Month: April 2025

Celebrating Growth at the Bank of America Institute for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Cornell: A Fireside Chat from Celebration Ezra 2025

This video features a fireside chat about the Bank of America Institute for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Cornell, held during Celebration Ezra 2025 — a two-day entrepreneurship conference hosted each spring to unite students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members.

The conversation between Program Director Kirsten Barker and Faculty Director Deborah Streeter explored the Institute’s remarkable growth, from an initial goal of educating 5,000 students to enrolling over 100,000 participants. They also shared video clips of student stories, highlighting how the program has helped entrepreneurs expand their networks and grow their businesses.

Understanding Small Business Lines of Credit

A small business line of credit is a flexible financing option that allows businesses to borrow, repay, and reborrow funds as needed, only paying interest on the amount currently drawn. It helps manage cash flow, cover unexpected expenses, and navigate seasonal fluctuations. Credit lines can be secured (backed by collateral) or unsecured, with eligibility based on factors like credit score and financial history. Unlike term loans, they provide revolving access to funds, offering more control but also requiring disciplined use to avoid accumulating debt. It’s ideal for businesses needing short-term, on-demand access to capital rather than a lump sum loan. To learn more, check out this helpful link published by PNC Bank.

Monetizing Your Podcast

This week’s episode of the Side Hustle Pro podcast delivered a hands-on lesson in business growth for content creators. In this April 16th episode titled “Why Your Podcast Isn’t Making Money (and How to Fix It),” host Nicaila Matthews Okome shared strategies to turn a creative side hustle into a revenue-generating business​. She outlined effective marketing tactics to consistently reach your audience, how to think outside the box with non-traditional sponsorships (e.g. events or retreats, not just ads), and ways to create offerings that listeners will pay for (such as courses or premium content)​.

Looking for Inspiration? Check Out These Titles

If you’re an entrepreneur looking for inspiration, practical advice, or just a good business read, this roundup of 20 must-reads for 2025 has you covered. From Kathryn Finney’s empowering Build the Damn Thing for underrepresented founders, to Andy Dunn’s raw memoir Burn Rate about mental health and startup pressure, the list covers everything from emotional intelligence (Primal Leadership) to harnessing AI for growth (Competing in the Age of AI). Whether you’re launching your first product (Launch, 48-Hour Start-up), building a virtual team (Virtual Freedom), or rethinking leadership (Dare to Lead, Move Fast and Fix Things), there’s a book here that meets you where you are. With tips on financial literacy, productivity hacks, and human-centered entrepreneurship, this list is basically a curated bookshelf for anyone who wants to grow smarter, lead better, and stay sane while building something meaningful.

Impact of US Tariffs on Small Business

Donald Trump’s push to expand tariffs—taxes on imported goods—could significantly impact small businesses by increasing the cost of raw materials and components, especially for those reliant on global supply chains. This would raise production expenses, squeeze profit margins, and potentially force small businesses to increase prices or reduce operations. Uncertainty surrounding trade policy may also deter business investment and disrupt consumer confidence, creating a more volatile environment for small enterprises. To read more about the impact of tariffs, check out this article in The Guardian.