News Category: Virtual Resources
07.03.20
Fort Wayne’s Northeast Indiana Innovation Center receives international tech incubator awards
Excerpt
The International Business Innovation Association honored the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center in Fort Wayne with two awards late last month during a fireside chat at its International Conference on Business Incubation.
The NIIC received the Dinah Adkins Award, which is one of the association’s two top honors. It also received the Entrepreneur Center of the Year 2020: Mixed Use Award.
“It is an honor for the NIIC, our clients, partners, funders, and our team to be recognized by our peers,” Karl LaPan, the center’s president and CEO, said in an announcement.
“Our clients at the NIIC have created economic and community impact and contributed greatly to our mission of higher-quality, higher-paying jobs and companies,” he said.
The Adkins award recognizes centers for excellence in the tradition of business incubation pioneer Dinah Adkins, who led the Ohio University Incubation Center and was a founding member of the association, which she led from 1988 to 2009.
The Entrepreneur Center of the Year 2020: Mixed Use Award goes to centers without a specific industry niche that serve a broad range of companies.
06.29.20
12 Allen County minority business builders pursue Breakthrough,
Cohort one of new program begins
For immediate release
June 29, 2020, Fort Wayne, Ind.—Twelve individuals began Connected Communities Breakthrough Program and formed cohort one. This new program is offered through The NIIC and provides strategic preparation, implementation, and assessment to Allen County business builders from historically underserved community segments.
The program’s namesake is the funding grant—The Foellinger Foundation Connected Communities Breakthrough Program. It is a scaffolded, three-tier program. The program offers no-cost, community-based entrepreneurship opportunities that identify and enrich talent in an otherwise underserved market. “The NIIC’s Breakthrough Program is designed to directly support and nurture underdeveloped talent in historically marginalized communities. It provides opportunities for equity, prosperity, and social well-being,” said Cheryl Taylor, President, Foellinger Foundation.
Through this program, participants learn how to start a business. “The NIIC’s Breakthrough Program helps to address the needs of under-developed talent within our community who find it difficult to start their businesses. It is important to us at The NIIC that individuals within our community have equal access to opportunities for economic prosperity. Through this new program, we are doing our part to level the playing field for diverse and inclusive business builders,” said Karl LaPan, President and CEO, The NIIC.
Breakthrough Program participant Vanessa Hayden said, “I would like to gain information to help me start my business and learn more about obtaining resources that would help me get my business off the ground. I need to get it out of my head and into reality.” Her business concept is to create unique spaces that are conducive for individualized learning. She will do this by intersecting her interior design knowledge and more than 20 years of experience working with children in the Autism spectrum.
Julie Sanchez, NIIC Breakthrough Program Manager, said, “We recognize that there are real barriers to business ownership for some members of our community. This new program enables individuals to break through those barriers and discover that they can be entrepreneurs and business owners. Sometimes breaking through to that possibility and the entrepreneurial mindset are the first steps.”
“The Breakthrough Program is a virtual training model for increased accessibility by participants. It breaks through barriers of access to the training. The program may be delivered in person, virtually, or a hybrid of the two in the future based on participant needs. The business concepts are diverse. They include using the Breakthrough Program to help match skills to specific business opportunities. Some examples of current participants include a small independent record label company, and a business providing affordable educational and therapeutic services to underrepresented populations in Allen County,” said Sanchez.
It is expected each participant will complete the program in three to six months. The program includes eight paths, from awareness of entrepreneurial mindset to how to thrive as a small business owner. Participants gain access to one-to-one coaching sessions, training workshops, resource and capital connections, and access to the NIIC Navigator® Learning Management System.
The NIIC’s trusted community relationships of its partner organizations, including the Allen County Public Library, Amani Family Services, Blue Jacket, Prosperity Heights, The League, and the Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC) help to identify future entrepreneurs and potential business builders. Individuals interested in the program may contact an Allen County partner organization or apply through the NIIC website. For more information or to register, visit TheNIIC.Org/Inclusive-entrepreneurship/breakthrough-program/.
About Foellinger Foundation
The Foellinger Foundation is a private, charitable foundation that invests in excellence by providing grants, leadership training, conferences, workshops and thought-leading speakers to strengthen nonprofit organizations that serve Allen County. The Foundation was created in 1958 by Helene Foellinger, The News-Sentinel publisher from 1936 to 1980, and Esther Foellinger, her mother. Visit www.foellinger.org for more information.
The Foellinger Foundation Connected Communities Breakthrough Program is a scaffolded, three-tier program, offering strategic preparation, strategic implementation, and strategic assessment to Allen County business builders from historically underserved community segments. The Connected Communities Breakthrough Program offers advising, training, custom curriculum design, marketing and outreach, pre- and post-assessments measuring outcomes, and more. The program offers no-cost, community-based entrepreneurship opportunities that identify and enrich talent in an otherwise underserved market.
About The NIIC
467 new products launched, 189 patent applications submitted or granted, and 2,290 jobs created—that is what entrepreneurs have achieved through The NIIC since its inception two decades ago. The NIIC has also connected Northeast Indiana companies to attract $91 million in grants and capital.
The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community designed to advise entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and grow successful business ventures. The NIIC bolsters innovative companies to move ideas into action. The NIIC is located in a designated U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone. In April 2018, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb designated The Northeast Indiana Innovation Park Campus as an Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. The NIIC received a top honor from its industry peers as recipient of the prestigious Dinah Adkins Award (one of two top honors from the InBIA). The NIIC was also named Entrepreneur Center of the Year 2020: Mixed-use by the International Business Innovation Association. TheNIIC.org. Click here for The NIIC press kit.
Contact: Tammy Allen, Director, Marketing & Programs, info@niic.net, 260-407-1731
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06.25.20
Indiana Incubator Receives Global Recognition, InBIA Presents Two Awards to The NIIC
For immediate release
June 25, 2020, Fort Wayne, Ind.— Today the International Business Innovation Association (InBIA) awarded the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (The NIIC) two awards: the 2020 Dinah Adkins Award and the Entrepreneur Center of the Year 2020: Mixed Use Award. Charles Ross, InBIA Interim President, announced the awards during the 34th International Conference on Business Incubation during a fireside chat. “Thank you for leading by example and providing inspiration to entrepreneurs across the globe,” said Ross. The InBIA recognizes high-impact, member organizations at the annual International Conference of Business Incubation. This year’s conference is being held virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is an honor for The NIIC, our clients, partners, funders, and our team to be recognized by our peers at the International Business Innovation Association for the 2020 Dinah Adkins Award and the Entrepreneur Center of the Year 2020: Mixed-Use. Our clients at The NIIC have created economic and community impact and contributed greatly to our mission of higher quality, higher paying jobs and companies,” said Karl R. LaPan, President and CEO, The NIIC.
“We are so appreciative of the visible and prestigious incubation community recognition, to bring inclusive entrepreneurial programming, best in class resources, and our focus on industry best practices and operational excellence. Our economic impact and success; however, is because of the dedication and commitment of our clients who strive every day to make our community and world a better place,” said LaPan.
The Dinah Adkins Award is one of two of InBIA’s industry top honors and recognizes entrepreneurship centers with proven track records of excellence. The award honors the legacy of Dinah Adkins, a pioneer in the field of business incubation. She led the Ohio University Incubation Center and was a founding member of InBIA. She served as president and CEO of InBIA from 1988 to 2009.
The Entrepreneurship Center of the Year 2020: Mixed Use award recognizes organizations serving a broad range of companies and not focused on a specific industry niche. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, The NIIC has implemented initiatives to serve women business builders, technology companies, healthcare innovators, and emerging entrepreneurs from underestimated/underserved communities including the disabled, veterans, immigrants, rural residents, minorities, formerly incarcerated and the hardest to employ.
About InBIA
The International Business Innovators Association (inbia.org ) is a global nonprofit organization that has welcomed and supported entrepreneurial organizations for over 30 years. Serving a diverse group of entrepreneurship centers, program managers, directors, and policymakers, InBIA helps guide, mentor, and develop sustainable entrepreneur support programs in every industry and demographic around the globe. InBIA’s goal is to enrich the entire ecosystem by providing industry resources, education, events, and global programming to help members better serve the needs of their unique communities and regions. InBIA’s mission is to help communities enable their entrepreneurs to transform their dreams into innovative businesses that make global prosperity a reality.
About The NIIC
467 new products launched, 189 patent applications submitted or granted, and 2,290 jobs created—that is what entrepreneurs have achieved through The NIIC since its inception two decades ago. The NIIC has also connected Northeast Indiana companies to attract $91 million in grants and capital.
The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community designed to advise entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and grow successful business ventures. The NIIC bolsters innovative companies to move ideas into action. The NIIC is located in a designated U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone. In April 2018, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb designated The Northeast Indiana Innovation Park Campus as an Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. TheNIIC.org. Click here for The NIIC press kit.
06.18.20
Sarah Lance and Jennifer Romano to lead NIIC EmPWR Program, guide women business owners in the post-COVID-19 pandemic economy
Sarah Lance (on the left), EmPWR Project Manager; Jennifer Romano, EmPWR Community Engagement Coordinator
For Immediate Release
June 18, 2020, Fort Wayne, Ind.— The NIIC is thrilled to announce two northeast Indiana leaders joined the organization to support women-owned businesses as they adapt to a post-COVID-19 pandemic economy. Sarah Lance, EmPWR Project Manager, and Jennifer Romano, EmPWR Community Engagement Coordinator, recently started in newly created positions for the EmPWR (Equity & Prosperity for Women Reimagining) Their Businesses Program. See additional information or apply at https://niic.net/empwr.
“We are very pleased to have Sarah and Jennifer, who are accomplished leaders, join our WEOC team. Both of them are entrepreneurs in their own rights. Each brings a unique skillset and remarkable insight for her new role. Their commitment to women businesses and knowledge of our community will get the EmPWR Program off to the very best possible start,” said Karl LaPan, President and CEO, The NIIC. The NIIC serves as WEOC’s host organization, providing supplemental funding and resources.
The EmPWR Program is a 12-month initiative funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Women’s Business Ownership. EmPWR Program guides businesswomen to innovate, reimagine business models, and gain resiliency, so they thrive and prosper. The program is available to business owners living in all Indiana counties except the 11 served by the Central Indiana Women’s Business Center.
EmPWR is an extended program of the SBA Women’s Business Center (WEOC) located at its host organization The NIIC. Both programs serve women, with EmPWR focused directly on female founders impacted by COVID-19. “It’s exciting to see SBA grant funding at work,” said SBA Indiana District Director Stacey Poynter. “The Coronavirus pandemic has small businesses focusing on their business models and making critical decisions on how their business operates in the future. SBA is grateful for resource partners like the Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC) at The NIIC who use funding to create innovative programs like EmPWR to help guide small businesses through these unchartered waters.”
Lance most recently served as Sari Bari Director of Brand and Strategy. Sari Bari is a social enterprise she co-founded in 2006 to help women in India escape or avoid human trafficking. Lance grew the company to 130 employees and artisans and established Sari Bari’s retail space in downtown Fort Wayne. Lance developed the company’s wholesale market for creative handmade products, growing the distributor base from zero to more than 100. She raised more than $500,000 for the non-profit through annual fundraising campaigns, social media, and special events. Lance is the 2016 Opus Prize Laureate and managed the $1 million Opus Prize Foundation Award for Sari Bari.
“I am so thankful for the opportunity to be a part of The NIIC community through the new EmPWR Program and specifically to be able to serve women-run businesses who are facing the challenges of COVID-19,” said Lance.
Romano serves as the Whitley County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director. She also was elected in 2015 as a City Councilwoman in Columbia City, Indiana — a role in which she continues to serve. Romano is also the owner and publisher of Talk of the Town of Whitley County, a digital news service featuring positive news and discussion of community issues. Her career also includes roles at the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber, Parkview Health, the YWCA of Fort Wayne, the Columbia City Post & Mail newspaper, and other regional publications.
“Having met with many business owners in recent weeks, I have seen a lot of uncertainty and a real need for support of our region’s entrepreneurs as they face one of the biggest crises we have seen in a very long time,” said Romano. “I am excited and energized to share the tools and resources developed by The NIIC through the EmPWR Program with not only Northeast Indiana’s businesses and entrepreneurs but also across our state. This program provides an incredible bridge of support and guidance to assist Hoosier businesses through COVID-19 and beyond.”
For more information about the EmPWR Program or to apply to participate, visit niic.net/empwr/.
About The NIIC
467 new products launched, 189 patent applications submitted or granted, and 2,290 jobs created—that is what entrepreneurs have achieved through The NIIC since its inception two decades ago. The NIIC has also connected Northeast Indiana companies to attract $91 million in grants and capital.
The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community designed to advise entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and grow successful business ventures. The NIIC bolsters innovative companies to move ideas into action. The NIIC is located in a designated U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone. In April 2018, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb designated The Northeast Indiana Innovation Park Campus as an Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. TheNIIC.org. Click here for The NIIC press kit.
About WEOC
2,354 women and immigrants served, trained, and counseled—since WEOC’s formation five years ago. The Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC) serves Northeast Indiana women at all stages of their business ventures. WEOC responds to the unique needs of women entrepreneurs through business growth coaching, training, and entrepreneurial education, connectivity, and access to capital. WEOC is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. As the Host organization, The NIIC also provides supplemental funding and complementary resources. WEOC is an SBA designated Women’s Business Center—one of two in Indiana. For more information, visit www.inweoc.com.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
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06.12.20
Stre.me helps employers minimize workforce biases
Excerpt
Given recent events dominating national news, Jack Patton offered an extremely timely presentation when the first five founders to complete the local version of the gBETA business development program met June 9 to celebrate the occasion.
They had started the six-week program together late in April and concluded it by showing off pitches they honed to attract investment in their startups. The event took place virtually as a COVID-19 adjustment.
Patton is CEO of Stre.me, which helps human resources professionals and their employers minimize biases and resulting inequities.
The software-as-a-service platform it developed to accomplish that manages unconscious biases to improve patient satisfaction and outcomes and hospital profitability. But it also could prove useful for other types of employers, such as “law, health insurance, education, retail, banking and municipalities, specifically first responders,” he said in the presentation.
He could not have known when he started going through the gBETA program that tens of thousands of protesters would be clamoring in the streets for justice every night since May 25, when Minnesotan George Floyd died while begging police to allow him to breathe.
“Bias is pervasive, and every person has bias,” Anne Marie Labenberg, the company’s chief equity officer, said in an email after the pitch celebration.
“The recent demonstrations have greatly increased awareness of the effects of unconscious bias on others, specifically related to law enforcement, but also in the everyday lives of minoritized people,” she said.
“You cannot eliminate all bias, but STRE.ME’s system holds individuals accountable to manage their biases, make better decisions, and, in turn, reduce the bias and inequity that exists in all professions.”
06.09.20
Tech Deserves Your Intention Not Your Attention
Webinar Focuses on Innovative Solutions in Healthcare
For Immediate Release
June 9, 2020, Fort Wayne, Ind.—NIIC Connected Health Lab Third Thursday Connections resumes June 18, 2020, 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., with a virtual program featuring Jason Pennington, Executive Director, Indiana IoT Lab. He is an expert in the Internet of Things and will present a live webinar titled Tech Deserves Your Intention, Not your Attention.
“Current and emerging technologies have the potential to transform our world. However, technology alone does not solve problems. Today’s best IoT initiatives require our collective efforts, collaborative culture, and willingness to embrace change and create intention,” Pennington said.
There is no charge for the webinar. Reservations are required. Click here to register for the event.
“This webinar is for business leaders interested in how the Internet of Things can lead to breakthroughs in healthcare and advances in public health. As we’ve seen with telemedicine initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic, innovation can create new opportunities for both patients and health-care providers,” said Jessica Carender, Partner Engagement Manager, The NIIC.
The webinar will address customer-centric outcomes with IoT applications, including innovations in connected healthcare. Webinar participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and explore the rewards and challenges of leading an IoT startup company.
Jason Pennington has more than 20 years of experience in process automation, specifically in the area of applying sensors, software and services in a variety of industrial, agricultural, and municipal sectors. He successfully held leadership, management, and business development positions with national and global divisions of Endress + Hauser.
The NIIC Connected Health Lab is strategically located in Fort Wayne and brings together entrepreneurs, innovators, and investment groups to develop new markets and products in healthcare technology. For more information, visit niic.net/iot.
About The NIIC
467 new products launched, 189 patent applications submitted or granted, and 2,290 jobs created—that is what entrepreneurs have achieved through The NIIC since its inception two decades ago. The NIIC has also connected Northeast Indiana companies to attract $91 million in grants and capital.
The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community designed to advise entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and grow successful business ventures. The NIIC bolsters innovative companies to move ideas into action. The NIIC is located in a designated U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone. In April 2018, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb designated The Northeast Indiana Innovation Park Campus as an Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. TheNIIC.org. Click here for The NIIC press kit.
06.02.20
Women’s Business Builder Takes on Cohort
Excerpt
FORT WAYNE – Four new Indiana businesses have begun a year-long program for female business owners. The Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center in Fort Wayne says the Launch Women Business Builder Program helps women-owned businesses launch, grow, and accelerate their online and tech ventures.
The WEOC says the cohort includes a mix of startups and established businesses.
“Each cohort develops its own language. Cohort members finish each other’s sentences and come to understand each business and each owner. In that tightknit community, dreams are shared, achieved, and celebrated. Owners set goals and are held accountable with tough love and understanding only a fellow business owner can give,” said Leslee Hill, WEOC director.
The businesses included in the new cohort include:
- Kandy Kurves Boutique, an e-tail store and offers plus-size women’s clothing.
- On Track SRM, a technology company that helps schools and parents keep young learners with special needs on track with their emotions and studies.
- Project Andrew, founded by Meghan Britton Gross, the business will offer support to secondary grievers, such as siblings, who have suffered the death of a sibling.
- The Greater Good of Northeast Indiana, offering professional networking, event planning, and marketing support to nonprofit organizations, led by CEO Jennifer Norris-Hale.
Click here to read full article on InsideIndianaBusiness.com.
06.01.20
WEOC Program Announces Cohort 5 for Women in Tech Program
For Immediate Release
June 1, 2020, Fort Wayne, Ind.— Four new Indiana businesses have begun Launch Women Business Builder Program Cohort 5. The intensive, year-long program is for female founders seeking to launch, grow, and accelerate their online businesses and tech ventures. The program is available through the Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC) in Fort Wayne.
Launch Women Business Builders Cohort 5 includes a mix of startups and established businesses.
Kandy Kurves Boutique is an e-tail store and offers plus-size women’s clothing. “I am participating in this program to find the proper resources to help my business grow revenue. I started my business in 2018 and stopped it several times due to the lack of income. So, it’s important to me to learn how about revenue growth, to find mentors and identify grants for my small business,” said Shaneshia Rogan, Founder and CEO.
On Track SRM is a technology company created to help schools and parents keep young learners with special needs on track with their emotions and studies. “I’m not afraid to take risks and work really hard, but I lack experience for staring my own business. Through this program, I hope to gain knowledge and confidence by learning from experienced entrepreneurs,” said Kathryn Austin, Founder. “I’m very passionate about helping students like my daughter gain confidence and learn the skills it takes to be successful.”
Project Andrew is a new business founded by Meghan Britton Gross. It will offer support to secondary grievers, such as siblings, who have suffered the death of a sibling. Often, they are overlooked and may receive less help than their parents. The company has already pivoted since starting the Launch Women Business Builder Program. “I am a mother who works full-time for my entrepreneur parents. This program allows me to have dedicated time to work my business, gain third-party advice, and to prove my business concept,” said Gross.
The Greater Good of Northeast Indiana offers professional networking, event planning, and marketing support to non-profit organizations. Jennifer Norris-Hale is the Founder and CEO.
“Each cohort develops its own language. Cohort members finish each other’s sentences and come to understand each business and each owner. In that tightknit community, dreams are shared, achieved, and celebrated. Failures are felt deep and become learning opportunities. Owners set goals and are held accountable with tough love and understanding only a fellow business owner can give,” said Leslee Hill, WEOC Director.
“This cohort has been through so much with the COVID-19 pandemic. Working from home with children is every bit as demanding as any full-time position. These entrepreneurs are stretching themselves and each other to find excitement and new life in their new businesses,” said Hill.
So far, Launch Women Builder Program has served 30 companies since it began in January 2018. They comprise an alumni group that meets regularly for continued peer-to-peer mentoring and support. These tech-focused companies have developed apps or websites for real estate, ridesharing, the interior design industry, education, wellness, online shopping, an art studio, and membership-based programs and products.
Participating business builders receive one-to-one personal and virtual coaching, peer-to-peer mentoring, shared workspace at The NIIC, training through NIIC Navigator® Learning Management System, potential funding to fuel business growth, and access to the NIIC’s extended talent network. There is no charge to be accepted into the program thanks to the donations of generous partners and funds raised through The NIIC Ideas@Work Movement.
For more information, visit https://niic.net/start/launch-women-business-builder/
About The NIIC
467 new products launched, 189 patent applications submitted or granted, and 2,290 jobs created—that is what entrepreneurs have achieved through The NIIC since its inception two decades ago. The NIIC has also connected Northeast Indiana companies to attract $91 million in grants and capital.
The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community designed to advise entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and grow successful business ventures. The NIIC bolsters innovative companies to move ideas into action. The NIIC is located in a designated U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone. In April 2018, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb designated The Northeast Indiana Innovation Park Campus as an Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. TheNIIC.org. Click here for The NIIC press kit.
About WEOC
2,354 women and immigrants served, trained, and counseled—since WEOC’s formation five years ago. The Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC) serves Northeast Indiana women at all stages of their business ventures. WEOC responds to the unique needs of women entrepreneurs through business growth coaching, training, and entrepreneurial education, connectivity, and access to capital. WEOC is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. As the Host organization, The NIIC also provides supplemental funding and complementary resources. WEOC is an SBA designated Women’s Business Center—one of two in Indiana. For more information, visit www.inweoc.com.
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05.10.20
NIIC: Small Businesses Must ‘Define New Normal’
Excerpt
FORT WAYNE – The Northeast Indiana Innovation Center in Fort Wayne has been awarded a $420,000 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration to help small, woman-owned businesses impacted by the pandemic.
The NIIC says the money is earmarked for its Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center which advises entrepreneurs on launching and growing businesses.
The money from the SBA award will allow WEOC to expand its service.
“It has been heartbreaking to hear stories from our local business owners and highly affected areas,” said Leslee Hill, WEOC Director.
Hill says the funding enables the launch of a new 12-month program called Equity & Prosperity for Women Reimagining Their Businesses.
“This grant will allow us to offer targeted reset and reimagination services to meet small businesses where they need us most. Capital access, innovation services, and addressing critical supply chain gaps and dislocations,” said Hill.
EmPWR will extend resources to provide education and business advising to small businesses who have experienced a list of challenges stemming from COVID-19, including supply chain disruptions, staffing challenges, and a decrease in gross receipts.
“What we have seen with the emergence of COVID-19 is Indiana small business challenges fall into two categories: near term and longer-term,” said Karl LaPan, president & chief executive officer, The NIIC.
LaPan says small businesses may need to reset and redefine a new normal.
05.07.20
The NIIC receives $420,000 U.S. SBA Grant to EmPWR Women-Owned Small Businesses through COVID-19 Pandemic
For immediate release
May 7, 2020, Fort Wayne, Ind. — Pre COVID-19 pandemic, Indiana was in great fiscal shape. Strong technology, manufacturing, and healthcare sectors led the way. Then, COVID-19 struck. It is no longer business as usual. Small businesses struggle. Projections say upward of 25% to 50% of small businesses are at risk to close within the next year. The SBA is providing relief through a new award opportunity to U.S. Women Business Centers (WBCs) across the United States. Recently, SBA announced an award of $420,000 to the NIIC WEOC (Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center) to expand service offerings for small businesses during COVID-19.
During COVID-19, all WBCs have met weekly with the SBA to discuss and assess small business owners’ needs. Leslee Hill, WEOC Director, stated, “It has been heartbreaking to hear stories from our local business owners and highly affected areas. WBCs are stepping up to help meet needs across the country. Small business ownership is not for the faint of heart. Small business owners’ innate grit and scrappiness will help them persevere. Current business conditions have gotten many of them down but will not keep them down. I am in awe watching the support they give each other and seeing them pivoting to allow the masses to support them through their biggest time of need.”
Congress and the SBA acted swiftly to address small business needs during COVID-19. “We appreciate their leadership to marshal financial resources to enable WBCs to provide a cadre of value-added services and support to our most vulnerable small businesses in Indiana. This grant will allow us to offer targeted reset and reimagination services to meet small businesses where they need us most. Capital access, innovation services, and addressing critical supply chain gaps and dislocations,” said Hill.
Funding enables the launch of a new 12-month program called EmPWR (Equity & Prosperity for Women Reimagining Their Businesses). EmPWR will extend resources to provide education, training, and business advising to small businesses who have experienced supply chain disruptions, staffing challenges, a decrease in gross receipts, a decline in customers, or a closure as a result of COVID-19. EmPWR services will be available to 83 counties in Indiana. Visit niic.net/empowr/ for program details.
“What we have seen with the emergence of COVID-19 is Indiana small business challenges fall into two categories: near term and longer-term,” said Karl R. LaPan, President & CEO, The NIIC. He explained as the initial shock of the pandemic wears off, small businesses need to reset. “They need to redefine their new normal and focus on liquidity and cash flow. This will improve their chances of survivability. Longer-term, they need to reimagine how to address major business issues, customer acquisition gaps, logistics issues, new solutions, new methods of working, and reinventing themselves.”
Stacey Poynter, SBA Indiana District Director, said, “Since 1953, the mission of the SBA has been to help small businesses start, grow, expand, and recover. We are honored to fund initiatives through our resource partners like WEOC at The NIIC that will help entrepreneurs get back on track by reimagining and building their businesses for the future.”
The NIIC is recruiting dedicated staff for the EmPWR Program, including a project manager and a community outreach coordinator. These are all part-time positions for the twelve-month duration of the program. These individuals will focus on accessibility, partnerships, and reducing friction for EmPWR participants as they build their businesses. Visit niic.net/about/careers/ for more information and to apply.
About WEOC
2,354 women and immigrants served, trained, and counseled—since WEOC’s formation five years ago. The Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC) serves Northeast Indiana women at all stages of their business ventures. WEOC responds to the unique needs of women entrepreneurs through business growth coaching, training, and entrepreneurial education, connectivity, and access to capital. WEOC is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. As the Host organization, The NIIC also provides supplemental funding and complementary resources. WEOC is an SBA designated Women’s Business Center—one of two in Indiana. For more information, visit www.inweoc.com.
About The NIIC
467 new products launched, 189 patent applications submitted or granted, and 2,290 jobs created—that is what entrepreneurs have achieved through The NIIC since its inception two decades ago. The NIIC has also connected Northeast Indiana companies to attract $91 million in grants and capital.
The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community designed to advise entrepreneurs to plan, launch, and grow successful business ventures. The NIIC bolsters innovative companies to move ideas into action. The NIIC is located in a designated U.S. Small Business Administration HUB Zone. In April 2018, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb designated The Northeast Indiana Innovation Park Campus as an Opportunity Zone through the U.S. Treasury. The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001:2015 registered business incubation and acceleration program. TheNIIC.org. Click here for The NIIC press kit.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
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