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YBI kicks off Women in Entrepreneurship event
By Kalea Hall
YOUNGSTOWN
When leaders at the Youngstown Business Incubator saw the need to help women in business, they decided to fulfill it.
Thursday was the first Women In Entrepreneurship Program – WE – event at the YBI’s main campus on West Federal Street.
Women, and some men, gathered to network and talk about the barriers facing women when it comes to starting businesses.
Colleen Kelly, the incubator’s director of development, often would get phone calls from women interested in starting businesses or who have a business.
The talk about starting a Women in Entrepreneurship Program began about three to four months ago.
Kelly put the word out on Facebook, and within a day had more than 80 people interested in it.
“Obviously, there is a need,” she said.
She then heard from female owners of a YBI portfolio company, Hudson Fasteners. Cris Young, company executive vice president, wanted to know why there wasn’t some type of program for women business owners.
“I went to the YBI and said, “These resources you offer are great, but there is something missing,’” Young said.
The women’s group is it.
Young hopes to connect with other business women, support them and see some mentoring from the older businesswomen to the younger ones.
Kelly reached out to businesswomen in the community and started a committee to find out what are some of the struggles and the needs.
Those who attended Thursday’s event were asked similar questions.
The plan is to have a WE Program event monthly with the next one scheduled from 5:30 to 7 p.m. July 16 with Jim Cossler, chief executive officer of the YBI. The event is a startup-101 program that will cover the basics of starting a successful startup.