, experienced volunteers and paid consultants teach our workshops and classes, including bankers who cover topics such as accessing capital, as well as MWBE experts. With our move to larger offices in the summer of 2017, we now have the capability to provide expanded on-site training and educational workshops in our new Education and Training Center. More and more, women business owners look to WEDC as the go to “Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship” when seeking training, counseling, certifications, capital and networking opportunities.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
As we are in our 21st year (2018), WEDC has assisted almost 8,000 businesses to date. In 2017 alone, WEDC served more than 1,000 new clients, provided business counseling to 450 clients, and helped obtain more than $400,000 in financing for new business owners. We hope to serve an even greater number of clients this year, and to offer more Advanced Training programs for established businesses, as our clients need ongoing and in-depth business training. Women entrepreneurs often list the lack of available mentors or advisors as a main challenge they face when it comes to succeeding in business. For this reason, we also hope to build out a structured volunteer mentoring program for our clients, that will supplement the current mentoring opportunities and events our organization offers.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Women's Enterprise Development Center Inc.
Board of directorsas of 11/20/2018
Ms. Barbara Van Bergen
PKF O'Connor Davies, LLP
Barbara H. Van Bergen
PFK O'Connor Davies, LLP
Rita Ramirez
Mastercard
Stephen Chase
Jacqueline J. Warner, Esq.
Law Offices of Jacqueline Warner
Edward A. Morgan
Law Offices of Edward A. Morgan
Karen A. Campbell, CFP, CRPC
Merrill Lynch
Francine M. Goldstein
Financial Consultant
Millie Hernandez-Becker
Skyqueen Enterprises
Nancy Kessler
Memoirs Plus
Carolyn Mandelker
Harrison Edwards
Toni Ann Rufeh
Rufeh Associates
Ginger Siegel
Mastercard
Jacqueline Schinnerer
Wells Fargo
Joan Wiener
Community Activist
Hon. Cecile D. Singer
Cecile D. Singer Consulting
Shirley Phillips
Former VP at Westchester Community College
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No