The Women”™s Enterprise Development Center (WEDC) in White Plains has created a grant program to boost microenterprise through a collaboration with the Women”™s Research and Education Fund and Lanza Family Foundation.
The inaugural Lanza Enterprise Award Program (LEAP) totaling $33,000 in grant monies was presented to seven program recipients at the organization”™s annual luncheon last month.
“Each winner had to set goals and report what they”™ll do with the cash,” said Persephone Zill, business counselor and program specialist at WEDC. “We have quarterly business counseling with the winner, and they will participate in a monthly peer group. It”™s nice because it”™s not ”˜take the money and run”™ and because they”™ll get ongoing support.”
One woman-owned business, Anjolie Ayurveda in Hastings-on-Hudson, is using its $5,000 grant to import organic soap manufactured in a woman-owned facility in India.
“The mother and daughter then sell the soap to spas and pharmacies,” Anne Janiak, executive director of the WEDC, said. “The families of the factory are able to educate their children, as a result. It”™s really far-reaching in its impact.”
One program winner was Maria Valente, owner of specialty chocolate factory Chocolations in Mamaroneck, who outlined her need to purchase a high-temperature dishwasher and subsequently scored $5,000 toward the purchase.
“Otherwise, she spent five hours a day hand-washing pots and pans to conform to safety requirements,” added Janiak. “It just made sense. It would give her business the boost it needed.”
Grant recipients were selected from a pool of applicants that had graduated from WEDC”™s 15-week, entrepreneurial training program.
Each year, about 75 to 100 participants enroll in the program, which coaches enrollees on everything from writing a business plan to managing a budget.
After graduating from the program, small-business owners can sign up for the Peer Exchange Program (PEP), which facilitates peer support and tracks progress.
