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June 15th 2005
Discussion and working lunch with policy makers in DC at the Small Business Administration (SBA) Head Quarters with their Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO)

First Speaker: Wilma Goldstein

OWBO promotes the growth of women-owned businesses through programs that address business training and technical assistance, and provide access to credit and capital, federal contracts, and international trade opportunities. There is a women's business ownership representative in every SBA district office, a nationwide network of mentoring roundtables, women's business centers in nearly every state and territory, women-owned venture capital companies, and the Online Women's Business Center, OWBO is helping unprecedented numbers of women start and build successful businesses
At every stage of developing and expanding a successful business, the Office of Women's Business Ownership is here to counsel, teach, encourage and inspire.

OWBO provides women-focused training, counseling and mentoring at every level of entrepreneurial development, from novice to seasoned entrepreneur, through representatives in the SBA district offices and nationwide networks of women’s business centers and mentoring roundtables. We also provide online training, counseling and mentoring, as well as a wealth of links to relevant resources, available from the Online Women’s Business Center

Wilma manages a 12.5 million women’s business centre program and also overseas the nationwide women’s network for entrepreneurial training.

For more information contact: www.sba.gov/ed/wbo/index.html
Wilma Goldstein- Small Business Administration (SBA)

 
Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP)

Second Speaker: Anne Sullivan

Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) is a national bi-partisan public policy organization representing more than 505,000 women in business and women business owners nationwide.
When you join WIPP, you join 505,000 women business owners and women in business who understand the importance of public policy and the fact that it has a direct impact on running and expanding their businesses. Decisions are made daily in Congress and the Administration that affect your bottom line. WIPP works, in a bi-partisan fashion, to make sure that the voice of women businesses owners is represented at the table where these decisions are being made.

Key points made by Anne:

- Having the numbers is powerful – work with like minded organizations
- Co-opting is key – no one organization will make an impact
- Advocacy and having an organized strategy
- Hire a professional lobbyist – this is the most powerful way to make an impact
- Continually form relationships
- Keep constantly updating with contacts
- Working at grass-roots level is unorganized if you are to make an impact you need to have a focus:
o Have a target
o Know your opponents
o Ascertain who is out there to help
For more information contact:  www.wipp.org 
Joseph P Loddo  -  local Small Business Administration (SBA)
 
Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC)

Speaker: Ann Maries Almeida, President & CEO

AWBC is the national not for profits organization representing women’s business centers and women business owners. Founded in 1998, the AWBC supports entrepreneurial development among women as a way to achieve economic self sufficiency, create wealth and participate in economic development through education, training, mentoring, and business development ad financing opportunities.
 
For more information contact: www.womensbusinesscenters.org 
Ann Maries Almeida  - Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC)
The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)

Speaker: Amanda K Perl, Director

NAWBO is the only US-based national organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs in all industries. It currently has over 8,000 members in nearly 80 chapters nationwide, and is the US affiliate of FCEM (Les Femmes Chefs d’Enterprises Mondiales, or the World Association of Women Entrepreneurs)
NAWBO propels women entrepreneurs into economic, social, and political spheres of power worldwide. For more than 25 years, members have benefited from NAWBO's growing network, public policy advocacy, and powerful business resources.
NAWBO NOVA's Mission:
To provide benefits to our members in the following key areas: Business Development and Resources, Education, Visibility, and Advocacy.
For more information contact: www.nawbonova.org/
Amanda K Perl -  The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)
 
Northern Virginia Community Business Partnership Center will host the meeting at their facilities and will feature some of their partners such as:
the local Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

Presentations by:
Kathy Wheeler, President, CEO
Barbara Wrigley, Executive Director
Dr Patricia Peacok, Director
Pauline Leitch, Director
B.P Walker, M.D Director
Karen Maples, Chapter President
Sheina Waddel, President, Waddell Entertainmant Consultants, LLC
Patricia Sands, President, Spill-Guard, LLC


The Women's Business Center of Northern Virginia was funded to help any woman in the Northern Virginia area who is interested in starting or expanding her small business.

They offer free and low-cost training programs, free one on one technical counseling, marketing assistance, access to those who can make loans, help in getting special certifications to do business with local, state and federal government, a resource library, computers and Internet access.

The Community Business Partnership opened a new Business Incubation Center in February 2004. Four 100 sq ft offices are available for businesses who have outgrown their home offices, but are not quite ready for commercial space. Businesses must be six months old, submit a business plan and have sufficient cash flow to be considered for the Center. Benefits include a furnished office, 24/7 access, a top-of-the-line computer system, local area network with T1 Connectivity, access to professional consultants, and much more. Contact Barbara Wrigley at bwrigley@wbcnova.org for more information.

Services include:
Training
One- to – one training
Computer and internet access
Resources and referral network
Networking
Marketing

Success stories:
Sheina Waddell, President
Waddell Entertainment Consultants, LLC
Sheina is very experienced within the entertainment business and last year she decided to start her own business organizing events and concerts

PATRICIA SANDS - SPILL-GUARD LLC
Helping to care for her father, who suffered from a stroke, Patricia Sands experienced the difficulty of caring for a bedridden loved one. It was during this time that she conceived of a product – a spill-proof male urinal – that could make both nursing care and the patient’s experience less difficult. She arrived at the Women’s Business Center of Northern Virginia with a viable idea, a patent and a desire to learn how to make this product succeed in the business world. A year later, the Spill-Guard has received glowing industry reviews and is poised to burst into the nursing care world,
proving that a business can have a major social impact and also be a financial success.
 
For more information contact: www.wbcnova.org
 Kathy Wheeler - Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC)
World Bank for ICSB Welcome Reception

ICSB...Committed To A Better Worldwide Understanding of the Smaller Business Enterprise

The International Council is a non-profit organization devoted to continuing management education for entrepreneurs and small business. The Council was founded on the belief that enlightened small business management is necessary for successful profitable small business, that successful small businesses are essential to our national economies, and that entrepreneurship needs to be fostered to stimulate a dynamic and growing economic system.
USASBE

The mission of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship is to advance knowledge and foster business development through entrepreneurship education and research.

USASBE is interdisciplinary, cross-functional and globally connected (as an affiliate of the International Council for Small Business).
USASBE is the premier network for entrepreneurship educators at all student levels, for professional practitioners, for entrepreneurship researchers, and for government policy makers.

USASBE offers cutting-edge programs for entrepreneurship education and encourages research that has practical application."
 
 
 
Study Tour Images 15th June


 
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