Women's Initiative Newsletter

In recent months, we’ve seen an increase in both hope and need. People are hopeful as there are signs of the economy picking up, yet unemployment remains at record highs and the need for our services continues to increase. Now more than ever, people want to feel like they’re making a difference in the world, but they’re not sure how or where to start. Today, I'm asking you to do three simple things that will take very little effort on your part, but will empower others to take action, and will have a tremendous impact on our organization.

Forward this email to three friends or colleagues who you think would be interested in Women’s Initiative’s mission, but may not have heard of us.
Become a fan in Facebook , then click on ‘suggest to friends’ so that all of your Facebook friends stay up to date about Women’s Initiative
The next time you’re at a networking event, cocktail party or dinner party, talk to someone you’ve just met about Women’s Initiative. Repeat an impressive stat for instance, in 2008, Women’s Initiative graduates created 2.25 jobs per day or talk about one of the courageous women who have gone through our program and have launched businesses such as Ana Cecilia Valdivieso, owner of My Second Home Infant and Toddler.

Hot Topics \| In the News\| Policy Call to Action \|Graduate Spotlight\| Volunteer Spotlight \| Get Involved \| Events
Hello friends, In recent months, we’ve seen an increase in both hope and need. People are hopeful as there are signs of the economy picking up, yet unemployment remains at record highs and the need for our services continues to increase. Now more than ever, people want to feel like they’re making a difference in the world, but they’re not sure how or where to start. Today, I'm asking you to do three simple things that will take very little effort on your part, but will empower others to take action, and will have a tremendous impact on our organization. Forward this email to three friends or colleagues who you think would be interested in Women’s Initiative’s mission, but may not have heard of us. Become a fan in Facebook , then click on ‘suggest to friends’ so that all of your Facebook friends stay up to date about Women’s Initiative The next time you’re at a networking event, cocktail party or dinner party, talk to someone you’ve just met about Women’s Initiative. Repeat an impressive stat for instance, in 2008, Women’s Initiative graduates created 2.25 jobs per day or talk about one of the courageous women who have gone through our program and have launched businesses such as Ana Cecilia Valdivieso, owner of My Second Home Infant and Toddler. -Julie Castro Abrams Women's Initiative CEO Top
Hot Topics Women's Initiative congratulates the 2009 Woman-Owned Businesses of the Year Throughout the Bay Area, women business leaders are making a real difference in their communities – mentoring others, leading by example, innovating within their industries and stimulating the local economy. Thanks to everyone who nominated a business and helped spread the word about our program, and thanks to all the nominees who submitted entries. At Women’s Initiative, we celebrate all women in business, and have created an award to showcase those who are going above and beyond. Click here to find out who the 2009 winners are.
We invite you to help us honor these women at one of our upcoming regional Woman-Owned Business celebration events. More information and links to RSVP and purchase tickets are below Marin Winners Event “The Women driving the economic Success” Nov 5, 6pm-9pm, RAB Motors, 540 Francisco Blvd West, San Rafael, CA San Francisco Winners Event Nov 6,, 5pm-9pm, 111 Minna Gallery, 111 Minna St. San Francisco, CA Alameda Winners Event “Taste of Success”, Nov 9, 5:30pm-8:30pm, Claremont Resort and Spa, 41 Tunnel Road, Berkeley, CA Silicon Valley Winners Event Nov 10, 5:30pm-8:30pm, Google, Olympus Conference Room, 1400 Crittenden Lane, Mountain View, CA 94043 Contra Costa Winners Event Nov 17, 4:30pm - 8:30pm, Round Hill Country Club, 3169 Roundhill Rd, Alamo, CA
Women a Big Force in Business As reported by Yian Q. Mui in the Washington Post on October 3, a new study by the Center for Women’s Business Research shows that women-owned businesses generate about $3 trillion in revenue and employ 16 percent of the workforce, making them significant players in the national economy. As Mui reports, the study is a “wake-up call for those who consider women to be niche players.” This is not surprising to those of us involved with Women’s Initiative. Every day our graduates are leaving poverty to create successful businesses that strengthen their local communities. In addition, our graduates created 2.25 new jobs EVERY DAY in 2008 alone. This impacts far more than the lives of the women in the training rooms – our research has shown that for every $1 invested in the women in our program, $30 goes back to the local economy. That’s a powerful return on investment. We see ongoing success – 5 years after graduating, 78% will still be in business (as compared to 47% of small businesses still operating after 4 years according to US Small Business Administration). This helps a significant number of women move from poverty alleviation to income generation to asset building to economic security, thus achieving the goal. Click here to read the full Washington Post Article. Abrams Named a Finalist in The Stevie Awards for Women in Business Julie Castro Abrams, CEO of Women’s Initiative, was named a Finalist in the Best Executive, Non-Profit or Government, up to 100 employees category in the 6th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business.The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, and the companies they run – worldwide. The Stevie Awards have been hailed as the world’s premier business awards.More than 1,100 entries were submitted this year for consideration in 54 categories, including Best Executive, Best Entrepreneur, and Best Community Involvement Program. Finalists were chosen by business professionals worldwide during preliminary judging. Members of the Awards' Board of Distinguished Judges & Advisors and their staffs will select Stevie Award winners from among the Finalists during final judging.Details about The Stevie Awards for Women in Business and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at www.stevieawards.com/women About The Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, The Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about The Stevie Awards at www.stevieawards.com Sponsors of the 6th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business (as of October 9) include the Business TalkRadio Network, Covario, Inc., and KeyBank. Localization partner of the 2009 Stevie Awards is Lionbridge. Top	Events Graduations Join us to celebrate the success of women entrepreneurs! More than 100 women from Women’s Initiative’s Simple Steps and Paso y Paso programs will celebrate the successful completion of their business training course. These events are a wonderful opportunity to invite people you would like to introduce to Women's Initiative. Oakland October 20 6:00pm-8:00pm The Alameda Library, 1550 Oak Street Alameda, CA San Jose November 18 6:00pm-8:00pm Sypnosis Building, 2455 N. Mary Ave. San Jose, CA San Francisco December 9 5:30pm-8:30pm Mission Cultural Center, 2868 Mission Street San Francisco, CA Marin December 16 6:00pm-8:00pm Pickleweed Park, 50 Canal Street San Rafael, CA For more information please contact Sofia Campos at scampos@womensinitiative.org Connect Events Women's Initiative hosts Connect Events to help our graduates improve their networking and entrepreneurial skills to further grow their businesses. These events are an excellent opportunity to connect successful business professionals with Women's Initiative graduates. Revelations of Exceptional Networking Thursday, October 22 6:00pm - 8:30pm 1575 Treat Bvld. Walnut Creek, CA >>CLICK HERE to register online or contact Norma Gaitan Are you thinking Big enough about your Business? Tuesday, October 27 6:00pm – 8:30pm Broadway Studios 435 Broadwat St. San Francisco, CA 94133 >>CLICK HERE to register online or contact Emma Maack. Connectors make a real difference in the success of our program and our graduates. Our research shows that graduates who actively participate in our post-graduate program through Connect Events and other activities earn nearly $9,500 more each year than those who do not. BizTechDay BizTechDay is the most powerful entrepreneur and small business conference in the West. October 22-23 Burlingame, CA BizTechDay is a two-day premiere gathering of business icons, renowned thought leaders, enthusiastic entrepreneurs and small business owners. Each fall, they come together to connect, educate dn inspire each other with the most practical business strategies and innovative social media and technology tools to launch and grow our businesses. Women’s Initiative CEO Julie Abrams will be speaking on the “How to Raise $5000 - $100,000 for Your Business” panel on October 23 at 10 a.m. To register and for more information, go to: www.biztechday.com Top
Women's Initiative in the News San Francisco Chronicle October 12, 2009 Microloans, training boost entrepreneurs By Tom Abate Jaime Dobson is making glass jewelry. Asia Gilmore plans to open a unisex clothing boutique. Kirstin Dau wants to operate a gourmet food truck. The three women were among 25 recent graduates of an 11-week business training program at the Mission Cultural Center in San Francisco. "It's sort of like a mini MBA program," said instructor Nika Quirk, who ran the course for the Women's Initiative for Self-Employment, one of several Bay Area groups in the field of microfinance and small-business training. Other Bay Area microlenders include TMC Development Working Solutions and Opportunity Fund. Microfinance is the practice of making small loans, normally from $500 to $35,000, to help start or expand small businesses. Microlenders generally make loans to people from low-income or disadvantaged groups. Click here to read the full article in the San Francisco Chronicle and find out more about how our training program is helping low-income women launch their own business. Silicon Valley Community Newspapers (Willow Glen Resident, Campbell Reporter, Rose Garden Resident, Cambrian Resident, Almaden Resident, Cupertino Courier, Sunnyvale Sun) Friday, October 2, 2009 Enterprising women launch businesses at flea market Mayra Flores DeMarcotte Women's Initiative for Self-Employment of Silicon Valley has partnered with the San Jose Flea Market to provide an incubator for women launching businesses with the skills they learned in the 20-session business course. Although low-income, these women still had to pay their tuition and do their homework. They learned how to do market research on the Internet to come up with a business they liked, connected with wholesalers to provide them with inventory, wrote a business plan, applied for and received business licenses and, with the Flea Market as their site, launched their own businesses. The average income of their graduates more than doubles four years after participation, and 71 percent make steady sales five years down the road. Last year, recent graduates created 1,000 new jobs in the Silicon Valley Area. Click here to read the full article on the Silicon Valley Mercury News website and learn the story of Andrea Ricardez a North Willow Glen resident, who launched her business and changed her life with the support of Women’s Initiative. Give Women’s Initiative a Hi-5! Women’s Initiative will be featured during CBS-5’s ‘Hi-5’ segment on Friday morning, October 16. A helicopter will fly over the Women’s Initiative Oakland office to capture a crowd of Women’s Initiative staff and supporters, while the news announcers talk about the great work we do. Tune in to channel 5 at 6:45 to see us. Better yet, come out to 519 17th street before 6:45 on Friday morning to show your support! Top
Policy Call to Action The newly released US census data on poverty for 2008 looks very bad for women and children. In 2008 the number of women and children living in poverty and extreme poverty grew while the number of women with health insurance shrank. Even more chilling is that we already know the situation has worsened so far this year. Research has shown that women’s employment and economic well-being are key factors for her whole family’s physical and psychological health. Children who live in poverty are at a higher risk for health problems, teen pregnancy, dropping out of school, substance abuse and behavioral problems. Children who grow up in impoverished neighborhoods are more likely to live in such areas as adults as well. A recent study showed that the link between poverty and early death remains as strong as it was one century ago. Microenterprise is a proven poverty alleviation strategy for low-income women with multiple barriers to economic self-sufficiency. One year after microenterprise training through Women’s Initiative our clients: Increase their average personal income over 75%, from $14,000 to $25,000 Cut their poverty rate nearly in half, from 30% to 16% Reduce dependency on public benefits by nearly one-third, from an average of $575 per month to $391. Quadruple their average household wealth, from $13,000 to $54,000. What the research tells us is that the best way to reduce health risks associated with poverty is to reduce poverty, starting with wives and mothers. For over 20 years Women’s Initiative has been helping low-income women in the Bay Area achieve economic self-sufficiency through microenterprise training, funding and support services. We know that our program works but the current demand for our services exceeds anything we have ever seen before. Women’s Initiative would like to invite you to partner with us during this economic crisis to break the cycle of poverty and the associated health risks plaguing our neighborhoods and families. For more information, please contact Elizabeth de Renzy, Researcher and Data Analyst at Women's Initiative Top
Graduate Spotlight Ana Cecilia Valdivieso, owner of My Second Home Infant and Toddler Center by Arrin Kaplan, Women’s Initiative Microenterprise Fellow Early childhood education has long been a passion for Ana Cecilia Valdivieso, who earned two degrees in education while at school in Peru; a BA in Special Education and a Master’s in Education. She knew she wanted to continue working in the field when she moved to the Bay Area in 1998, but realized she would need a certification from the U.S. in order to be allowed to teach. “When I came here, I was upset that I needed to start again, but this is my career, this is my passion,” she explains. “If you have a goal, it’s no problem.” Determined to continue teaching, Ana enrolled in the classes that would earn her the certification she needed to be able to teach in California. Three years later, she earned a Childcare Teaching Credential as a Program Director and found work in an infant center doing what she loved.It was her experiences at the infant center that inspired Ana to start her own school. Parents in the program wanted Ana to continue teaching their children past infancy, and were disappointed when their children grew out of the infant center. Ana knew that she was ready to open her own center, where she would provide care to toddlers as well as infants and would have the opportunity to incorporate her own ideas about early childhood education, including the building of healthy habits and an introduction to multiculturalism from a young age. Ana soon opened My Second Home Infant and Toddler Center, accepting students up to 30 months of age and teaching a curriculum that encompassed all of her ideas. Ana was very excited to open her own center, but soon realized she needed guidance regarding the business and administrative aspects of running her own school. She explains, “I knew a lot about education, but not a lot about business.” One of her former teachers had recommended Alternativas para Latinas en Autosuficiencia - ALAS, which is the spanish version of the Women's Initiative business training program, as a great resource for women business owners, and so Ana signed up to begin taking classes in Concord. In the Paso a Paso course, Ana gained the administrative knowledge she had been looking for to help her run her business more smoothly. The program also helped her to increase enrollment in her center and helped her to network, in order to get the word out and increase support for her school. Soon, with the support and guidance of the ALAS program, Ana took another major step; four months ago, she opened a second center. Currently, she employs seven people between her two centers, and continues to teach classes herself. At My Second Home, Ana and her staff place a high value on introducing their students to good habits by providing a healthy breakfast, lunch, and snack, and encouraging them to engage in a variety of activities to foster creativity. Additionally, all of the staff speak to the children in both Spanish and English as part of the school’s Spanish immersion program. Ana developed and implemented the program based on her belief that early exposure to the Spanish language and culture helps children to learn the language more easily and naturally, and contributes to the development of an open and tolerant mind. Though she continues to reach out to new families and students, Ana also strives to keep her classes small – at around fourteen children – so that she and her staff can ensure that each child receives the individual attention they need to facilitate their development. The current economy has been a difficult obstacle to navigate, as money is becoming increasingly tight for families, and has made it hard for parents to afford her services. However, Ana continues to seek out new customers and receives support from ALAS as a member of Avance, the Women’s Initiative program for Paso a Paso graduates. Through Avance, she has attended workshops on topics ranging from networking to business loans to her retirement, and always has someone to consult with if she has any questions or needs advice on her business. She continues to work hard to build her business, and knows that she has ALAS to support her as she works to develop her centers and pursues the career she loves. “ALAS,” Ana says, “helped me realize my vision.” Contact Ana Cecilia Valdivieso at 925-969-9039 925-969-9039 , or by email at info@infantcentermsh.com. Visit her website at www.infantcentermsh.com Top
Volunteer Spotlight Veronica loves to help other people and has always wanted to start her own business, so Women’s Initiative is a great fit for her. “To be part of an organization that assists women in starting their own business is the perfect formula for me. I love that Women’s Initiative helps women become independent,” Veronica said.Vanessa loves speaking with Women’s Initiative graduates during the interviews. She enjoys hearing their excitement and feeling their passion for their businesses. “They are all so appreciative of what Women’s Initiative and ALAS has done for them,” Veronica commented. “Each of the stories I heard over the last year are unique and interesting and I learn from each one.”A native of Tijuana, Mexico, Vanessa speaks three languages (Spanish, English and Italian.) When she is not at Women’s Initiative, Veronica is in Castro Valley where she homeschools her daughter, manages a youth soccer team and loves cooking for friends and family. Top
Get Involved! By contributing time and resources to Women's Initiative you can feel good about supporting women entrepreneurs. It is a win-win opportunity for you, our team and clients — don't be surprised when you walk away bubbling with inspiration. Stay involved with Women's Initiative throughout the year through one of these and many more opportunities. Click here to see a full list of volunteer opportunities. You may want to volunteer yourself, or may know of others in your workplace or in your circle of friends that would enjoy helping us provide high quality, innovative services. To learn more about these opportunities, please contact our volunteer coordinator, Elizabeth Russell, at vcoord@womensinitiative.org Top