WE Center opens at YBI

YBI’s WE Center offers place to network

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown Business Incubator’s Women in Entrepreneurship Center opened with a private open house celebration.

The co-working space is open to women who are involved in the WE program, have previously gone through the WE program, or are local women entrepreneurs who have not been involved with the WE program but are looking for a co-working space.

“There was a definite need for it,” Carmella Williams, YBI’s director of diversity and inclusion, said at Thursday’s opening. “You have access to business-minded people. There’s a wealth of knowledge in the building.”

The WE Center is located at YBI’s main building at 241 W. Federal St.

The Women in Entrepreneurship Program creates economic opportunities for women through entrepreneurial education and training, mentoring and networking. Since it started in 2016, 60 women entrepreneurs have gone through the program.

“I think it’s a physical manifestation of the change in YBI and our growth and expansion in the community,” said Barb Ewing, CEO of YBI, which has a focus on technology companies. “For so long we were so focused on one specific area, and this really provides a new level of service [to entrepreneurs] who really need assistance.”

Fees for use of the WE Center are WE Launch graduates and clients, $150 per year paid annually or $14.50 a month; and Women Entrepreneurs, $200 a year paid annually or $18.75 a month. There is a three-month minimum for monthly users.

Those interested in applying for use of the space should email cwilliams@ybi.org or call the YBI at 330-746-5003 and reference the WE Center space application.