On Thursday, November 21, 2019, Indiana Asset Funders Network, Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative of St. Mary’s College, SoGal Foundation, South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership, and New America co-hosted an event to elevate the data and stories of female business owners in the Northern Indiana region. 

Click here to view event details and presentations:  Unlocking Assets: Building Women’s Wealth through Business Ownership

The gathering explored the trends, systemic barriers, and implicit biases to women’s business success. Business ownership can serve as a wealth-building tool for women, and women are the fastest growing group of small business owners in the nation.

Grantmakers, policy advocates, business owners, and practitioners discussed how joint collaboration can deepen the region’s support to entrepreneurial women in their effort to build wealth through business ownership.

Featured Indiana Business Owners/Founders: 

  • Nicola Brown, SoGal Foundation
  • Alexandra Sejdinaj, South Bend Code School, GiveGrove, & CodeWorks
  • Jada McLean, Hurry Home
  • Kathy Burnette, Brian Lair Bookstore

Speakers included:

  • Bethany Hartley, South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership
  • Molly Martin, Director, New America
  • Willow Wetherall, Director, Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, Saint Mary’s College

View the local press coverage HERE!

Read the related AFN report Unlocking Assets: Building Women’s Wealth through Business Ownership