EmPWR Program

Reimagine your business in a post-COVID-19 world.

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The Equity & Prosperity for Women Reimagining Their Businesses (EmPWR) is a special 12 month funding initiative (services under this program are available until April 30, 2021) from the U.S. SBA Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWB) to address the needs and opportunities of inclusive business owners post-COVID-19. The focus of this initiative is to support, inspire, and enable women businesses to reimagine their businesses to not only survive COVID-19 but to thrive and prosper by:

1. inspiring and building their organizational/personal innovative capacity;
2. reimagining their business models;
3. encouraging business resiliency;
4. offering the right tools and resources to advance their business ideas and to create more sustainable and viable ventures for Indiana’s economy.

This Initiative is available to Hoosiers living in any of the 83 counties served in Indiana. Counties ineligible for services are those served by Indiana’s other women’s business center – The Central Indiana Women’s Business Center.

Due to generous funding from the U.S. SBA OWBO, there is little to no cost to you to participate in the program. However, some very specialized services have limited funding and limited cohort sizes; therefore, they are offered on a first come, first served basis.

If you are a Hoosier business builder needing encouragement, support or targeted services to reimagine your business opportunities or a boost in resetting your business model, EmPWR may be right for you. Find out more by applying today for our services.

What do we offer?

The Reimagination Center offers the following business building services to startups, emerging growth and established ventures located in the 83 county service area within the State of Indiana:

	Coaching Clinic Ask an expert – get answers to your questions and be directed to outside resources through a curated NIIC Community.
	NIIC Navigator The NIIC Navigator is a custom toolset in NIIC’s virtual business resource center with a highly curated expert course listing of special webinars on supply chain, healthy workplace, failure, risk management, insurance and cybersecurity.  Coming soon!
	Microlending Capital access through an online crowdfunding platform (KivaHub)  Coming in August!
	Failing Well Sharing failures for Learning Studio. Note: limited space available.
	Innovator Mindset Assessment and coaching to determine your readiness and opportunities for personal innovation and to measure your personal innovativeness. Note: limited licenses available.
	Innovation Moshpit Where ideas meet the market. Note: limited space available.
	Business Planning Access to online business planning resources. Note:  limited licenses available.
	KARE Cohorts Find the ideal client profiles and behaviors by accelerating smart sales strategies. Note:  limited space available.

Service Offerings

• One to one tele-coaching sessions
• Innovator Mindset Assessment Tool
• Referrals to resource providers and subject matter experts
• Access to micro-lending capital through the Kiva Hub and the NIIC Crowdfunding Hub (coming in August)
• NIIC Navigator online training and support
• Virtual cohort and group sessions via Stormz and other online platforms
• Supply Chain Industry Field Trips
• Translators (to assist business builders in taking webinars or in coaching sessions where English is a second language)

Next Steps

• Click here to contact us if you would like to learn more.
• Apply today if you would like to get started!

Affiliations

• NIIC/WEOC EmPWR is funded by a special twelve-month grant from the U.S. SBA Office of Women Business Ownership (OWBO)
• Greg Fraley Innovation (GFi)
• Innovator Mindset Assessment
• Crowdfund Better

SUPPORTING LINKS

• Apply for Support