| HOT
TOPICS |
|
 Find
out what Shoshana Frumkin (On
the Spot Massage) has to say
about leveraging a loan from Women's
Initiative to grow her business.
Today you can find On the Spot
in two retail locations in the
East Bay and at numerous corporate
events.Take
a Load Off
 Having
you been meaning to weed through
your closets and kitchen? Get
rid of toys your kids don’t
play with anymore? What about
the piece of furniture in your
garage that you’ve been
wanting to get rid off? You
can take care of your Spring Cleaning
and help Women's Initiative at
the same time! Donate
your items to Community Thrift
Store and let them know your favorite
charity is us! It’s easy
to designate your recycled items
to benefit our programs. Drop
off items at 623 Valencia Street
(near 17th Street - San Francisco).
Call (415) 861-4910 for donation
hours.
Honor
Your Mom and the Mothers in Your
Life
 Let
your mom know that you are celebrating
her with a unique gift that helps
the whole community thrive. Give
a gift of love this Mother’s
Day by making a donation to Women’s
Initiative in your mother’s
name. By supporting other
mothers, sisters, daughters who
are starting and growing businesses
in the Bay Area, your mother can
feel good about a gift that makes
a big impact in the lives of talented
and creative women who need access
to resources to make their businesses
a success. This year
your gift will make a loving imprint
on your mother’s heart and
on women who are on the brink
of turning their dream of business
ownership into reality. And don’t
worry we’ll send your mother
a thank you letter in time for
Mother’s Day. »
Make your gift NOW
and let us know that you are making
your gift on behalf of you mother.
Looking
for something more tangible? Consider
sending your mother a gift from
our Private
Collection. The Private
Collection is a selection of beautifully
designed products created by Women’s
Initiative graduates – everything
from hand-loomed scarves to chocolates.
You won’t have to look much
farther to find the perfect gift
for your mom. All proceeds benefit
Women's Initiative programs and
its graduates. »
CHECK OUT THE PRODUCTS.
| FEATURED
PARTNER
We
would like to thank SF
Station for their continued
support over the past two
years as one of our media
sponsors of the gala. SF
Station is the SF Bay Area’s
definitive online city guide.
Since 1996, SF Station has
been providing users with
comprehensive and up-to-the-minute
event calendar listings,
a dynamic business directory
and a progressive editorial
voice that reviews anything
from films, music shows,
restaurants and more. SF
Station has become the "Go
To" resource for over
500,000 users for planing
out their weekends and social
activities.
|
5,000
Women Exposed to Women's Initiative
 |
| Rene
Brice, Jewels of the Nile
by Rene |
At
the Professional Business Women’s
Conference May 2nd Women’s
Initiative and its graduates shined.
There were 40 graduates in attendance
– 21 of them had booths
as part of the Women's Initiative
marketplace at the Expo. Because
of their terrific looking spaces,
it was no wonder that their products
and booths were the most popular
destination on the whole tradeshow
floor! Almost all had gone through
a tradeshow booth training led
by communications expert Fran
Zone, Zone Communication, the
week leading up to the Expo.
 |
| Susan
Grant, Baja Nights |
At
the conference, Women's Initiative
also ran an entrepreneurial track
that included three sessions.
Seminars were attended by over
200 people! Friends of Women's
Initiative and Business Connector
participants wore special buttons
to let people know that there
were giving back to the community
in a major way by helping to move
women from poverty to prosperity.
 |
| Erica
Varize, EVarize Fashion Cafe |
Women's Initiative Judy Bloom,
former president of PBWC, made
scholarships available to clients
to attend the entire day of seminars,
keynotes and networking events.
"PBWC
was not only fabulous because
I got to share the day with other
women who are a part of SuccessLink's
networking collaborative, but
I also was able share my business
with other women who appreciate
the entrepreneurial mind that
Women's Initiative fosters. I
would highly recommend representing
Women's Initiative at future PBWC
gatherings. I felt the graduates
of Women's Initiative who were
part of the Expo left a lasting
impression on the PBWC staff!
Keep it up ladies!" -- Erica
Varize
|
|
| IN
THE NEWS |
|
| Graduate
Rene Brice was featured
in the East Bay Business Times
in an article “Make
hers a $1 million business.” 2004
Graduate Alice Olivier
of Aleeco's House of Flowers, Plants and
Fine Things had the exterior of a home she
staged with potted flowers featured in the
Parade of Homes which aired on Channel 4
in April. Graduate Erica Varize
and her business EVarize Fashion Cafe were
voted “Best New Business and Best
Specialty Store” by reader of the
East Bay Express. |
| |
| DID
YOU KNOW? |
|
|
Women’s
Initiative graduates who participate in
the matched savings program have saved
nearly $60,000 since 2003. They were able
to save the money using Individual Savings
Accounts (IDAs). There was a great article
about IDA savers on NPR last month. CLICK
HERE to read the story.
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|
| EVENTS |
|
Small
Business Week Kick-off Event in City
Hall
SBA celebrates the contribution of entrepreneurs
to America's economy each year with
our National Small Business Week. Women's
Initiative staff and graduates will
participate. From May 15 through 20,
The SBA will be hosting events around
the Bay Area to show appreciation for
all the hard work small businesses do
year round. In San Francisco, join other
women entrepreneurs for the annual Kick-off
Event in City Hall on Monday, May 15,
6pm. This will be a great opportunity
for networking with other entrepreneurs,
corporations and organizations. If you're
in business, this is an evening not
to be missed. Also stop by the Women's
Initiative booth at the Expo on May
17th. To register CLICK
HERE.
A
Celebration of Love
Kim Le, owner of Nurturing Salon presents
A Celebration of Love on Sunday
May 28th, 2pm-6pm. Love hurts and love
heals. We all have had that experience.
Take this opportunity to celebrate love
through breathing, drawing and dancing.
Say yes to your goals, yes to your business,
yes to life, yes to yourself. Workshop
given by Linda Flagel, Presence of Now,
and Women’s Initiative graduate.
There will also be time for networking
and enjoying refreshments brought by
Linda. This event takes place in the
healing environment of Kim Le's Nurturing
Salon (1929 Lombard Street, San Francisco).
Seated is limited. Early registration
before May 18th: $50.00 or $60.00 at
the door. Call (415) 333-8714 or (415)
297-4394 to register.
Don't
Miss It - Women's Initiative's Gala
honoring women who walk the walk.
Tuesday,
June 6, 2006
5:30
p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Westin St. Francis Hotel
Enjoy
friends and new entrepreneurs, come
prepared to fall in love with their
beautiful products at the marketplace
and network with the people you need
to know! For
more information,
CLICK
HERE. You
are welcome to invite friends to this
event »
CLICK HERE to send them a personalized
message. Perhaps there is someone who
has helped you walk your walk —
bring them along!
|
| |
| RESOURCES
& OPPORTUNITIES |
|
Do
you need an event space?
Graduate Svea Lin Vezzone, owner of
Swarm Studios (Jack London Square, Oakland)
opens the studios as a site for events
such as workshops, slide presentations
or artist talks. Swarm Gallery, located
in the light-filled storefront of Swarm
Studios, offers a hip and unique setting
for receptions, presentations, meetings,
film/video screenings, performances,
education and design-related events.
The gallery space is approximately 1,600
square feet. For more information visit
www.swarmstudios.net
and be sure to let Svea know that you
were referred by Women's Initiative.
|
| |
| PICK
OF THE MONTH |
|
Karuna's
Picks
Waddle and Swaddle
and Crackerjacks
One of my favorite things about working
at Women’s Initiative is discovering
our graduates amazing businesses when
I’m out exploring the Bay Area.
Even after three years of working here,
I still regularly encounter new-to-me
graduate businesses. I discovered two
of my favorite graduate businesses about
a year ago after my daughter, Rylyn,
was born.
Waddle
and Swaddle (1677 Shattuck
at Virginia - Berkeley) is a must-visit
for any new parent or friend of a new
parent. It has lovely baby gear and
clothes and also hosts an array of workshops
and classes, from birth preparation
to infant massage. The store made an
impression on me for its selection of
gorgeous and unique diaper bags. I had
spent a couple months looking high and
low for something other than the all-too-common
cutsy, all-pastel bag. Waddle and Swaddle’s
stock of lovely and stylish Asian fabric
and funky modern print diaper bags immediately
caught my eye and felt like more of
a match for my less-than-ultra-femme
style. I also savor their selection
of stylish baby clothes. After my daughter
was born, I continued to visit the store
to shop and to attend workshops including
the local La Leche League monthly meeting,
which is hosted at the store. So, imagine
my pleasure when at our Taking Flight
with Your Business conference last October,
I met Women's Initiative graduate Linda
Jones-Mixon, owner of Waddle
and Swaddle. Now I can proudly say that
one of my favorite baby-stores was started
by a graduate of our program. Visit
www.waddleandswaddle.com
or call (510) 540-7210.
Although
I personally knew Women's Initiative
graduate Elizabeth Helm,
I did not know she was the owner of
Crackerjacks (14 Glen
Ave. near Piedmont Ave.) before I wandered
into her new and used children’s
clothing store. My partner and I chose
to buy used clothes and gear as part
of our environmental commitment to reduce
landfill waste and also manufacturing
pollution. Besides, used items are affordable
and we enjoy finding great stuff for
less then half the price of new items.
Crackerjacks has the best selection
of gently-used cloth diaper wraps in
town and when Rylyn was first born,
I frequented the store for those and
the great baby clothes. Elizabeth has
a great aesthetic and Crackerjacks has
the most fashionable selection of used
children’s clothes in the Bay
Area. Many of our favorite clothes and
Rylyn’s sweetest outfits came
from Crackerjacks including a wonderful
organic cotton sleep suit when she was
a baby, a fabulous funky green polka
dot fleece that she unfortunately outgrew
recently, and her great orange corduroy
jacket that she wears for most of her
spring-time walks. Crackerjacks also
has a small maternity section, all sorts
of baby gear from strollers to cribs
and some toys. They also buy used items
so we have an account and make monthly
trips to sell items and buy new wonderful
ones. (510) 654-8844.
|
|
CLICK
HERE