I meet women entrepreneurs every day who have a business idea that has the potential to be wildly successful. I also spend time with women who are already successfully running a business but need a loan to expand, open a new location, or make a transition.
I’m going to tell you something that might surprise you.
Most of these women have never received the formal training to commit their business plans to paper. As a result, most of them will not receive funding from pitch competitions, angel investors, grant opportunities, or microlenders, even if they completely deserve it. The system is filled with incredible bias against them, and this is especially true for women of color.
To give more Michigan women a shot at funding their business, MWF has been consciously addressing bias in our own processes and programs. Today, I am excited to tell you about two new funding programs we’re launching this week:
- 53 Voices is a one-of-a-kind pitch challenge in partnership with Fifth Third Bank. To participate in the challenge, we’re asking women to record their business idea (using just their voices!) in 53 seconds. Judges will listen to these recordings and select the top 10 ideas, which will then be voted on by YOU. The final prizes will be awarded based on community vote and how much the idea moves you.
- Preparing to Pitch is a series of free workshops in August to help women entrepreneurs prepare for WomanUp & Pitch, MWF’s annual pitch competition. These workshops will create opportunities for more women to feel confident in their concept paper and application.
It is our hope that these two unique programs will open doors for hundreds of women to become successful business owners in the next few years.
Applications for 53 Voices open next week (August 2) and we are encouraging any Michigan woman with a business idea to apply, so share this with all the entrepreneurial women you know and click here for more details!
Thank you for reading our updates and caring about the economic wellbeing of Michigan women and girls. I hope you’re having a great summer and I am looking forward to seeing you in person soon at one of our upcoming events!
Gratefully,
Carolyn Cassin
President & CEO
Michigan Women Forward
Support Michigan women & girls
Michigan Women Forward are sharing an exciting funding opportunity with the entrepreneurs of Michigan. Today, MWF are announcing their 53 Voices Challenge, which is a pitch competition for women to win up to $5,350 and receive technical assistance training.
Attached is their flyer. They want to reach as many women entrepreneurs (and future women entrepreneurs) as possible.
Can you pitch your business idea using only your voice? Michigan Women Forward (MWF) is teaming up with Fifth Third Bank and challenging women across the state to record their best business idea for a chance to win cash prizes. All you need is a recording device (a phone works well!) and a short description of your idea to start or grow a business. 53 finalists will be selected to win $100 and will receive training on accounting, marketing, and pitching. The top 10 finalists will be selected to win an additional $250 and create a video that will be voted on for additional grand prizes up to $5,000!
More information and application can be found here: https://miwf.org/wei/womanup-programs/53-voices-challenge/. Applications open today and will remain open until August 18. Contact us by emailing microloan@miwf.org with any questions.
MWF Entrepreneur Good News
|
|
Creme Brulee, a luxury multicultural beauty salon in midtown Detroit, held their grand opening on July 8! Katrina Wilson, owner of Creme Brulee, heard her first “yes” from the team at MWF (after 23 no’s) when she was looking for funding for the project. Katrina also attended MWF’s trainings and has partnered with MWF on refining her vision for her salon for many years. Congratulations, Katrina! |
|
Skinphorea Facial Bar & Acne Clinic will open its second location in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood on Aug. 6. Skinphorea founder Jessica Hayes-Stallings is a former MWF client, Pitch competition winner, Board member, and loan committee member. Congratulations to Jessica! Pictured: Jessica with Carolyn Cassin and Carolyn Bloodworth (Consumers Energy) when she won the WomanUp & Pitch competition! |
|
Audio Engineers of Detroit, owned by Mike and Robin Kinnie, hosted their grand opening on Monday, July 26. Audio Engineers is a state-of-the-art audio and educational studio located in Midtown Detroit. They are MWF loan clients. Congratulations Mike and Robin! |
|
The Great Divine Center will host its grand opening THIS SUNDAY, and it’s open to the public. The Great Divine Center is an empowerment center dedicated to helping families thrive. Congratulations to Kymaletha Brown, who is an MWF loan client! |
|
SAVE THE DATE: WomanUp & Celebrate Kalamazoo is on September 29
|
|
Judy Welch, MWF’s West Michigan Executive Director, will retire at the end of September. Under Welch’s leadership, MWF became a truly statewide organization. Judy opened two offices during her tenure – Grand Rapids and Lansing – and brought Michigan Women Forward programming and events throughout central and West Michigan.
Judy is simply irreplaceable and has become a spokesperson for women throughout the state. It’s difficult to think of Michigan Women Forward without Judy, but she is embarking on a new phase of her life after tirelessly supporting women, girls and Michigan Women Forward for the last eight years. We wish her well and know she will continue to be a part of the Michigan Women Forward family. Her work will live on long after she retires.
Read the article about Judy’s retirement in the Grand Rapids Business Journal |
|