(WTNH) — On this edition of Nyberg, a non-profit celebrating 20 years.
It’s been helping women business owners get on their feet and stay successful.
Women starting in small businesses in the state far outweighs men doing the same thing.
Fran Pastore founded the Women’s Business Development Council, and over two decades has helped nearly 20,000 women, guiding them and holding their hands as they set sail.
There are ten full-time employees at WBDC and about 150 volunteers to help women in business.
“I would say that what I am most proud of is the community of women we’ve built around the state and the reputation that we have as a provider of services that are of high quality, that are hand-holding,” explained Pastore. “I think of that as a positive. The reality is, everybody needs support. I know that I needed it. I know that I had the support of incredible women and as I say, most of them are still part of WBDC today and not everybody has that network and that community to go to.”
“The female-focus environment, the sense of community that they have, they feeling that they can call the office at any time, and if we don’t have the answer, we’re going to help them find or identify then answer,” stated Pastore. “I’m really proud of that fact that we’ve become the go-to resource for women. Women entrepreneurs in Connecticut and that we have been a part of the state’s growth for the last 20 years.
Are you a woman who is thinking about starting a business? Or are you already up and running? You might think about contacting WBDC. Visit www.CTWBDC.org for more.
