News Category: Women’s Economic Opportunity Center
01.26.22
Watch: More with Rosalina Perez and Q1 Events at the WEOC WBC
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – The next few months there are a slew of events scheduled at WEOC to help business owners start the year off right!
See the video on WPTA21’s website
01.26.22
Watch: WEOC WBC Introduces Rosalina Perez on Insights
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – There’s a new program at WEOC to help those dealing with issues from the pandemic!
See the video on WPTA21’s website
12.30.21
The NIIC Moves Signature Event Date to May 12, 2022, Announces Upcoming Webinars for Small Businesses
For immediate release
December 30, 2021, Fort Wayne, Ind.— The NIIC moved the Dr. Daryl Yost Ideas@Work Event https://niic.net/ideasatwork/ date to May 12, 2022. “We have all endured much during the pandemic. It is important to us at The NIIC to maintain the integrity of our signature event creation—how our community shines brightest through it. That is through in-person interactions. So, we decided it is best to have the event a bit later than planned,” said Mike Fritsch, NIIC President and CEO.
The annual Ideas@Work Event was designed to be an in-person event. It provides a way to honor business owners, celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit in Northeast Indiana, and offers an opportunity for individuals to connect personally. It features a phenomenal keynote speaker to inform and inspire event participants.
Keynote Speaker James (Jay) A. Bailey, President and CEO, the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE), located in Atlanta, Georgia, will share the message Inspiring through the Exponential Power of Inclusive Prosperity: Advancing Black Entrepreneurs. “I’m excited to share life-changing insights and true examples of how founders can always position themselves to win, no matter what stage, challenge, or situation they face,” said Bailey. He is a change agent, thought leader, entrepreneur, and emerging philanthropist. Register or sponsor through the Ideas@Work website page. https://niic.net/ideasatwork/
Webinars kick off the New Year.
What better way to start the New Year than upskilling, learning and honing professional skills to succeed? The NIIC invites small business owners and the public to participate in the following webinars. Learn more and register for each here. https://niic.net/our-events/
5G: What is it, and why does it matter?, January 11, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
The NIIC Connected Health Lab and Verizon host this webinar with Presenter Sanjay Udani, Technologist and Vice President for Public Policy at Verizon. “5G is being deployed globally and has created a lot of excitement across every industry, from self-driving cars to factories and healthcare. The possibilities of this advanced network are endless, and the challenges are also significant,” said Udani.
You to Full Potential—Mindset Reset, January 13, 8:30-10:00 a.m.
WEOC Women’s Business Center (WBC) and SCORE Northeast Indiana host this webinar with Trainer Lori Zacharias, Owner, You to Full Potential (U2FP). Zacharias will lead participants to discover how to better travel through their lives, get focused on the life they want to live, identify the route to take and keep motivated along the way.
Recognizing and Supporting Yourself and Employees Struggling with Substance Dependency, January 26, 9:00-10:30 a.m.
WEOC Women’s Business Center (WBC) and SCORE Northeast Indiana host this webinar with Trainer Mental Health America.
Since 2020, there has been an increase in alcohol and drug use among Americans. Those experiencing anxiety are 41% more likely to misuse and become dependent upon substances. Considering business owners experience a high level of anxiety and typically manage two or more psychological imbalances at a time, we are prone to substance use as a coping mechanism. Our employees are also stressed from life and work, which is why we see 68.9% of the estimated 22.4 million illicit drug users are employed full or part-time.
Webinar participants will learn how to recognize the signs of substance abuse, receive guidelines for supporting themselves and employees from recognition through sobriety, and discover resources for in-the-moment needs.
Succession Planning: Raw Stories of Business Inheritance and Sales, February 3, 8:00-9:30 a.m.
WEOC WBC and The NIIC host this webinar with Trainer SYM Financial Advising.
Many family-owned businesses are passed on to the next generation of family members. This used to be done with a signed, hand-written note or changing the owner’s name. We now know more is involved, like establishing a solid retirement for the original owner and setting the new owner up for success.
Webinar participants will learn from second-generation business owners’ real-life stories about navigating family dynamics during and after the sale, plus so much more.
About The NIIC
499 new products launched, 196 patent applications submitted or granted, and 2,351 jobs created—that is what entrepreneurs have achieved through The NIIC since its inception two decades ago. The NIIC has also connected Northeast Indiana companies to $100.4 million in grants and capital.
The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community designed to advise entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and grow successful business ventures. The NIIC bolsters innovative companies to move ideas into action. The NIIC is located in a designated U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone. In April 2018, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb designated The Northeast Indiana Innovation Park Campus as an Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. Additionally, the International Business Innovation Association (inbia.org) recognized the NIIC as the 2020 Entrepreneur Center of the Year – Mixed-use and awarded it one of the two prestigious industry awards – the 2020 Dinah Adkins Award. TheNIIC.org.
11.02.21
Women’s Business Center Receives $200K from SBA
Excerpt
FORT WAYNE – The WEOC Women’s Business Center in Fort Wayne has received $200,000 from the federal government to continue its work supporting woman-owned small businesses, especially those impacted by the pandemic. The grant was one of 14 awarded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, under its Women’s Business Centers Resiliency and Recovery Demonstration Grant initiative.
“We appreciate the ongoing support of the SBA to extend our work. Last year we learned a lot about the importance of serving rural business builders in their hometown communities. This grant enables us to expand our coaching, one-to-one mentoring, and financial literacy outreach to them,” said Leslee Hill, WEOC Women’s Business Center director.
11.02.21
Northeast Indiana’s WEOC Women’s Business Center Receives Grant to Help Rural Women Business Owners
For immediate release
November 2, 2021, Fort Wayne, Ind.—The WEOC Women’s Business Center in Fort Wayne has received $200,000 from the federal government to continue its work supporting woman-owned small businesses. The U.S. Small Business Administration issued 14 one-year grant awards of up to $200,000 each to organizations in 13 states as part of the Women’s Business Centers (WBC) Resiliency and Recovery Demonstration Grant under the SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO). The purpose of the grant is to establish or continue innovative projects that aim to improve service delivery, training, and support provided to women-owned businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The growth and recovery of women-owned small businesses are essential to our nation’s economy. During the pandemic, our Women’s Business Centers have played an integral role in meeting the needs of women entrepreneurs during an especially challenging time. As resource providers, they too have been impacted by the changing business landscape and have had to pivot to meet community needs,” said Natalie Madeira Cofield, Assistant Administrator for SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership. “With this funding, we will support WBCs that have established innovative programming to increase outreach to aspiring and active women entrepreneurs nationwide. We are proud to support organizations who have deep connections to small, diverse, and rural communities across the country and who understand their unique needs.”
Leslee Hill, WEOC Women’s Business Center Director, said, “We appreciate the ongoing support of the SBA to extend our work. Last year we learned a lot about the importance of serving rural business builders in their hometown communities. This grant enables us to expand our coaching, one-to-one mentoring, and financial literacy outreach to them.
We look forward to working with the following local organizations in their communities to accomplish this: Allen County Public Library, Purdue Extension Community Development, Region 3A Development, and Regional Planning Commission, Trine Innovation 1,” said Hill.
The NIIC has grown its staff to support this grant work. Anne Marie Labenberg is the new Program Manager and has begun working directly with those local organizations to extend support and training to Northeast Indiana rural business owners. A part-time business coach/marketing coordinator will also join the team and be announced soon.
“COVID 19 has forced all of us to take a hard look at how we help entrepreneurs achieve their small business dreams,” said SBA Indiana District Director Stacey Poynter. “We’re proud that SBA funding can support creative resource partners like the WEOC Women’s Business Center at The NIIC, enabling them to create programming which inspires, teaches, and supports Indiana small business owners.”
The WBC Resiliency and Recovery Demonstration Grant program was open to the 144 existing SBA-funded WBCs. Approximately $2.7 million in total funding was available for this program. Successful respondents demonstrated innovative approaches to service delivery to address the needs of women business owners adversely affected by COVID-19. Proposals included detailed plans to continue or establish projects to improve service delivery, training, and support to women-owned businesses impacted by the pandemic. Applicants were also required to provide counseling, technical and financial skill development, comprehensive business assessments, and mentoring services to women interested in starting or growing a small business.
The Office of Women’s Business Ownership’s mission is to enable and empower women entrepreneurs through advocacy, outreach, education, and support. Since it was established in response to an Executive Order in 1979, OWBO has provided training, counseling, technical assistance, access to credit and capital, and marketing opportunities to women.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
About The NIIC
499 new products launched, 196 patent applications submitted or granted, and 2,351 jobs created—that is what entrepreneurs have achieved through The NIIC since its inception two decades ago. The NIIC has also connected Northeast Indiana companies to attract $100.4 million in grants and capital.
The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community designed to advise entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and grow successful business ventures. The NIIC bolsters innovative companies to move ideas into action. The NIIC is located in a designated U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone. In April 2018, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb designated The Northeast Indiana Innovation Park Campus as an Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury.
The International Business Innovation Association (inbia.org) recognized the NIIC as the 2020 Entrepreneur Center of the Year – Mixed-Use and awarded it one of the two prestigious industry awards – The 2020 Dinah Adkins Award. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. Additionally, TheNIIC.org.
10.07.21
Advocating Kindness
Excerpt
The Long-Term Care Ombudsman program promotes and protects residents’ rights through advocacy, respect and kindness.
If there is one thing Aisha Arrington wishes people would remember, it’s that nursing home residents are people; they just can’t care for themselves without help. For this group that is often ignored, neglected or forgotten, having an advocate can make a huge difference in their quality of life. As executive director of the Long-term Care Ombudsman Program in northeast Indiana, Arrington takes that personally.
“Human beings – that’s who we are advocating for,” says Arrington. “What pulls at my heart is that we’re serving a population of people that is now one of our most vulnerable populations.”
Mandated through the Older Americans Act of 1965, each state must have an ombudsman program to promote and protect the rights of long-term care residents. Arrington oversees Indiana’s Region 3 serving nine counties in the state’s northeast corner.
“What we do all day long is answer calls that involve questions about care, complaints about care and residents’ rights,” explains Arrington. “We support the resident to have the quality of life they want to have for themselves. That’s not up to the family or the facility.”
Read full article on BusinessPeople.com.
09.29.21
Women Business Owners Complete WEOC WBC Accelerator Program
Next Cohort Begins March 2022
For immediate release
September 29, 2021, Fort Wayne, Ind.—”Twelve months ago, I incorporated The Ox Agency. Within the timeframe of this one-year program, I needed to become a six-figure company quickly. This program helped me to do that. I walked away from a partnership with another company that I had outgrown. I started over on my own. If I didn’t have the women in this program, I wouldn’t have been so successful. This program brought us all together,” said Kelly Ambriole, CEO, The Ox Agency. “We all pushed each other to that next level.”
The NIIC recognized graduates of Launch Women Business Builder Program Cohort 6, an accelerator of WEOC WBC. Cohort 6 met each Friday virtually for the past year. It was fitting the graduation ceremony was also virtual.
Kelly Ambriole, The Ox Agency optimizes people, processes, and performance through strategic consultation. In addition to her consulting services, Ambriole is developing webinars as an option for clients who do not pursue her one-on-one coaching or want a self-paced option.
“If you know me, you know I don’t accept opinions from everyone. This cohort became, perhaps unknowingly, my board of directors. I took their input and applied it to work on my company. If it weren’t for the laughing, peer coaching, non-judgment zone, I would not be where I am now,” said Ambriole.
Melissa Norly, Melissa’s Damn Cards offers cards and stationery hand-typed by Norly, using upcycled materials as a canvas. “My business would not exist right now without me being a part of this program. This program has been so wonderful, and I’ve been so grateful to be a part of it,” said Norly. “The best part of this program for me was it providing a safe space for us all to operate in, make mistakes, and ask questions. Everyone has been so willing to help each other and share resources. It’s not from a know-it-all perspective. It’s a place of caring and genuinely wanting to help each other.”
Norly sells her products through e-commerce on her company website, at local farmers’ markets, and has a goal to wholesale her product through two boutiques by the end of the year. Watch for her products in the Northeast Indiana community.
Savannah Daniels, Courtesy Cups—Courtesy Cups came out of a personal need for Daniels while serving in the military and on field assignment. It is a menstrual cup brand on a mission to give back by donating one cup for every cup purchase. One in five girls in the U.S. is missing school days because of her period. Together we’re changing the cycle and ending period poverty.
“Melissa’s been a great resource for me, especially in the area of grant funding, and she’s a pleasure to be with. She is a bridge-builder,” said Daniels.
Bre Johnson, Breedings Cards was founded to focus on greeting card lines for those not served by the traditional card industry, like racially diverse groups and those who identify as gender diverse. “We were so excited for Bre when she met a milestone through an order for 5,000 cards for a historically black college and university (HBCU) grand opening,” said Leslee Hill, WEOC WBC Director at The NIIC.
“This cohort, in particular, is exceptionally business savvy. This has been a rock star group, not only in supporting each other but also in what they’ve accomplished during this program,” said Hill. Each graduate receives a certificate of completion and a $1,000 award in recognition for progressing their businesses during the program. A total of 32 clients have graduated from the WEOC WBC Accelerator Program.
What’s next for the program?
The next cohort will begin in March 2022. Cohort 6 graduates will join The WEOC WBC Accelerator Alumnae Group, which took a hiatus for the summer and will resume meeting monthly soon.
Cutline: Leslee Hill, WEOC WBC Director at The NIIC for the Launch Women Business Builder Cohort 6 Graduation.
About The NIIC
499 new products launched, 196 patent applications submitted or granted, and 2,351 jobs created—that is what entrepreneurs have achieved through The NIIC since its inception two decades ago. The NIIC has also connected Northeast Indiana companies to attract $100.4 million in grants and capital.
The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community designed to advise entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and grow successful business ventures. The NIIC bolsters innovative companies to move ideas into action. The NIIC is located in a designated U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone. In April 2018, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb designated The Northeast Indiana Innovation Park Campus as an Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. Additionally, the International Business Innovation Association (inbia.org) recognized the NIIC as the 2020 Entrepreneur Center of the Year – Mixed-use and awarded it one of the two prestigious industry awards – the 2020 Dinah Adkins Award. TheNIIC.org.
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08.06.21
THE SCENE | WEOC WBC 5th Anniversary Event
Excerpt – As appeared in Business People magazine
WEOC WBC celebrated its 5th anniversary with a luncheon including an educational workshop, product showcase featuring northeast Indiana woman-owned businesses and a book signing by the Keynote Speaker, author and personal branding expert Jessica Zweig, Founder and CEO of SimplyBe. The event’s theme was COURAGE, a nod to what it takes to start, grow, and innovate a business. The event was on June 17 at Ceruti’s Summit Park II, The Diamond Room.
The focus was on the nearly 3,000 women and more than 2,000 small businesses served through WEOC WBC up to its five-year milestone. WEOC WBC served clients through individualized coaching, expert training, practical workshops, wellness and self-care support, and peer encouragement.
Click here to view pictures and full article on BusinessPeople.com.
07.15.21
Tax Credits for Small Business are Here | Learn How They Apply to Your Business at Virtual Event July 29, 2021
Contact: Tammy Allen, Director, Marketing & Programs, info@niic.net, 260-407-1731
For immediate release
July 15, 2021, Fort Wayne, Ind.— Small business owners are invited to a virtual event to learn about new tax credits and resources available through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). WEOC Women’s Business Center (WBC) and WBC EmPWR Program co-host this virtual lunch and learn event on July 29, 2021, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. This virtual event focuses on IRS coronavirus tax credits for employers. It also focuses on SBA coronavirus and traditional resources to help small businesses start, grow, expand, and recover. Register here.
Event participants will learn from experts John Linstead, Senior Stakeholder Liaison, the IRS, and Laura Schafsnitz, Indiana District Office Public Affairs Specialist, U.S. SBA.
“The Small Business Administration has been a much-needed ally for small businesses as they have navigated COVID-19. The SBA continues its commitment to providing support and resources as the state navigates emerging from the Pandemic. This includes essential information, like how to navigate the new tax credit for employers,” said Ted Baker, Interim President and CEO, The NIIC.
Leslee Hill, Director, WEOC WBC, said,” The SBA looks for unique ways to support all small businesses in every region. They do an excellent job creating programs that are timely and well communicated. This event is an opportunity for small business owners to understand the tax credits available to maximize their resources. This event will provide essential information, which could lead to substantial financial benefits.”
Laura Schafsnitz is a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Small Business Administration Indiana District Office. Her expertise includes bringing government, public, and private organizations together to share resources and opportunities to help small businesses start, grow, expand, and recover. A graduate of Webster University and a U.S. Army Veteran, Laura has worked in public affairs her entire career bringing news and resources from the highest echelons of government to everyday people worldwide.
John Linstead is a Senior Stakeholder Liaison with the Internal Revenue Service in Cincinnati, Ohio. He works with tax professional organizations and small business organizations across Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio to educate about the tax laws and their federal tax responsibilities. During his 36 years with the IRS, he has held the positions of Tax Examiner, Tax Auditor, and Appeals Officer before becoming Senior Stakeholder Liaison in September of 2005.
Register now through Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/your-business-the-irs-what-you-need-to-know-about-tax-credits-tickets-160203953337
About WBC EmPWR Program
The Women’s Business Center (WBC) EmPWR Program is funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership and serves clients in 83 Indiana counties. The EmPWR Program brings together the experts, resources, and tools business builders need to get back on track from COVID-19. We specifically serve women-owned businesses – from individual entrepreneurs to businesses with many employees in multiple locations. We work with anyone who needs our support. For more information, visit https://niic.net/empwr/.
About The NIIC
499 new products launched, 196 patent applications submitted or granted, and 2,351 jobs created—that is what entrepreneurs have achieved through The NIIC since its inception two decades ago. The NIIC has also connected Northeast Indiana companies to attract $100.4 million in grants and capital.
The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community designed to advise entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and grow successful business ventures. The NIIC bolsters innovative companies to move ideas into action. The NIIC is located in a designated U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone. In April 2018, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb designated The Northeast Indiana Innovation Park Campus as an Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. Additionally, the International Business Innovation Association (inbia.org) recognized the NIIC as the 2020 Entrepreneur Center of the Year – Mixed-use and awarded it one of the two prestigious industry awards – the 2020 Dinah Adkins Award. TheNIIC.org. Click here for The NIIC press kit.
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07.13.21
WEOC Client Communicating Matters featured on INSight
WEOC client Communicating Matters has benefited from the resources, networking and coaching provided.