Tag Archives: woman owned business

WaveLink, Inc. Awarded $46B EWAAC Contract for Analytics to benefit the Air Force and Eglin AFB

VALPARAISO, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- WaveLink, Inc., a woman-owned small business based in Huntsville, Alabama, has been awarded a $46 billion contract from the U.S. Air Force. Specializing in Aviation and Missile Defense programs, WaveLink, Inc. will perform work related to digital and model-based systems engineering, agile processes, open systems architecture, weapons, and enterprise analytics to benefit the Air Force and Eglin AFB.

The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) Eglin Wide Agile Acquisition (EWAAC) contract enables the government to provide rapid response applicable to all areas and lifecycle phases of weapons development to include weapons concepts, concept development, concept demonstrations, weapons system procurement, production, fielding, operations, and sustainment.

"WaveLink, Inc. has a proven track record supporting Major Defense Acquisition Programs," states Tamela Gibbs, President and CEO of WaveLink, Inc. "We are thrilled to be a part of helping the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Eglin AFB quickly meet current and future weapons system requirements."

Using their strong record of corporate leadership experience and achievement, WaveLink, Inc. will be supporting this contract over a 10-year period.

About WaveLink, Inc.

WaveLink, Inc. is a woman-owned small business in Huntsville, Alabama, providing mission-critical Engineering & Technical Services to Air Force, Army, MDA, DOD and other government customers across the nation. For over 20 years, WaveLink, Inc. has delivered dependable, quality technology solutions and support with professionalism and integrity.

More information can be found at https://www.wavelinkinc.com/.

RELATED LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamela-gibbs-1257978/

WaveLink, Inc., a woman-owned small business based in Huntsville, Alabama, has been awarded a $46 billion contract from the U.S. Air Force. Specializing in Aviation and Missile Defense programs, WaveLink, Inc. will perform work related to digital and model-based systems engineering, agile processes, open systems architecture, weapons, and enterprise analytics to benefit the Air Force and Eglin AFB.

Related link: https://www.wavelinkinc.com/

America’s ‘Queen of Crowdfunding’ Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary of Helping Pass The Jobs Act of 2012 Into Law

LAS VEGAS, Nev. /ScoopCloud/ -- This April marks the 10-year anniversary of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or JOBS Act which is a law intended to encourage funding of small businesses in the United States by easing many of the country's securities regulations, said Ruth E. Hedges, CEO of Rise Up Crowdfunding. It passed with bipartisan support and was signed into law by President Barack Obama on April 5, 2012.

Back then, the country was filled with hope and change. But has anything really changed for small businesses 10 years later? Ruth E. Hedges certainly thinks it has but she also knows there's still a long way to go.

Ms. Hedges was an integral team member that lobbied for and helped get the JOBS Act passed into law in 2012 ensuring that diverse entrepreneurs get greater access to capital to help them scale, grow and compete for contracts. The JOBS Act of 2012 also helped usher in Regulation Crowdfunding (also known as crowd-investing or investment crowdfunding). It's a method of raising capital used by Startups and early-stage companies.

Essentially, regulation crowdfunding offers the company's stock to the general public in exchange for capital. Each investor is entitled to a stake in the company proportional to their investment.

Hedges is a long-time champion for small businesses, diversity, equity, inclusion and wealth building. Her decades long work in these areas along with her tireless efforts to increase the power of diverse business owners and entrepreneurs across the world, have earned her the nickname: The "Queen of Crowdfunding."

After the JOBS Act passed, Hedges went on to start and run the world's first ever Crowdfunding Conference for seven years drawing attendees from all over the world to learn more about leveraging crowdfunding to help scale their businesses. Now, as the CEO of Rise Up Crowdfunding, she uses her passion and energy to continue manifesting her purpose - increasing the power of diverse business owners and entrepreneurs while simultaneously providing diverse populations a turnkey way to invest in companies that are a part of the New Majority in America.

"We are heading into a world where underrepresented groups are a more significant percentage of the American population, and as this number grows, the need to generate wealth within these communities has become necessary for the country's future," said Hodges.

"We are eternally grateful to President Obama for helping pass the JOBS Act of 2012 in order to help to level the playing field for access to capital for everyone and now, 10 years later, we unequivocally know that if small businesses had more access to capital, more could be done to grow the current batch of small and diverse companies eligible to apply for supplier diversity contracts thereby uplifting communities where those businesses are located through job creation, increased wages, tax revenue, and generational wealth," added Hedges.

Rise Up Crowdfunding is the first funding portal focused on these key issue areas. Created by Ruth E. Hedges in collaboration with the Coca-Cola Company, Rise Up Crowdfunding is a coalition of leaders across industries and organizations committed to ensuring that diverse entrepreneurs get access to capital to help them scale and drive growth within the supplier diversity network. Other key collaborative partners are the National Veteran Business Development Council and the IWEC foundation for women.

April is also national financial literacy month. And, on Tuesday April 26, Ms. Hedges will be speaking on Capitol Hill about the integral role that crowdfunding can play to help small diverse businesses, specifically, Black businesses, scale and grow. Congress is launching the Congressional Caucus on Black Innovation and, given her tremendous expertise in the field of crowdfunding, Ms. Hedges has been asked to present and speak at the launch event. Her speaking engagement will provide an opportunity to contribute to the future policy solutions impacting Black people, with the ultimate goal of the Caucus being to produce an omnibus bill on how to foster Black innovation in America and beyond.

All throughout the month of April, Ruth E. Hedges and Rise Up Crowdfunding will continue manifesting the mission of the JOBS Act of 2012 and bringing to fruition the hope and change that was lobbied for a decade ago in order to help level the playing field for small businesses and diverse entrepreneurs in an unprecedented way.

"Now, more than ever, we should be teaching individuals about the value of financial literacy, economic empowerment and entrepreneurship instead of simply teaching them how to be good at consumption," stated Ruth E. Hedges. "And the Rise Up Crowdfunding platform will accomplish all that and so much more," she added.

Individuals interested in learning more about Rise Up Crowdfunding, Ruth E. Hedges or how they can support diverse businesses, can visit the website at: https://riseupcrowdfunding.com/.

Rise Up Crowdfunding can also be found on the following social media channels: https://www.linkedin.com/company/riseupcrowdfunding/

https://twitter.com/riseupcf

https://www.facebook.com/RiseUpCrowdfunding/

https://www.instagram.com/riseupcrowdfunding/

ABOUT RISE UP CROWDFUNDING:

Rise Up Crowdfunding is a new impactful collaborative equity crowdfunding process to help more Women, Black, and Brown, LGBTQ, Veterans, and all underrepresented minority founders and small businesses gain access to capital from the millions of people who (since the passing of the JOBS Act in 2012) can now invest a small amount of money in a private company online. Rise Up Crowdfunding leverages regulation crowdfunding to quickly reach people all over America that are looking for the capital they need to grow and scale bring their business in order to better compete for supplier diversity contracts or those individuals seeking to become an investor.

This April marks the 10-year anniversary of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or JOBS Act which is a law intended to encourage funding of small businesses in the United States by easing many of the country's securities regulations, said Ruth E. Hedges, CEO of Rise Up Crowdfunding.

Related link: https://riseupcrowdfunding.com/

Nancy Pfund, Pioneering Leader in Impact Investing, Named FWSF Financial Woman of the Year 2022

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Financial Women of San Francisco (FWSF) today named Nancy Pfund, the Founder and Managing Partner of DBL Partners, as the FWSF 2022 Financial Woman of the Year. DBL Partners is one of the first venture capital firms to bring impact investing into the mainstream. Nancy and her colleagues launched DBL out of JP Morgan in 2008 after seeing increased momentum in the move to social and environmental impact. At DBL (standing for "Double Bottom Line"), Nancy and her team built a firm whose raison d'être is to foster investment with impact. The firm strives to optimize both financial return (First Bottom Line) and positive social impact, including social, environmental and economic benefits (Second Bottom Line) in the regions and sectors in which it invests. Nancy was an early investor in Tesla, SpaceX, SolarCity, and Pandora, among many others.

In addition to her innovation and leadership in building a clean energy future for the planet and putting social impact on the boardroom agenda, Nancy has consistently been an advocate for advancing the participation and leadership of women. Nancy firmly believes that the future will be brighter with a more diverse and representative workforce building it. FWSF shares Nancy's commitment to making an impact, increasing diversity, and advancing women-these are a few of the many reasons why Nancy is being honored by FWSF in 2022.

"Building my finance career in San Francisco over the years," says Nancy, "I have always been struck by the abundance of professional women who lead not only in their own fields, but in proactively helping other women advance in theirs. The Financial Women of San Francisco organization has played a key role in highlighting the importance and accomplishments of Bay Area women in finance, and I am honored to join the ranks of outstanding women who have won this award before me."

Melissa Maquilan Radic, the 2022 President of FWSF and Managing Director of Investor Relations & Capital Markets at IMPACT Community Capital, LLC is particularly excited about this year's honoree. "Nancy Pfund was a leader in the impact investing space long before this type of investing gained the widespread recognition it has today. She is a champion of social and environmental change, both personally and professionally, and is an inspiring role model for women who want to lead in the investment management or impact space. We are so proud to grant Nancy our highest honor and look forward to sharing her insights with the FWSF community."

"When I first started my impact investing journey, it was a lonely place to be," Nancy explained, "Undaunted, and determined to bring the worlds of finance, investment and social and environmental progress together, I relied on the support of early adopters willing to bet on me and on this new vision. Many of these early adopters were women, and women continue to lead in impact today. FWSF embodies the spirit of impact-and its benefits-by steadfastly lifting women up and passing the baton to younger women through its scholarship program that creates the next generation of financial women leaders."

The Financial Woman of the Year award was established in 1996 to celebrate the organization's 40th anniversary. Past FWSF Presidents Leslie Miller and Shelly Porges created the Financial Woman of the Year event with the triple purposes of raising funds for FWSF's scholarship program, increasing awareness of FWSF, and celebrating the careers of senior leaders in finance. Since then, it has provided a platform for high-achieving honorees to share their professional experience with others and to inspire other women in their own careers and ambitions. Nancy joins a distinguished list of former honorees including Jenny Johnson, CEO of Franklin Templeton, Terri Kallsen, Chief Operating Officer at Wealth Enhancement Group, Heidi Roizen, Partner at Threshold Ventures; Robin Washington, former chief financial officer (CFO) of Gilead; Debbie Messemer, former managing partner of KPMG's Bay Area Market; Carrie Dolan, CFO of Kraken Digital Asset Exchange; Sarah Friar, CEO of Next Door and former CFO of Square; and Pat Yarrington, former CFO of Chevron.

About Nancy Pfund

Nancy Pfund is the Founder and Managing Partner of DBL Partners and one of the world's pioneers in impact investing. Through Nancy's passion and leadership, DBL has revealed the power of venture capital to promote social change and environmental improvement. Nancy writes and speaks frequently on the field of impact investing, and she sponsors or sits on the boards of several companies, including; Farmers Business Network, The Muse, Zola Electric, Bellwether Coffee, Spatial, and, prior to their public offerings, Tesla, SolarCity and Pandora. Prior to founding DBL, Nancy was a Managing Director in Venture Capital at JPMorgan, having started her investment career at Hambrecht & Quist in 1984. Previously, Nancy worked at Intel Corporation, The State of California, Stanford University, and the Sierra Club. Nancy received her BA and MA in Anthropology from Stanford University and her MBA from the Yale School of Management.

In September 2020, Nancy was named to the Forbes Impact 50 List of the most notable impact investors. She is also a recipient of the Commonwealth Club 2018 Distinguished Citizen Award and the Earth Day Network 2018 Climate Visionary Award. She was featured as #17 in the 2014 Fortune Inaugural World's Top 25 Eco-Innovators and appeared in Fast Company's 2016 List of Most Creative People in Business.

To learn more about Nancy Pfund's incredible leadership and career, please visit: https://www.dbl.vc/people/nancy-pfund/

About DBL Partners

DBL Partners was formed with a "Double Bottom Line" investment strategy to invest in companies that can deliver top-tier venture capital returns (First Bottom Line), while working with companies to enable social, environmental, and economic improvement in the regions in which they operate (Second Bottom Line).

DBL Partners uses venture capital to accelerate innovation in a way that positively affects an organization's social impact, as well as its financial success. DBL strongly believes that these two drivers-positive social change and healthy financial performance-are inherently connected. DBL invests and helps nurture outstanding entrepreneurs and companies in Cleantech, Information Technology, Sustainable Products and Services and Healthcare.

For more information about DBL Partners, please visit: https://www.dbl.vc/

About Financial Women of San Francisco

The Financial Women of San Francisco seeks to advance the success of women in finance and financial services and to be a source of insight and inspiration to financial women executives and managers throughout the Bay Area. In addition to the FWSF's professional organization focused on advancing women, since 1985, the FWSF Scholarship Fund (a 501(c)(3) organization) has awarded more than $2.7 million in scholarship grants to more than 325 Bay Area women. Beyond financial support, FWSF scholarship recipients are mentored by FWSF members, become members of the organization, and attend career development and networking events.

For more information, please visit https://financialwomensf.org/ or follow Financial Women of San Francisco on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Financial Women of San Francisco (FWSF) today named Nancy Pfund, the Founder and Managing Partner of DBL Partners, as the FWSF 2022 Financial Woman of the Year. DBL Partners is one of the first venture capital firms to bring impact investing into the mainstream. Nancy and her colleagues launched DBL out of JP Morgan in 2008 after seeing increased momentum in the move to social and environmental impact.

Related link: https://financialwomensf.org/

Scottsdale Mayor Ortega Welcomes Minority Business Accelerator participants during Spring kickoff event

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. /ScoopCloud/ -- With a welcome from Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega and President of the Black Chamber of Commerce Arizona Robin Reed, the Minority Business Accelerator Program, in collaboration with the Millionaire Mastermind Academy, kicked off on March 8, welcoming more than 40 women-owned small businesses, Thinkzilla Consulting Group announced today.

The 2022 program is sponsored by American Landmark; one of the fastest-growing multifamily owner-operators in the United States and Blaylock Van, LLC, the oldest and continuously operating African American-owned banking firm in the United States.

With a focus on minority business growth, the Millionaire Mastermind Academy has already helped more than 7,000 women across the country conquer poverty through entrepreneurship. With a forward-focused mission of developing economic growth initiatives for minority- and women-owned businesses to encourage job creation and business expansion, the organization focuses its work in the Arizona, Florida, and Georgia markets. A $500,000 scholarship fund for the program was launched by Dr. Velma Trayham in February to help small businesses owned by African American women.

"While Arizona continues to grow its commitment to diverse business ownership, institutional barriers to success such as lack of access to capital and access to quality business training are still a reality. That's what we're here to change," said Thinkzilla Consulting Group founder Dr. Velma Trayham. "This unique program invites more voices to the table and more support in developing and realizing entrepreneurial goals."

While Arizona is home to more than 600,000 small businesses, only about 11 percent are helmed by racial minorities, according to the Arizona Small Business Economic Profile.

The 15-week Minority Business Accelerator engages entrepreneurs with a proprietary curriculum, including startup tools, access to a diverse local and national mentor network, funding opportunities to rapidly grow and scale operations, and support in learning how to do business with the government and corporations. The economic goals of the program include supporting the launch of more than 500 new companies while empowering a minimum of 50,000 entrepreneurs.

Program participants represent industries including counseling and mental health, consulting, spa/beauty, IT, restaurants, and education, among others.

2022 Spring Cohort Participating businesses are:

Black HMU, UnitedABowens Drug and Alcohol Counseling, Southern Roots Vegan, Nursing Apparel & ThangZ, Waters Cover Senior Living Community, Simply Celeste's, Shaping Minds Therapeutic Services, Divine Vision Enterprises, Permananet Management MakeUP, Maxim Wellness Centers, New Phoenix, Powerfuel Bites, Her Sisu, Kream's Kreations, Riley-Jones, Walking in Wellness, Ms. Martha's Caribbean Kitchen, Holistic Pathwayz, Nikki L. Sims, Healthier New You, Limitless Scholars, Purpose-Driven Therapeutic Services, Aylee Consulting, Positive Vibes, Foxy Holdings, The Martin Walsh Realty Group, Above the Curve Design Co. and Vuvoi.

The Entrepreneur Accelerator program is offered twice a year, will begin accepting applicants for its upcoming fall program in July. Past alumni's boast acceleration of business growth, click here for past testimonials - https://millionairemastermindacademy.org/success-stories/

About Thinkzilla Consulting Group

Thinkzilla offers DEI Programming that focuses on economic, strategic growth initiatives for minority and women-owned small businesses. Our Award-Winning team helps our clients increase supplier diversity across their supply chains and assist in launching programs to engage communities across the globe. For more information, please visit https://thinkzillaconsulting.com/

About Millionaire Mastermind Academy

Millionaire Mastermind Academy is a 501(c)(3) organization that addresses the barriers to economic mobility for women who have been systemically and historically underserved and excluded. The mission is to educate and support the growth of women-owned businesses, thereby strengthening their impact on the economy and mitigating the problems presented by poverty.

RELATED LINKS:
https://thinkzillaconsulting.com/minoritybusiness/

https://millionairemastermindacademy.org/

https://cdn.advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/30141144/Small-Business-Economic-Profile-AZ.pdf

With a welcome from Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega and President of the Black Chamber of Commerce Arizona Robin Reed, the Minority Business Accelerator Program, in collaboration with the Millionaire Mastermind Academy, kicked off on March 8, welcoming more than 40 women-owned small businesses, Thinkzilla Consulting Group announced today.

Related link: https://thinkzillaconsulting.com/

Applications are open for the second year in a row at this Arizona-based accelerator built for female founders 40+

PHOENIX, Ariz. /ScoopCloud/ -- RECREATE Now LLC is taking applications for its second cohort in Arizona and it's first cohort in San Francisco, California to help aspiring women entrepreneurs build and launch their idea. Following an expansion into the Bay Area, the Arizona-based organization is aiming to support the underserved market of women over 40 who are transitioning from the corporate world and wanting to start their own business or non-profit without being surrounded by twenty-something tech bros.

* Even as millions of women in the U.S. quit their jobs, women over 40 are still an underserved demographic in the entrepreneurship community

* Start-up funding for female founders is on the rise for both for-profit and non-profit sectors

* The deadline to apply for the Recreate Action Tank is March 1, 2022

Coming from the world of executive coaching and corporate training on Diversity and Inclusion, Recreate Co-founder Melissa Lamson knows how to identify a gap in the market. Even with nearly 40 million people leaving their jobs in 2021 and a clear rise in entrepreneurship, she hasn't found an accelerator tailored to the uniqueness of women over 40-so she built one.

"I've seen so many women hesitate on their own ideas, and not having the guidance they need means those ideas fall by the wayside. We want to give them a chance by surrounding them with extraordinary women who have done it before and who are doing it now," says Lamson.

With full-day sessions led by big-name entrepreneurs like Heidi Jannenga of WebPT and Courtney Klein co-founder of SEED SPOT, among other talented women, the accelerator aims to nourish the founders with a cohort of talented women building alongside them.

Encouraging this new wave of female founders, the Recreate Action Tank is in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority and has been sponsored by Carvana, Bank 34 and Blue Cross Blue Shield.

"We curate the tools, practices, connections, and funding opportunities - everything these women need to give their business idea or non-profit a chance to thrive," says Lamson, "It's not just about teaching or lecturing, it's about taking action with a core community to support you."

To learn more about the program or to apply, visit https://www.recreateactiontank.org/

RECREATE Now LLC is taking applications for its second cohort in Arizona and it's first cohort in San Francisco, California to help aspiring women entrepreneurs build and launch their idea. The organization is aiming to support the underserved market of women over 40 who are transitioning from the corporate world and wanting to start their own business or non-profit without being surrounded by twenty-something tech bros.

Related link: https://www.recreatenow.org/

Thinkzilla Launches New DEI Scorecard to help Organizations Grow Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Focus

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. /ScoopCloud/ -- Companies with ethnically diverse executive teams outperform their peers by a full 33 percent when it comes to profitability, according to a recent McKinsey report, and yet many companies still come up short in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion work. Thinkzilla Consulting Group announced the launch of a proprietary DEI Scorecard to help clients improve DEI outcomes based on research, data, best practices and organizational goals.

The scorecard can be used for audits, to support training and programs, and to help organizations build more inclusive workplaces and workforces. Thinkzilla Consulting is the only firm that combines program development with extensive DE&I expertise, a network of thousands of minority-led business suppliers and full-service marketing capabilities,

"Every organization should develop DE&I goals customized to their team, their industry and their goals, which is why we launched this scorecard," said the CEO of Thinkzilla Consulting, Velma Trayham, who was recently featured in the Business News Ledger for her DE&I work. "Based on feedback from companies interested in growing their diversity and inclusion programming and outreach, the scorecard can be part of your strategic plan and overall growth efforts. It's all about inspiring change in a meaningful way."

After launching the United Diversity Business Summit in 2021 with a proclamation from the city of Scottsdale, Ariz., Thinkzilla's team in Scottsdale, Atlanta, and Houston has continued to innovate and support minority business owners through its work in supplier diversity program development & evaluation, Marketing Services and DE&I assessments and training.

"While everyone knows that diverse, inclusive and equitable companies do better across many metrics, not every organization knows how to get there," said Dr. Trayham. "Our data, our knowledge and our passion can help organizations of all sizes get the information they need to take equitable action and make a true difference."

About Thinkzilla Consulting Group

Thinkzilla Consulting helps organizations create a positive economic impact through cultural diversity. Making brands more relevant, Thinkzilla builds meaningful connections between brands and consumers.

For more information on Thinkzilla or to schedule a consultation, please visit https://thinkzillaconsulting.com/

RELATED LINKS:

https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/delivering-through-diversity

https://businessnewsledger.com/innovative-solutions-of-dr-velma-trayham-ceo-of-thinkzilla-consulting-group/

Companies with ethnically diverse executive teams outperform their peers by a full 33 percent when it comes to profitability, according to a recent McKinsey report, and yet many companies still come up short in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion work.

Related link: https://thinkzillaconsulting.com/

Minority Business Accelerator Program Expands to Support Small Underrepresented Female Entrepreneurs in Arizona, Georgia and Florida

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. /ScoopCloud/ -- ThinkZILLA Consulting, announced its 15-week entrepreneur accelerator program for female minority entrepreneurs. The only firm that combines program management resources with extensive DE&I expertise, a network of thousands of minority-led business suppliers and full-service marketing capabilities, has expanded programming to combat poverty and support entrepreneurs in need of access. Quality business training and mentorship.

Earlier this year, ThinkZILLA expanded to Scottsdale at the Arizona State University SkySong Innovation Center, where it launched the first United Diversity Business Summit, convening business experts and CEOs to share innovative approaches to enhancing Arizona's economic growth outcomes.

The recent "State of Black Business" report highlighted racial gaps in Arizona, where Black workers are underrepresented in most industries yet overrepresented in the state's lowest earning brackets, and the business accelerator intends to reverse these trends.

"Education and entrepreneurship can support individuals and business owners in rising from poverty, creating sustainable enterprises and making a true mark on the Arizona business world and culture," said Dr. Trayham. "We are proud to lead the way in executing to seeing more business owners build and scale across the state."

ThinkZILLA's 15-Week Accelerator Program is in partnership with the Millionaire Mastermind Academy, a 501(c)(3) organization that aims to end poverty through entrepreneurship, has helped more than 7,000 women nationwide gain the education and training they need to succeed in business. Since its founding in 2017, the Millionaire Mastermind Academy has awarded $60,000 in scholarships and more than $30,000 in seed funding to help African American women entrepreneurs create successful and sustainable business enterprises.

"The Pioneer Accelerator Program couldn't have selected a better time to launch in Arizona," noted Cloves Campbell, Jr., owner and publisher of the Arizona Informant, which recently celebrated 50 years of recording Black history. "As the Black population has increased astronomically, so, too, has the number of Black businesses. The need for programs that can specifically assist our Black entrepreneurs is long overdue. Dr. Velma Trayham and her team are providing a service that will not only create more Black businesses in Arizona but will also stimulate the economy for all of Arizona!"

Companies that commit to diversity, equity and inclusion benefit broadly with financial growth, a more diverse and stable employee base, deeper diverse supply chain engagement, greater innovation and enhanced company reputation.

Applications for the Hybrid business accelerator will begin accepting applications Jan. 10, with a deadline of Feb 15. The program will kick off with orientation at ThinkZILLA's SkySong office on March 1.

Learn more: https://millionairemastermindacademy.org/entrepreneur-accelerator-program/

The 15-week program will cover branding, doing business with local government and corporations, funding a business for growth, sales and marketing, and more. In addition, it will provide mentorship and networking to expand entrepreneurial knowledge, connections, and opportunities with the aim of helping business owners and entrepreneurs acquire the skills and support they need to scale and succeed in Arizona.

This program is made possible by public and private partnerships. Founding sponsors for the Accelerator program include American Landmark, M&T Bank and Blaylock Van, LLC.

About the Millionaire Mastermind Academy:

The Millionaire Mastermind Academy was designed to empower Black women to overcome the challenges of economic instability through entrepreneurship and small business. The Millionaire Mastermind Academy educates women and support the growth of their small businesses, engages entrepreneurship to combat the threat of poverty and gender-based income disparities, and enhance local community economies.

For more information, please visit http://millionairemastermindacademy.org/.

About ThinkZILLA:

With its mission to increase economic impact through cultural diversity, ThinkZILLA helps organizations create a positive economic impact. ThinkZILLA supports clients interested in addressing inequities and realizing growth opportunities through Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Programming, while impacting the local community.

To learn more about ThinkZILLA visit https://ThinkZILLAconsulting.com/.

CITATION:

"State of Black Business" report - (PDF) https://2301uj1nvlmrmp0ty21tpfxk-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/State-of-Black-Business-Report_small.pdf

ThinkZILLA Consulting, announced its 15-week entrepreneur accelerator program for female minority entrepreneurs. The only firm that combines program management resources with extensive DE&I expertise, a network of thousands of minority-led business suppliers and full-service marketing capabilities, has expanded programming to combat poverty and support entrepreneurs in need of access.

Related link: https://thinkzillaconsulting.com/

Insightful Woman Launches Business During Pandemic Supporting Female Artisans and Entrepreneurs

GREENSBORO, N.C. /ScoopCloud/ -- While the pandemic continues to shatter businesses and the world is urged to stay at home, Allie Petrova, founder of Bellani, a luxury merino wool blanket maker, decided to bring warmth into people's homes and lives. Like many other professionals, Petrova, a North Carolina tax attorney, replaced in-person, client meetings with virtual ones.

And, whether working at her home office desk, or unwinding while watching movies in the living room, she wished for a natural blanket to wrap her in comfort and coziness.

With an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to help others, she set out to create the perfect blanket made of luxuriously soft fine merino. The name "Bellani" was an intuitive fit: it comes from the Italian words for beautiful (bella) and wool (lana). The blankets are made in Europe from pure, natural and sustainable materials.

Petrova sought to support female entrepreneurs and artisans, many are single mothers or sole breadwinners for the family. Bellani's major supplier is a partnership owned by two women. Women artisans hand finish the fringe on each blanket from the Luxe Collection, which offers a combination of classic and contemporary designs that elevate spaces and bring delightful warmth. The blankets are crafted at wool mills with traditions in the making of wool products, particularly blankets.

"While so many businesses were shutting down, I worked to plant a seed that would grow something new and beautiful," Petrova says. "Despite many challenges and disruptions caused by the pandemic, I found the right mill to weave the blankets, chose from tens of colors for the right patterns, and located the perfect, fine merino supplier."

In addition to adult blankets in the Luxe Collection, Bellani offers fine merino baby and pet blankets. They come in delicate patterns and timeless colors. People are met with softness beyond compare, when they run their hands over the Bellani blankets.

"Our baby blankets have been very popular with grandparents who are buying them as gifts as well as for baby showers," Petrova says. "And pets are a very important part of the family too - we didn't want our furry friends to be left out."

Bellani is unveiling its Royal Blanket - exclusively on https://mybellani.com. This blanket will be the ultimate in luxury. The fabric is made in Italy from fine Australian merino wool and comes in a generous size to fit a Queen-sized bed.

About Bellani

Founded in 2020, Bellani manufactures heirloom quality, fine merino wool blankets with timeless designs, luxurious softness and ultimate comfort. All products are made in Europe and are 100 percent natural. Shipping is available to the U.S. and Canada.

For more information, visit: https://mybellani.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/bellaniblankets/

MULTIMEDIA:

*PHOTO link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/20-1203s2p-bellani-aurora-300dpi.jpg

*Caption: Bellani's Luxe Collection: Aurora Blanket.

While the pandemic continues to shatter businesses and the world is urged to stay at home, Allie Petrova, founder of Bellani, a luxury merino wool blanket maker, decided to bring warmth into people's homes and lives. Like many other professionals, Petrova, a North Carolina tax attorney, replaced in-person, client meetings with virtual ones.

Related link: https://mybellani.com/

Glynns Thomas Portraits Certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Glynns Thomas Portraits LLC, a business specializing in headshot and custom stock photography, is proud to announce national certification as a Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) and as a Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB). These certifications were provided by the Women's Business Enterprise Council - Pacific, a regional certifying partner of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

"This is an exciting day for me. I believe both the WBE and WOSB certifications will give me an opportunity to be at the bidding table for projects I wouldn't have known about and may not have had access to," says owner, Glynns Thomas. "Equally as exciting to me is the opportunity to serve companies and organizations that support diversity from their suppliers. I am also looking forward to meeting other women-owned businesses that have been certified by WBENC in the Pacific region and nationally, to network with, and to learn from and support each other."

WBENC's national standard of certification, implemented by WBEC Pacific, is a meticulous process including an in-depth review of the business and site inspection. The certification process is designed to confirm the business is at least 51% owned, operated, and controlled by a woman or women.

By including women-owned businesses among their suppliers, corporations and government agencies demonstrate their commitment to fostering diversity and the continued development of their supplier diversity programs.

About Glynns Thomas Portraits LLC

Specializing in headshots and custom stock photography for companies and organizations in the greater Sacramento area. For more information, visit https://www.glynnsthomas.com/ or connect directly at (916) 294-7926 and hello@glynnsthomas.com.

About WBENC:

Founded in 1997, WBENC is the nation's leader in women's business development and the leading third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women, with more than 13,000 certified Women's Business Enterprises, 14 national Regional Partner Organizations, and over 300 Corporate Members. More than 1,000 corporations representing America's most prestigious brands as well as many states, cities, and other entities accept WBENC Certification. For more information, visit https://www.wbenc.org/.

MEDIA ONLY CONTACT
Glynns Thomas
(916) 294-7926
hello@glynnsthomas.com

Glynns Thomas Portraits LLC, a business specializing in headshot and custom stock photography, is proud to announce national certification as a Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) and as a Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB).

Related link: https://www.glynnsthomas.com/

Houston Shattering Glass Ceilings as a Top 10 U.S. City with Most Women-Owned Startups

HOUSTON, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- From Oct. 8-16, 2019, Sesh Coworking will host the first-female focused coworking space pop-up to promote entrepreneurs, influential women, and the coworking community in Houston, Texas.

This interactive co-created pop-up features a showcase of local businesses, business leaders and inspiring women. Sesh Coworking will highlight local examples of the woman-owned economy at work, which has become a multibillion-dollar industry and social safety net in the new economic framework.

While this pop up is the first of its kind taking place in Houston, Sesh Coworking has been building its community since 2017.

Who: Sesh Coworking.

What: Networking, coworking, speakers, interactive experiences, fashion, fitness, local artists, raffles, swag bags, skill share and more. The event will also feature the debut of the new coworking space, opening in 2020, set to take Houston by storm as the first female-focused coworking space to empower and support women on their professional journey.

Where: Event Information: Sharespace, 1120 Naylor Street, Houston TX 77002.

When: October 8-16, 2019.

Event Page: https://www.girlsesh.com/pop-up/take-up-space

About Sesh Coworking:

We are a community of professional, cultivated and fearless women seeking support, balance, and success in our lives.

We are women making it happen every day no matter how small the steps must be. We are women that know where you work and who you work with matters. We are graphic designers, consultants, lawyers, photographers, artists, service providers, bloggers, - the list goes on.

We do not define ourselves by our titles because our titles are many and performed simultaneously.

We do not judge. We empower. We do not hold back. We lift up. We do not shy away - we approach. And we desire more than the status quo. We deserve more than the status quo. You deserve more than the status quo. And we do not stop until we've achieved it. And we should not have to do it alone.

Learn more: https://www.girlsesh.com/

Media Contact:
Shania Khan
for the love of people consulting group
shania@flpconsultinggroup.com
917-402-0038

Twitter: @seshcoworking #takeupspace #seshcoworking #ohseshyoucan #hautesesh #seshhouston

From Oct. 8-16, 2019, Sesh Coworking will host the first-female focused coworking space pop-up to promote entrepreneurs, influential women, and the coworking community in Houston, Texas.

Related link: https://www.girlsesh.com/

Cornerstone Ranch Expansion Preserves Land and More than Doubles Space

PRINCETON, Mass. /ScoopCloud/ -- Cornerstone Ranch started out 18 years ago with 24 acres in Princeton. A recent land acquisition of 31 acres in Rutland more than doubles the size of this woman-owned and operated business.

Susan Connell, Cornerstone's founder and owner, explains that not only was this land purchase a benefit to the ranch, but to the community as a whole. "The land is now preserved from future development. The scenic backdrop provides outdoor recreational activities for all ages. Trail rides, sleigh rides, riding lessons, pony rides, birthday parties and group outings are some of the many activities we host throughout the year," she says.

This expansion provides an increased ability to host more birthday party events, summer ice cream socials (each flavor is named after a horse on the ranch) and barbecues. There's a small animal yard for petting, horse-drawn wagon rides with a historical spin and accelerated "Learn to Ride" clinics for adult riders to improve and learn new skills.

There's even the "Wild Child Express Trolley" for kids to enjoy. The trolley was originally located at the University of New Hampshire and served as a concession stand outside of the college. It's an original from the Classic Trolley Company and today it serves as a place to get a cool ice cream on a hot day.

Connell is dedicated to educating people from all walks of life about the history and culture which makes people's love for horses so strong.

"I promote safe, humane equestrian activities by educating and engaging people in the sport of riding and driving horses in a safe, friendly and non-competitive atmosphere. Sharing the ranch with so many individuals and families traveling from far away and locally is very rewarding. Seeing joy on people's faces as they return from a trail ride, often on a horse we have rehabilitated, is truly a rewarding and heartwarming experience," Connell says.

For more information, visit: https://www.cornerstoneranch.org/.

Watch a video (YouTube): https://youtu.be/E-Uh8WYn-fA.

About Cornerstone Ranch:

This family-run business is opened year-round. Two of Connell's children, Julia and John, both work on the ranch in addition to many volunteers, some of whom have helped out for more than 10 years. Many of their horses have been turned in by people who could no longer care for them. Cornerstone devotes the time, patience and experience required to rehabilitate and retrain them.

Cornerstone Ranch started out 18 years ago with 24 acres in Princeton. A recent land acquisition of 31 acres in Rutland more than doubles the size of this woman-owned and operated business.

Related link: https://www.cornerstoneranch.org/

NEXT and Housing Finance Strategies Form Strategic Alliance

WASHINGTON, D.C. /ScoopCloud/ -- NEXT Mortgage Events, creator of NEXT women's mortgage technology summit, today announced it has engaged in a strategic alliance with Housing Finance Strategies, a Washington, DC-based advisory firm led by renowned industry veteran and award winner Faith Schwartz, former executive director of HOPE NOW.

This alliance enables NEXT to establish a Washington, DC presence and expand its footprint into housing policy and regulations. It also allows Housing Finance Strategies to increase its visibility and reach among the NEXT community, which includes thousands of high-ranking women mortgage executives, and the organizations that support them.

The companies plan to collaborate on a variety of projects that advance executives' industry knowledge of housing policy and regulations, and promote effective deal-making.

"This collaboration avails a new level of intel to the NEXT community and puts a lot of power behind our growth plans," said Jeri Yoshida, co-founder of NEXT. "Housing Finance Strategies is respected across the housing industry for its expertise, and Faith is renowned for decades of noteworthy accomplishments. We're thrilled for the advances this collaboration will bring to the industry."

"Having served as the keynote speaker at the NEXT Technology conference earlier this year on behalf of FormFree, I was enamored with the niche NEXT serves," said Faith Schwartz, Owner of Housing Finance Strategies, LLC. "The intersection of my consulting firm -- with clients ranging from big 4 consulting firms to non-banks and fintechs -- and NEXT is a tremendous fit and the timing with all the housing related issues in play is prescient."

"NEXT is known for delivering the type of executive intel that changes business outcomes, as well as individual careers," said Molly Dowdy, co-founder of NEXT. "This strategic alliance will turbocharge what NEXT delivers as Faith and Housing Finance Strategies bring unrivaled thought leadership to the NEXT community on a consistent basis."

The two firms will continue to operate their businesses and corporate entities without a change in structure while leveraging the benefits of the alliance.

About NEXT Mortgage Events LLC:

In January 2018, NEXT Mortgage Events broke the mortgage industry's unspoken barriers that limit women's access to competitive intel and networking-based information exchange, when it introduced NEXT, the mortgage technology summit for women. NEXT is a two-day, tech-focused symposium based on lenders sharing competitive intel with other lending executives. A boutique gathering, each NEXT event is limited to 200 attendees, and targets a select group of decision making executives. Roughly 85-90 percent of lender attendees hold a title of VP or higher and approximately 85 percent of attendees are women. NEXT is held twice a year, in winter and summer. For more information visit NEXTMortgageConference.com, follow @NEXTmtgEvents or email info@NEXTmortgageEvents.com.

About Housing Finance Strategies:

Housing Finance Strategies is a small woman-owned business founded in 2016 to provide Strategic Advisory Services, Government and Industry Relations, Public Policy Expertise, Roundtable and Event Management and Professional Speaking Services. The firm brings 25+ years of expertise to the forefront of mortgage, including leading fintech change, advising on GSE reform and ensuring non bank readiness for regulatory oversight. For more information, visit HousingFinanceStrategies.com or email admin@housingfinancestrategies.com.

NEXT Mortgage Events, creator of NEXT women's mortgage technology summit, today announced it has engaged in a strategic alliance with Housing Finance Strategies, a Washington, DC-based advisory firm led by renowned industry veteran and award winner Faith Schwartz, former executive director of HOPE NOW.

Related link: https://www.nextmortgageconference.com/

Residents Medical Celebrates Women Doctors in Honor of 2019 International Women’s Day

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Residents Medical, a woman-owned, internationally-renowned graduate medical education organization, is excited to celebrate International Woman's Day on March 8. Agata Everest, owner, has a special passion for the recognition this day brings to women, worldwide.

Everest comes from a medical background and carries the torch of her father-in-law, a lauded doctor and philanthropist. She is also the Chair of The Everest Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that assists teaching hospitals and medical schools, globally with research grants, and creates innovative solutions at teaching hospitals in the sphere of Graduate Medical Education (GME). The foundation supports young medical school students and medical school graduate cohorts with her Everest Scholars' Initiative.

In addition to running two successful organizations, Everest is a dedicated wife and mother to three young children. As a European immigrant, she says she embodies the "American Dream," and wants to help others achieve it too. Through her organizations, she gives back to the community and is humble about her accomplishments. She credits her grounded approach to her relationship with and trust in Jesus Christ. These principles guide her organizations and motivate her moral values and passions to help humanity.

Both Residents Medical and The Everest Foundation work hand-in-hand to help alleviate America's residency bottleneck and doctor shortage. Residents Medical is recognized as a progressive and innovative educational organization that helps women across the world to achieve their professional goals of becoming a resident physician in America - a tough and competitive feat to accomplish in a once male-dominated profession.

Dr. Oshobe and Dr. Saleem are two such examples of medical school graduates who achieved their Dream Residency with help from Residents Medical.

Dr. Oshobe was admitted into Residents Medical's Research to Residency program. When she started, she had an attempt on one of her USMLE exams, limited research experience, but had a drive and passion to achieve her Dream Residency. We helped her secure a research position along with providing her additional preparatory initiatives, including a prelim residency which then led to her Matching into her preferred specialty, an Internal Medicine PGY-2 Categorical, all through Residents Medical's guidance and network.

Dr. Saleem is also an alumna of our Research to Residency program. She is an International graduate from a medical school in the UAE. She was diligent in her research despite her multiple failed attempts on her USMLEs. She worked under a lauded mentor, submitted many papers, and gave multiple poster presentations during this rehabilitation process. This gave her the competitive edge she was missing, which allowed her to land her Dream Residency in a PGY-1 Internal Medicine Post-Match position in 2017.

"I'm so happy to have the expertise, insight and woman's intuition that helps these young medical students and graduates achieve their goals," Everest says. "Women bring an embedded and innate empathy to the field."

Everest's desire is to see more women executives in leadership positions at schools of medicine and teaching hospitals that her foundation supports.

"There seem to be high-entry barriers for those top corner office spots," she says. "International Women's Day is the perfect time to celebrate and encourage the advancement of women in medicine."

About Residents Medical:

Residents Medical is an innovative educational organization with its sphere of influence in medical education. Residents Medical prepares, educates through its proprietary courses, counsels, consults, and has placement services for its candidates. Residents Medical's Residency Placement Guidance Program is highly sought after and highly competitive. Only qualified candidates are accepted. RM works with The Everest Foundation, nominating a selected few of its candidates for an Everest Foundation Scholars tenure in research, post graduate unaccredited training, and other medical residency candidacy CV building procurements. This proprietary process helps the candidate prove themselves to the residency programs where they are given interviews for a coveted ACGME accredited residency position.

For more information, visit: https://residentsmedical.com/; or call: (310) 444-9700.

Residents Medical, a woman-owned, internationally-renowned graduate medical education organization, is excited to celebrate International Woman's Day on March 8, 2019. Agata Everest, owner, has a special passion for the recognition this day brings to women, worldwide.

Related link: https://residentsmedical.com/