Women's Initiative e-Newsletter

November 3, 2006


Hi ${member.firstname}, We are gearing up for the holiday season and for many of our current clients and graduates this means ramping up selling opportunities. Does your company or building have a holiday fair? Women's Initiative is happy to help arrange vendors based on your company's needs. Booths run by our graduates will provide you with many options for quality gifts. We help facilitate buying opportunities throughout the year for our graduates so let us know if you have fairs or bazaars planned for 2007. So far these fairs have been a hit at corporate offices!

And coming soon...

Keep your eyes out for the online directory of businesses of Women's Initiative graduates sorted by business type. Those of you who plan to attend our "Cheers to the Year" breakfast on Dec. 6 will get a print copy for your reference.
HOT TOPICS

Giving Graduate honoree Louise Bartlett (left) takes a moment to connect with guest speaker Terry McMillan (right) after the Leadership Luncheon.

Taking Care of Business
Thank you to all who attended the Taking Care of Business conference hosted by Women's Initiative last Wednesday. Special thanks to those graduates who volunteered in the weeks before the event! Local entrepreneurs and Women's Initiative clients and graduates made tremendous new connections with each other and with influential people in business from all over the Bay Area. Clients in the tradeshow honed their sales skills and made money.

We had 400 people attend the Leadership Luncheon where alumnae Louise Bartlett, Beatnik Bags, received the Giving Graduate award and Ana Chretien, ABC Security Service, received the Pace Setter award. City Council President Ignacio de la Fuente presented the Pace Setter award and talked about Women's Initiative being an essential economic development strategy for the City of Oakland. Key highlights included guest speakers Guy Kawasaki and Terry McMillan who shared gems of wisdom with an eager audience of small business owners. Guy most poignant advice was “ignore the bozos in your life.” To see an online video presentation of Guy's speech CLICK HERE.

Additionally sixteen seminars sessions dispersed practical advice for growing your business. Jim Healy, LogicVision, Inc., offered a Sales Success: The Life Blood of Your Business seminar. To view his PowerPoint presentation CLICK HERE. Additionally, nearly 100 Business Connectors shared business tips for overcoming obstacles to success.

As each of you all know so well, the road to economic independence is a journey for the women we serve. People start at different places and they encounter bumps along the way. Taking Care of Business was an opportunity for women to support each other, and for businesses to grow. See you at the conference next year!

If you have any thought for what you'd like to see at next year's conference contact Madhuri at (510) 287-3107.

Pace Setter award presented to Ana Chretien's daughter on her behalf by Ignacio de la Fuente, Victoria Jones and Anthony Batarse.

Women's Initiative accepts a Cisco Growing with Technology Award
 Graduate Melina Markarian accepted Cisco’s “Growing with Technology” award given to Women's Initiative for technical innovation in the classroom. The Cisco Growing with Technology Awards honor small and medium-sized businesses that are using technology to gain competitive advantage over larger competitors. We are honored to be selected as a recipient.

You can make our space more welcoming!
and meet our graduates at the same time
Graduate Antoinette Loupe, owner of In the Loupe Design, is heading up the renovation of our office's welcome areas! She has a fabulous vision that includes a fresh coat of paint, display shelves for showcasing client products/services and a space for a small library of resources. Now we need creative types and others to help make the plan real. There are two beautification days: Nov. 11 in Oakland, 9 am - 3 pm and the second in San Francisco to be announced. If you are interested in making our welcome area look gorgeous, please contact Justina Cross at (510) 287-3109 or jcross@womensinitiative.org.

 

Get Out and Vote!
Make your voice heard on election day Tues., Nov. 7. You can find out your polling place at smartvoter.org. Polls are open until 8 pm. We encourage all in the Women's Initiative community to vote because your voices make a difference at the polls. You can change the course of politics next Tuesday! For more information CLICK HERE.

 
EVENTS

Harvest Festival
Recent graduate Hilary Wehlitz, Hilside Bags will participate in this year's Harvest Festival! The event takes place this weekend, Nov. 3, 4, 5 at the Concourse Exhibition Center (8th and Brannan - San Francisco). Visit www.harvestfestival.com for more info.

GrassRoutes Travel Launch Party
Join Women's Initiative graduate Serena Bartlett for the launch party of GrassRoutes Travel, travel guides featuring environmentally and socially sustainable businesses on Thurs., Nov. 9 at 6 pm at Air Lounge (492 9th Street – Oakland). The launch party will have free food, raffle prizes and a live DJ. Please RSVP to sbartlett@grassroutestravel.com.

Mujer a Mujer / Women to Women
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Alameda County presents the Women's Business Conference "Mujer a Mujer / Women to Women" on Fri., Nov. 10, 2006, 8 am - 3:30 pm at Waterfront Plaza Hotel (10 Washington Street, Oakland). The focus is "Your Health is Your Wealth." For additional information contact (510) 539-4477.

Holiday Bazaar and Mini Gospel Concert
The Allen Temple Baptist Church Business & Professional Women’s Society present a bazaar and concert to help raise scholarship funds for youth. Sat., Nov. 11, 2006 11 am – 5 pm at the Allen Temple Baptist Church (8501 International Blvd. – Oakland). $10 donation requested for the festivities including the concert featuring soloist Duena Watkins. For more information call (510) 917-8200.

 
IN THE NEWS

Rebecca Stees, a recent Women's Initiative graduate and founder of Art Yowza is featured in this month’s Alameda Magazine. Pick up a copy at newsstands.

Jackie Ortega, owner of Craft Gym was featured in The Chronicle (“Drop everything and paint a chair or bead a necklace” Oct. 18, 2006) for her unique crafting classes in San Francisco.
 
DID YOU KNOW?

Women business owners are nearly twice as likely as men business owners to intend to pass the business on to a daughter or daughters (37% vs. 19%). (Center for Women’s Business Research)

  
 
 


I support women moving from poverty to prosperity through small business ownership! To make a donation to Women's Initiative, please CLICK HERE.