The West Chester Women's Entrepreneurship Conference is set to take place on October 18, 2024, aiming to address the significant challenges female business owners face in securing funding. Women-owned businesses now account for nearly 40% of all U.S. businesses, employing 12.2 million individuals and generating an impressive $2.7 trillion in revenue. However, despite this growth, only 2% of venture funding is allocated to female founders, with women of color encountering even greater obstacles in accessing financial resources [fd36d5ca].
Yasmine Mustafa, a notable speaker at the conference and founder of Roar for Good, exemplifies the potential for success among women entrepreneurs. A war refugee from Kuwait, Mustafa launched her company in 2014, focusing on wearable safety devices. Through her determination and innovative approach, she raised hundreds of thousands through pitch competitions and crowdfunding, ultimately securing an additional $2 million in funding [fd36d5ca].
Pattie Diggin from the Cottrell Entrepreneurship Center will also share insights at the conference, encouraging attendees to explore opportunities with angel venture funders and local university resources. This guidance is crucial as many women entrepreneurs seek to navigate the complex landscape of funding [fd36d5ca].
In a related initiative, the Boss Lady Project held a symposium on December 4, 2024, at the National Racquet Sport Centre in Tacarigua, Trinidad and Tobago, prior to the graduation of 85 women and girls from a ten-week business training course. Led by Sport and Community Development Minister Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis, the project aimed to empower women with holistic business skills, including costume design, makeup artistry, and event management [27a44fcf].
Participants received stipends and training in financial literacy, leadership, and time management, inspired by the MpowerTT programme, which focuses on men aged 16 to 40. Deputy Permanent Secretary Florette Clarke emphasized the project's goal of creating sustainable economic opportunities for women, while Ava Mahabir-Dass from the Trade and Industry Ministry highlighted that empowering women could contribute an estimated US$28 trillion to global GDP by 2025 [27a44fcf].
The TT SheTrades hub, established in 2020, also supports women-owned businesses in international trade. Participants shared positive experiences, with Latiya Paul expressing newfound insights into the business world and Paris Japal planning to start her costume design business for Carnival in January 2025 [27a44fcf]. This conference and project not only highlight the challenges women face in entrepreneurship but also emphasize the importance of community support and resource sharing in overcoming these barriers [fd36d5ca][27a44fcf].