ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTERS CELEBRATES ANNOUNCEMENT OF 17 NEW WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER AWARDS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 5, 2024 The U.S. Small Business Administration recently
announced an expansion of Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) across ten states. Of the 17 new
Women’s Business Centers, 13 of them are being hosted by established Minority Serving
Institutions (MSIs).

Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, spearheading the Small Business Administration (SBA),
emphasized the pivotal role these centers play in bolstering the small business sector, particularly
for women, and especially women of color. In a release published at SBA.gov, Guzman stated,
“The SBA’s expanding network of Women’s Business Centers is meeting these new and
established businesses where they are with resources to help them get funding to grow, create
jobs, and strengthen our economy. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, the Biden-Harris
Administration is proud to double down on its commitment to expanding opportunity and
leveling the playing field for women and all those who have been underinvested in for too long.”

The Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC) is proud to support the newly
established WBCs as they provide essential resources such as one-on-one counseling, training,
technical assistance, and mentoring on various business development topics including startups,
financial management, marketing, and procurement. AWBC’s Board Chair, Roberta
McCullough, said, “The additional WBCs address service gaps in critical areas of the country
where support is needed. We applaud the work of SBA to award these organizations and look
forward to supporting them in their launch and ongoing operations.”

In a release published at SBA.gov, Christina Hale, Assistant Administrator for the Office of
Women’s Business Ownership, highlighted the critical role of WBCs in supporting women
entrepreneurs: “Women entrepreneurs are out front leading the way, driving record numbers of
small business applications all around the country, and the SBA’s WBCs empower their efforts
through training, technical assistance, and access to credit and capital. WBC resources can be
game-changing for women just starting or for those scaling up and growing their businesses as
well.”

Below is the full list of new WBCs:

California:
- Pasadena Area Community College District (MSI) – Pasadena, CA
- Vermont-Slauson LDC, Inc. (MSI) – Los Angeles, CA
- New Economics for Women (MSI) – Los Angeles, CA
Connecticut:
- Women’s Business Development Council – Stamford, CT
Washington, D.C.:
- Washington Area Community Investment Fund – Washington, D.C.
Florida:
- The Greater North Miami Chamber of Commerce (MSI) – North Miami, FL
Hawaii:
- YWCA Oahu (MSI) – Honolulu, HI
Illinois:
- The Puerto Rican Cultural Center (MSI) – Chicago, IL
- Women’s Business Development (MSI) – Chicago, IL
Louisiana:
- Urban League of Louisiana(MSI) – New Orleans, LA
Ohio:
- Economic and Community Development Institute (MSI) – Columbus, OH
Oregon:
- Livelihood NW – Portland, OR
South Carolina:
- Southern Palmetto Regional Chamber of Commerce (MSI) -Barnwell, SC
Tennessee:
- Kingsport Chamber Foundation – Kingsport, TN
Texas:
- Houston Women’s Business Council, Inc. (MSI) – Houston, TX
Virginia:
- Old Dominion University Research Foundation (MSI) – Norfolk, VA
Wisconsin:
- Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (MSI) – Milwaukee, WI

For more information about the Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC) and its initiatives, visit www.awbc.org.

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About the Association of Women’s Business Centers

The Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1998 to support the national network of Women’s Business Centers (WBC) with programming and advocacy. The AWBC works to secure economic justice and entrepreneurial opportunities for women by supporting and sustaining a national network of nearly 150 Women’s Business Centers (WBC) in every State in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. WBCs have more than 30-years of success in providing educational training, mentoring, free business counseling, business development, and financing opportunities to over 150,000 women entrepreneurs and small businesses each year. The WBC program is a public-private partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration. To learn more about AWBC visit www.awbc.org.