Category: Networking

Extra Education Supports Becoming An Entrepreneur

According to this piece in Fast Company, during 2021 alone, over 5 million new companies were registered in the US alone which is an increase of 23% over the previous year. While some of this increase can be attributed to the impact of the global pandemic, research is suggesting that education is playing a role as well.

While some experts have felt that continuing education is more about “signaling rather than skill development”, this new research is providing evidence that additional years of post-high school education can boost self-employment in high-growth industries. Research goes on to point out that, “for women, education may have an even greater impact on encouraging them to jump into entrepreneurship by increasing their confidence in addition to their skills.”

Education is certainly something we believe in at the Institute! If you (or someone you know) would benefit from our free 12-week entrepreneurship certificate program,  go to this page and click the “Join the Waitlist” button. We enroll on a quarterly basis and reach out to those on the notification list in the order that they are there. 

We All Need Help – The Importance of Finding A Mentor

two businesswomen sitting in leather chairs at a conference table having a discussion

Michele Sileo, Managing Director at Eleven, has some important thoughts on the importance of mentorship. She states, “There is significant pressure on women to work smarter, harder, and more dutifully than men, and that pressure often leads to a hesitation to ask for help.” That said, she goes on to share that, “asking for help is part of growth…and it’s one of the most important lessons one can learn from mentorship.” Learn more about her take on asking for help and becoming a mentor in this Fast Company article.

Link to webinar-Workshop Your Network: Cultivating Mentors, Peers, and Mentees in Business

Screenshot of Michelle Talbert from webinar

During this highly interactive workshop, Michelle Y. Talbert, ‘00 Human Ecology (and graduate of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Certificate Program) guides listeners in setting personal intention, identifying the pressing needs in one’s business, and creating a strategy to connect with the right people. To access a recording of this webinar, click here.

Business Accelerator Designed For Women Veterans

woman in military uniform

The Department of Veterans Affairs has partnered with PenFed Foundation to launch its Military “Women Veteran Bootcamp Accelerator”. The six-month long program is designed for women who have 3-5 years of experience in business and are seeking to grow their venture. To learn more about this program and others available to women veteran-owned small businesses, check out the US Department of Veterans Affairs website here.

Best Practices for Digital Storytelling for Nonprofits

Headshot of Liz Ngonzi

Are you a nonprofit leader who is looking for original ways to interact and engage with your supporters and funders? Check out Liz Ngonzi’s (among other things, Liz is a facilitator in the Women’s Entrepreneurship program) new article for The NonProfit Times entitled “Digital Storytelling: Five Best Practices to Activate Supporters on LinkedIn”.

In the piece, Liz discusses:

1. Promoting Your Organization’s Brand (LinkedIn Company Page and Employee LinkedIn Profiles)
2. Building Your Brand by Showcasing Your Impact and Obtaining Insights from Supporters: Posts, Stories and Polls
3. Promoting Events: LinkedIn Events
4. Hosting Events: LinkedIn Live
5. Researching and Engaging Prospects: LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Link to webinar: Telling Your Story For Professional Success

Headshot of Liz Ngonzi from part 2 of her webinar series for eCornell

Click this link to see Liz Ngonzi’s (who is also course facilitator in our Women’s Entrepreneurship certificate program) presentation: “Telling Your Story for Professional Success: How to Align Your Purpose and Your Paycheck“.

This is the second in a two-part series which builds on her 2020 webinar entitled: “Your Personal Brand: Leveraging Your Unique Knowledge and Experience” (To view a recording of this webinar, click here.)

In this segment, Liz provides guidance on how to dig into the question “What is my purpose?” Clarity about your purpose can lead to the creation of a personal “work” story that will enable you to inspire, engage, and activate employers, clients, partners, and investors, thereby increasing the alignment of your purpose with your paycheck! 

Women in eCommerce Supporting Each Other

Woman's thumb scrolling on an iphone while looking at a screen that mentions eCommerce.

Women represent 32% of the eCommerce sellers online. While that is a much higher percentage that the number of women that are found in C-suite jobs, it still places women in the minority. This article in Entrepreneur encourages women in eCommerce to seek each other out for mentoring and support. The article states, “By building your community around other women, you can unlock the hidden power of wealth through shared strategies, tools and hidden secrets.”

SBA Launches Largest Expansion of Women’s Business Centers in 30 Years

Small Business Administration logo

According to this recent post, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced grant funding along with the launch of 20 new Women’s Business Centers (WBC) that will be opened across America. These new centers will serve rural, urban, and underserved communities. The move to open 20 new WBCs is the largest single expansion of the program since it began 30 years ago. Check out the post to read more about where the centers will be located as well as to access other resources from the SBA.

Free Crowdfunding Workshop on Oct 20th

logo for The Chattery

On Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at 1pm ET, The Chattery will be hosting a free online workshop entitled “Leveraging Crowdfunding to Launch & Grow Your Business“. The workshop will feature Olivia Owens, Head of Partnerships at IFundWomen and General Manager of IFundWomen of Color, who will share how to create a honed pitch, network map, and marketing strategy for your crowdfunding campaign. To learn more and register, click here.

Olivia Owens worked with eCornell to deliver a webinar in August on “Raising Capital During A Crisis” through the use of crowdfunding. A link to that recording can be found here.

The Chattery is a nonprofit organization that provides adult education through fun, affordable and accessible classes and workshops and is offering this workshop for free in conjunction with Startup Week Chattanooga. Shawanda Mason is a co-founder of The Chattery and is a graduate of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Certificate program at Cornell! Many thanks to Shawanda for making us aware of this event and enabling us to share it with the broader community!