08.20.18

Intentional Interactions: Tackle Difficult People with Tact Workshop

Interactions among business owners, clients, and staff can be a deal breaker—and sometimes even a business breaker. The Northeast Indiana entrepreneurial community is invited to attend the final workshop in a four-part series focused on how to build stronger overall professional communication effectiveness. Intentional Interactions: Tackle Difficult People with Tact will be led by Elizabeth MacDonald, The Verbal Edge, on September 12, 2018, 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at The NIIC.

“Entrepreneurs often find themselves in difficult conversations in several different areas. Family and friends sometimes don’t realize how damaging it is when they doubt your desire to start a business. One loss of a client can mean devastation to a budding business owner. Employees who are defiant and snarky can ruin the morale of the entire operation. I am so happy that The Verbal Edge will provide direction and insights on navigating difficult conversations,” said Leslee Hill, Director, Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC).
This workshop will delve into communication skills that could change the trajectory of relationships, careers, and lives. “In this workshop, we’ll understand why some approaches with difficult people fail and why other approaches succeed. We will reinforce what we learn through practicing those skills and phrases. I look forward to being with attendees on this day and, as a group, exploring and strengthening these essential, interpersonal communication skills,” said MacDonald.

This workshop series is powered by WEOC, The NIIC, and Northeast Indiana SCORE. It was designed to equip and empower entrepreneurs with skills essential to the success of their businesses. There is no charge to attend. Registration is required. For more information about this workshop and others for Northeast Indiana entrepreneurs, visit our events page.

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05.04.18

Benefits for Businesses Located in the Zone—HUBZone May 10, 2018 Workshop Explains How

Your company could unknowingly be sitting on benefits—Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Zone benefits. Businesses may qualify for benefits if at least 35 percent of their employees live in a HUBZone, the business is 51 percent owned by a U.S. citizen, and meets small business size standards. Come to the SBA HUBZone Certification Workshop, May 10, 3-4:30 p.m., at The NIIC to learn more, including if your business is in the zone.

“Since I joined The NIIC as the WEOC Director a couple of months ago, I have helped several clients set themselves up for government contracting work. Most of them have never heard of HUBZone contracts. A HUBZone contract is not only great for the business, but it is great for the community,” said Leslee Hill, Director, Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center. “One of the requirements for HUBZone eligibility is that the business office must be located in a HUBZone. The NIIC is located in a HUBZone. We are excited to help educate the community on the ins and outs of the program, as well as offer space located within the specified area,” said Hill.

During this workshop Gil Perry, Procurement Specialist, Indiana Procurement Technical Assistance Center, will walk attendees through subcontracting assistance, bid-matching service, assistance with certifications and registrations, proposal preparation, and more. Take your business from a start-up to a success and take advantage of the benefits that might be available to you through this free workshop. Registration is required. Click to register SBA HUBZone Certification Workshop.

This workshop is organized through U.S. Small Business Administration in partnership with Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC), Fort Wayne SCORE, and Indiana Procurement Technical Assistance Center.

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04.26.18

Fort Wayne SCORE Relocates to The NIIC Entrepreneurial Community

Effective April 30, 2018, Northeast Indiana entrepreneurs can conveniently meet with SCORE, The Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (The NIIC) and Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC) all under the same roof. Also, located across the street from The NIIC is Northeast Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC) hosted by Purdue University Fort Wayne. This strategic move leverages proximity of entrepreneurial service providers for the convenience of those starting or growing businesses. It is part of The NIIC’s growing Enterprising Communities™ Initiative launched earlier this year.

“I am pleased to see the NIIC is bringing together more resources for the entrepreneur in the Fort Wayne area. Having SCORE co-located with the Women’s Business Center (WEOC) will bring even more opportunities for small businesses to gain assistance and their close proximity to the Small Business Development Center (ISBDC) is a win for everyone,” said Stacey Poynter, District Director, Indiana District Office, U.S. Small Business Administration.

“We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center and the Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center to provide services to entrepreneurs in Northeast Indiana, whether in the start-up phase or an existing business,” said Mona Dewart, OD, Acting Chair, Fort Wayne SCORE. “SCORE volunteer mentors utilize their business knowledge and skills to guide entrepreneurs and existing small businesses toward their goals. Last year the Fort Wayne SCORE chapter helped launch 73 new businesses and create 108 non-owner jobs in northeast Indiana.”

Workshops and training (including a networking component) are strong offerings of SCORE, The NIIC, and WEOC. These are topical to help entrepreneurs in various areas of their businesses. “Last year, we started working more closely with SCORE to provide these training and educational resources. We wanted to eliminate duplicate efforts to be more efficient and to better serve those in our community. This clearly benefits all involved. The workshops and training are offered at no charge to attendees,” said Leslee Hill, WEOC Director at The NIIC. The re-location of Fort Wayne SCORE to The NIIC is a natural progression of that collaboration.

The NIIC Enterprising Communities Initiative is a strategic resource and collaboration network powered by the NIIC and WEOC. “It is designed to engage, energize, and empower our community’s entrepreneurial spirit. New firm formation rates have been declining, especially in rural America. Also, under-represented entrepreneurs have greater challenges in gaining access to important business-building support services. This initiative leverages our entrepreneurial community’s unique assets to create more place-based entrepreneurship opportunities regionally for aspiring entrepreneurs. We are pleased that Whitley County Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, Allen County Public Library, and now Fort Wayne SCORE are teaming to best serve Northeast Indiana entrepreneurs,” stated Karl R. LaPan, President and CEO, The NIIC.

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03.15.18

Local Entrepreneur Joins Women’s Business Center as New Director

The Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (The NIIC) is excited to announce Leslee Hill is the new Director, Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC). Previously, she owned and operated Hill Image Consulting. “Leslee Hill brings passion and contagious optimism to WEOC. To our clients, she offers a wide-range perspective from her experience as a business owner, where she advised and coached professional women, and as a product developer for international companies Spiegel, Icelandic Design, and Vera Bradley,” said Tammy Allen, Director, Marketing & Programs, The NIIC.

Hill said, “My international travel has provided an education beyond degrees. Yet, my passion to help others surpasses any knowledge I’ve gained. I’m excited to be a part of The NIIC, leading WEOC and serving women in our community. Our team truly cares about our organization’s mission and doing their absolute best in serving entrepreneurs.”

“The SBA welcomes Leslee Hill to WEOC as the new Women’s Business Center Director. Business counseling is one of the integral services offered by SBA for all entrepreneurs through our network of resource partners including Women’s Business Centers, Small Business Development Centers and SCORE Chapters. We anticipate continued success for WEOC clients under Ms. Hill’s direction,” said Stacey Poynter, District Director, U.S. Small Business Administration, and Indiana District Office.

WEOC is unique in that it serves women at all stages of their business ventures, often at no charge to them. “We come alongside them throughout their ventures. My vision for WEOC this year is to continue to drive community engagement to reach more female founders. We continue to build awareness and to increase accessibility of our services so more women make their dreams realities. We will also continue to bust barriers women face when forming their companies, like mentoring, tools and resources, confidence, and access to capital.”

In her role, Hill oversees the day-to-day operations of WEOC, and works with The NIIC team and resource partners to provide the highest quality of client services to women, minority, and under-served business owners throughout the 16 county service area of Northeast Indiana.

Hill earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree from Ball State University in Fashion Merchandising and Apparel Design and minored in marketing. She gained her Image Consulting and Color Analysis certifications in 2014.

WEOC also promoted Suzanne Haga to WEOC Coordinator, reporting to Hill. “Suzie is a great partner. Not only has Suzie’s year of experience at the NIIC helped create a smooth transition for me, she operates with a level head and anticipates client needs. She is committed to the success of WEOC clients, WEOC and The NIIC. She believes and lives out our mission,” said Hill. Haga was previously The NIIC Business Concierge, serving in the Emerging Growth Center.

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01.15.18

Local Women Accelerate Businesses through New Business Builder Program

January 15, 2018—Three online/digital companies began the new Launch Women Business Builder Program to accelerate the launch and growth of their businesses. “We are impressed by the creativity in defining unmet business needs, the determination, ambition, and dedication of each of these companies to making their businesses happen,” said Tania D. Vanderlaan, Interim Director, Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC) at The NIIC.

The companies are focused on transforming three traditional industries: wellness, interior design, and art.

Morgan Refakis and Alice Payne are Pilates instructors and know the time investment and expense of becoming successful instructors. Their innovative business concept is focused on a new online/digital model for instructors and clients. “We are passionate about Pilates and about making it accessible to more people. Everyone can benefit from Pilates,” said Refakis. “We enrolled in this program to gain expertise and learn how to develop our product, our business plan, and learn how to market it,” said Payne.

Melissa Hall, Simple Sample Solutions, is an interior designer and understands the rigor of ordering multiple material samples for multiple clients. She has developed a model to disrupt the interior design industry by offering an application for streamlined samples ordering and delivery. “The current system for ordering samples is time-consuming and inefficient. Leveraging technology, my app will bring this aspect of the interior design industry and the 60,000 interior designers in the United States into the 21st century,” said Hall.

Tricia Cavender and Hali Ruisard are preparing for their grand opening of Rhapsody Art Gallery LLC in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In addition to their storefront and offerings at the Fort Wayne location (grand opening January 19), they want to make artwork available for purchase online, on a national scale.

Through WEOC, program participants gain access to NIIC resources, including business coaching and education, shared work space, business and conference center assets. Virtual components of the program are offered through partnerships with Build Your Dream Business, for online/digital marketing of their businesses, and the Global Acceleration Network – GAN. Jen Petro, Owner of Build Your Dream Business and Fort Wayne native, said, “NOT starting my business would have been one of my biggest regrets in my life. Because of that, I’m passionate about equipping and supporting women as they do the same—like through this program.”

Phase one of the program is January 15 through April 6, 2018. Commencement will be included in the upcoming NIIC Ideas@Work Signature Event on April 17, 2018, at the Mirro Center for Research and Innovation.

About WEOC—The Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC) serves as a resource center and business growth accelerator for women and underserved entrepreneurs in Northeast Indiana. In October 2017, the name changed to Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center to more accurately reflect what WEOC does. WEOC is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Host organization The NIIC also provides funding and supplemental and complementary resources for WEOC, an SBA designated Women’s Business Center—one of two in Indiana. WEOC serves 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. For more information, visit www.inweoc.com.

About The NIIC—The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community. We help business builders and entrepreneurs launch and grow successful business ventures. Formed in 1999 by a consortium of community and government leaders and organizations in 2013, The NIIC was recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as one of the top four under-the-radar incubators in the country. This basically means Entrepreneur magazine, with the help of International Business Incubation Association, picked four U.S. incubators to highlight, and we were one of them. In their words, we “stand out in a state not always perceived as small business friendly.” The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001: 2008 registered business incubation and acceleration program. For more information visit TheNIIC.Org.

12.13.17

New Workshop Series–Strengthen Professional Communications Skills

December 13, 2017, Fort Wayne, Ind. –Northeast Indiana professionals can hone their communications skills through a new workshop series being offered through the Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC). The first of four workshops focuses on Present Confidently—Own the Room and will be on Wednesday, December 20, 7:30 to 9 a.m., at The NIIC Cole Auditorium. This workshop is for those who want to feel even more confident presenting themselves, their messages, and their products or services.

“What makes people feel confident when they present themselves and their message? Knowing how to prepare, what to do, what to say, and how to say it. That’s what attendees will learn during this interactive, fast-paced workshop,” said Elizabeth MacDonald, Owner, The Verbal Edge, LLC. Participants will become better equipped to prepare, develop, and deliver consistently engaging and confident introductions, presentations, and elevator pitches.

Each workshop in the series focuses on a different topic, and includes actionable items for attendees to apply for stronger communications skills and professional presence. “Effective communication skills are a game-changer for professionals. This workshop series provides an exceptional opportunity to learn from communications skills trainer and coach Elizabeth MacDonald to build stronger overall professional effectiveness,” said Tania D. Vanderlaan, Interim Director, WEOC.

Additional topics include Email—Write for Results (March 2018), You Don’t Say—Change Negatives to Positives (June 2018), and Intentional Interactions—Tackle Difficult People with Tact (September 2018).

There is no cost to attend the workshop, which is sponsored by WEOC. Registered is required. Click here for more information and to register.

About The NIIC

The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community. We help business builders and entrepreneurs launch and grow successful business ventures. Formed in 1999 by a consortium of community and government leaders and organizations in 2013, The NIIC was recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as one of the top four under-the-radar incubators in the country. This basically means Entrepreneur magazine, with the help of International Business Incubation Association, picked four U.S. incubators to highlight, and we were one of them. In their words, we “stand out in a state not always perceived as small business friendly.” The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001: 2008 registered business incubation and acceleration program. TheNIIC.Org

11.30.17

Accelerating Women-Owned, Online-Digital Companies

November 30, 2017, Fort Wayne, Ind. – Female founders of online-digital companies (e-commerce, apps and IT-related ventures) have a new way to accelerate the launch and growth of their companies. Launch Women Business Builder Program is being offered through a partnership of The NIIC, Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC), and GAN Accelerator.

The program consists of two phases. The initial phase will be January 8 through March 31, 2018, and consists of a 12-week, intensive, accelerator-like business building program with a projected time commitment of 7 to 10 hours per week per participating company. While Phase 1 focuses on building the businesses, Phase 2 of the program focuses on implementing, accelerating, and growing the businesses. The program culminates with the WEOC Launch Women Pitch Competition, an annual event held at The NIIC. “Participation in the program requires high commitment and a high energy level. What makes this program unique is the combination of a community component located in Northeast Indiana augmented with the global, online component available through our partnership with GAN,” said Karl R. LaPan, President & CEO, The NIIC.

“We’re excited to be partnering with The NIIC on this new program. It’s designed to give women-owned businesses in Indiana greater representation, access to capital, entrepreneurial tools, mentoring, and resources. It’s great because the businesses that The NIIC has helped to start and grow have a 91.6 percent survivability rate,” said Pat Riley, CEO, GAN.

There is no cost to participants of the program. The support of Northeast Indiana entrepreneurs is made possible through generous funders, The NIIC Ideas@Work Signature Event and The NIIC. Up to five companies will be included in the first cohort of the program. For more information about the program, visit the Launch Women Business Builder web page. The application process is open through December 27, 2017, and the first cohort will be announced January 3, 2018.

About The NIIC

The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community. We help business builders and entrepreneurs launch and grow successful business ventures. Formed in 1999 by a consortium of community and government leaders and organizations in 2013, The NIIC was recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as one of the top four under-the-radar incubators in the country. This basically means Entrepreneur magazine, with the help of International Business Incubation Association, picked four U.S. incubators to highlight, and we were one of them. In their words, we “stand out in a state not always perceived as small business friendly.” The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001: 2008 registered business incubation and acceleration program. TheNIIC.Org

About GAN

In 2010, at the encouragement of two TechStars co-founders—Brad Feld and David Cohen—GAN was launched to align with the accelerator industry around globally accepted best practices and create a standardized model for their success. In January 2014, GAN became an independently operated organization. Today, GAN has more than 80 accelerators in its community, running programs in 120+ cities all over the world, which have supported a total of around 4,700 startups. GAN Corporates & GAN Ventures are further empowering startups, wherever they are. https://www.gan.co/

11.15.17

Celebrating Exemplary Women Entrepreneurs

During Global Entrepreneurship Week 2017, we’re seizing the opportunity to brag on a couple of Women’s Entrepreneurship Opportunity Center (WEOC) clients. It is our pleasure to serve them and watch their ventures grow and evolve. Here are examples of exemplary “she-preneurs” we have worked with through WEOC.

Live On Goods was started by five women with various professional backgrounds and a common tie. All partners have senior family members and/or friends with physical limitations. The company’s mission is to make a line of products to allow these individuals to continue to enjoy their lives with dignity. And that’s exactly what they do with their innovative line of tops.

Made in the U.S.A., bonTops® are waterproof, stain resistant, have a signature pouch to catch spills and front Velcro® closures to allow easy on and off. The bonTops come in three women’s styles and two men’s styles, available in several different fabrics. It’s all about enhancing quality of life. To hear more about their story, check out the Insight interview on WPTA 21 TV from earlier this year.

The founders of CapeAble Sensory Products, LLC share a similar vision. The dynamic duo Marna Pacheco and Susan Hickok founded the company, which manufactures and sells weighted blankets, weighted wearables, and sensory enrichment tools to help improve focus, provide comfort and relieve anxiety. CapeAble has created a new standard in the weighted products industry. Each product is designed to instill hope and provide comfort for children and adults alike.

The co-founders sought help from The NIIC in the spring of 2016 when the company was going through a significant change in terms of their business model. Through several mentoring sessions, they were able to revise their business model and write a business plan to present to the bank for an U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan. CapeAble was recently named as a national finalist for InnovateHER Business Challenge in Washington, D.C. Although not winners of the competition, they are winners in our book.

We applaud all of these women and those in our region who impact and improve so many lives through their companies. For these reasons and countless more, we invite you to join us this week to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week 2017. Visit our website for more information about events at The NIIC. It’s said, “It takes a village.” And that means you, too!

11.02.17

Celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week in Northeast Indiana

November 2, 2017, Fort Wayne, Ind. – November 13-19, 2017, is Global Entrepreneurship Week, with the intent of helping people unleash ideas to start or grow and scale their existing business through being more innovative. Several events are scheduled at The NIIC to convene and connect the entrepreneurial community with one another to discuss topics for entrepreneurial success.

“Communities like ours recognize that business creation is responsible for nearly all net new jobs in our economy. Especially during this celebration week, we thank entrepreneurs for what they do to positively impact our community’s economic success,” said Karl R. LaPan, President & CEO, The NIIC. To kick-start the week, Business Builder Breakfast is scheduled for Monday, November 13, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. This is an informal networking breakfast for Northeast Indiana entrepreneurs to connect. Continental breakfast is provided at no charge.

A Student Entrepreneurial Meet-Up is scheduled for Tuesday, November 14, 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Entrepreneurial-minded students are invited to meet up to talk about their ventures and/or ideas to start a business, connect with Student Venture Lab participants and NIIC business coaches. Food and beverage are provided at no charge.

Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC) resource partner Innovation Connector invites entrepreneurs to Excellence in Innovation Awards. Celebrate and learn from six companies who have persevered through change to remain anchors of the community, leading through innovation. Also, finalists from The Big Idea Pitch Competition will deliver their business ideas to those in attendance, including a panel of judges.

Women entrepreneurs are invited to Caffeinated Conversations on Wednesday, November 15, 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Sherry Aden, Vice President of Operations, Brightpoint, will discuss micro-lending for women-owned businesses. This will be followed by roundtable discussions with table topics led by Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC) Advisory Council members. Registration and networking are 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. Complimentary breakfast provided, and registration is required. Click here to register.

The entrepreneurial community is invited to learn from Certified Financial Advisor John Foxworthy about what not to do while starting, launching, and growing your business. On Thursday, November 16, 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., Money Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make is the topic of the Innovator Insights event from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Registration and networking are 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., and breakfast is provided at no charge. Registration required—click here.

“We look forward to celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week with aspiring as well as accomplished Northeast Indiana entrepreneurs,” said LaPan. For additional information, contact The NIIC.

About The NIIC

The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community. We help business builders and entrepreneurs launch and grow successful business ventures. Formed in 1999 by a consortium of community and government leaders and organizations in 2013, The NIIC was recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as one of the top four under-the-radar incubators in the country. This basically means Entrepreneur magazine, with the help of International Business Incubation Association, picked four U.S. incubators to highlight, and we were one of them. In their words, we “stand out in a state not always perceived as small business friendly.” The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001: 2008 registered business incubation and acceleration program. For more information visit TheNIIC.Org .

10.31.17

WEOC Receives $135,000 Funding Commitment from U.S. SBA

October 31, 2017, Fort Wayne, Ind. – October is National Women’s Small Business Month, a fitting time for the Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center to receive renewed funding for 2017-2018 Women’s Business Center from the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA). WEOC serves as one of two U.S. SBA designated women’s business centers in Indiana.

U.S. SBA Indiana District Director Stacey Poynter said, “We are incredibly thankful for the partnership we have with the Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center. They are part of the web of resources that we have in the Northeast area of the state, which offers one-on-one counseling services and mentorship for women who are small business owners. They have been very successful guiding women toward success and growing our economy.”

“We are honored to work with the U.S. SBA and local network resource partners to serve the aspiring women entrepreneurs and women business owners in our geographic coverage area. There is a common thread among them. They are disruptors, passionate, determined to improve the status quo,” said Tania D. Vanderlaan, Interim WEOC Director.

“With a financial investment match from the NIIC through its Ideas @ Work annual, signature event, total program funding for WEOC exceeds $271,000. We are serious about leveling the playing field for women entrepreneurs and delivering best-in-class resources to elevate their efforts and success. As one of two U.S. SBA designated women’s business centers in Indiana, WEOC is an important asset to catalyzing the startup slump and inspiring higher levels of entrepreneurial business formation in our community,” stated Karl R. LaPan, President & CEO, The NIIC.

Serving women at all stages of business ventures is WEOC’s purpose. It is serving women like female founder Melissa Hall of S3 (Simple Sample Solutions). She formed the company to use technology to disrupt the interior design process, to improve and streamline it. Nicole Hayden, founder of Creative Cat Marketing, who formed her own marketing company to structure the company her own way. She also developed a business model to serve the Fort Wayne art community to promote their works of art. Elevare co-founders, Ashley Spurr and Lisa Harris, who started the company to empower small businesses everywhere to succeed in federal business contracting. Alice Martin-Page, who is developing Stay-Cation, to be a premier skilled respite care venture to serve the community.

For the past two years, The NIIC has invested $170,000 into WEOC in funding plus supplemental and complementary resources. Since WEOC is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. SBA, its fiscal year concluded September 29, 2017. During the past two years, WEOC has trained and counseled 1,400 individuals through business coaching and connected women entrepreneurs to $629,500 in funding. “We’ve made great progress serving women this past year and continue to learn and improve our offerings. We are grateful to our WEOC Advisory Council, who provides input and connectivity to help accomplish so much. We also appreciate working with resource partners like Brightpoint, Community Development Corporation (CDC) of Northeast Indiana, Fort Wayne SCORE, and Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC),” said Vanderlaan.

“Looking to the coming year, we are repositioning to further our overall impact. We’ve learned so much since WEOC was formed two years ago. We’re refocusing our service area on Northeast Indiana and the I-69 Corridor. We’re also changing the organizational structure to include a part-time position to support the WEOC Director. Women entrepreneurs can continue to expect one-on-one coaching, connectivity to funding, training, and networking we offer,” said Vanderlaan.

About WEOC

The Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC) serves as a resource center and business growth accelerator for women and underserved entrepreneurs in Northeast Indiana. In October 2017, the name changed to Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center to more accurately reflect what WEOC does. WEOC is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Host organization The NIIC also provides funding and supplemental and complementary resources for WEOC, an SBA designated Women’s Business Center—one of two in Indiana. WEOC serves 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. For more information, visit www.inweoc.com.

About The NIIC

The NIIC is a non-profit, vibrant entrepreneurial community. We help business builders and entrepreneurs launch and grow successful business ventures. Formed in 1999 by a consortium of community and government leaders and organizations in 2013, The NIIC was recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as one of the top four under-the-radar incubators in the country. This basically means Entrepreneur magazine, with the help of International Business Incubation Association, picked four U.S. incubators to highlight, and we were one of them. In their words, we “stand out in a state not always perceived as small business friendly.” The NIIC is the country’s only ISO9001: 2008 registered business incubation and acceleration program. For more information visit TheNIIC.Org .