The Women’s Business Development Council is set to officially unveil its fifth women’s business center on Monday, Sept.16.
The 2,500-square-foot women’s center is the first in Hartford and is located at 190 Trumbull St., Suite 201, and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Gov. Ned Lamont, Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam and Department of Economic and Community Development Deputy Commissioner Paul O. Robertson are expected attendees for the unveiling, according to the council.
The new location, which is in the The Brownstone Building, was funded in part by a $150,000 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration, according to the council. The Brownstone Building was constructed in 1900 and the business center will be in a newly renovated space, which will be used to connect with “current and aspiring entrepreneurs in the Greater Hartford region,” according to the council.
“While WBDC has been supporting women-owned businesses in the Greater Hartford region throughout our nearly 30 years and we are thrilled to now have a physical presence in the Capital City, providing us with an opportunity be an integral part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region. I and the entire WBDC team are excited to work with more of the entrepreneurs in the region,” Council CEO Fran Pastore said in a statement.
WBDC was one of 17 organizations nationwide selected for the grant through a competitive application process to open a women’s business center, according to the council.
“For years, Fran Pastore and her staff at the WBDC have been valuable partners in our efforts to support Connecticut’s business community, and the organization’s new office in Hartford will enable their outreach to expand even further,” Gov. Ned Lamont said, also in a statement. “I’m excited to welcome the WBDC to our capital city and I look forward to continuing our partnership with this organization in a way that benefits the growth of our economy, the creation of new jobs, and the success of businesses in Connecticut.”
The council’s “mission is to support economic prosperity for women and strengthen communities through entrepreneurial and financial education services that create and grow sustainable jobs and businesses across Connecticut.”
According to the council, it has educated and trained nearly 20,000 clients in all of Connecticut’s 169 towns since 1997.
Further, according to the council:
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Since 2020, it has provided more than $11 million in grants to help fuel growth in small businesses throughout the state;
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It has helped women to launch, sustain, and scale more than 14,700 businesses, create and maintain more than 33,800 jobs in Connecticut, and access $63.7 million in capital.
