News — In 1972, there were an estimated 400,000 women-owned businesses in the United States. Today, there are more than 13 million women-owned businesses. Helping to fuel that growth are any number of Women’s Business Centers (WBC) across the country. The movement started in 1988, when the U.S. Small Business Administration piloted four women’s business centers. A few years later, Congress funded an expansion that saw 102 centers open nationwide. The Women’s Business Center at Canisius University was the first WBC to open within a college or university.
Established in 2003 with the generous support of a five-year, $750,000 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the WBC at Canisius University (then Canisius College) has been a beacon for women entrepreneurs for two decades. In that time, the center’s strategic partnership with the university and the School of Business has enabled it to offer unparalleled academic resources, professional counseling and a robust mentoring program, all of which have catapulted the success of thousands women-owned businesses throughout the eight counties of Western New York.
In just the past year, the WBC has touched the lives of more than 300 entrepreneurs.
This current year, 2023, saw the most diverse cohort to date where approximately 40% of business owners self-identify as Black, Indigenous or Persons of Color (BIPOC). The center's influence is evident in the launch of 20 new businesses, with an aggregate revenue generation of $32 million and supporting 170 jobs.
The impressive list of achievements by participating entrepreneurs, along with the fact that there are more women than ever turning to entrepreneurship to support themselves and potentially their families, underscores the urgent call for the business community to unite in celebrating and bolstering women-led businesses.
This call echoes that of President Joe Biden, who emphasized the importance of supporting women in business when he announced the expansion of Women Business Centers across the nation, during the 2023 Small Business Administration’s annual Women’s Business Summit. In the coming months, the SBA will expand its Women Business Centers network, bringing the total to 160 centers across the country that assist women entrepreneurs through training, mentoring, business development and financing opportunities.
The Women’s Business Center at Canisius University serves as a central pillar of support for women entrepreneurs in the WNY region and offers a range of services from advisory, business development, finance to training. With more than 35 advisors and instructors, the center has consistently demonstrated its commitment to entrepreneurial excellence.
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
RSS