The Wave
April-June, 2006 eNewsletter
Volume 4, Number 2
Page 3
Stakeholder Survey,
continued from
page 2, column 3
1. Research, data and statistics
2. Entrepreneurial education and
training
3. Access to debt and equity capital
4. Access to networks (including
mainstream business networks),
and to corporate, government and
international markets, including
global supply chains
5. Technology as an entrepreneurial
enabler
6. Advocacy and constituency
building, including opportunities
for stakeholders to work together
7. Fostering the development of
growth-oriented women
entrepreneurs
8. Education of the media,
policymakers, corporations,
foundations—and ultimately the
public—about women
entrepreneurs and their economic
and social impact
Question #2 – Stakeholders –
What
and who are the key stakeholder
groups and experts that you believe
should be asked to provide feedback
regarding the US Strategic
Framework?
Question #3 – Development Process –
Please let us know if you and/or your
organization would like to host or
contribute to any of these activities:
focus groups, online forums, online
and email polling, videoconferences,
and the Virtual Economic Summit?
Question #4 – Vision –
Please share
with us your vision for the women's
business community (and women
business owners themselves) in the
year 2020—what does it look like,
and how is it different from where we
are today?
Question #5 – Other Issues –
Please
let us know what else should be done
or should be included in the Strategic
Framework development process in
order to create a vision for action that
is greater than any one organization
or issue.
Sampler of Comments
Developing the Strategic Framework
"It's impor tant to go outside the 'comfort zone'
of women's business organizations (in develop-
ing the Framework). If we stick with all the
'likely suspects,' the work has the potential to
reflect insular views, and may not have the type
of impact we wish. We should include industry
specific groups , ethnic women's business
organizations, (and big thinkers who can inform
the process) and help get the word out about
what we are trying to do."
Karen Kerrigan, President, Women Entrepreneurs Inc.
"We are in the process of
revising our vision for WBENC for
its second decade .( For both it
and the Strategic Framework) ,
we have to move the process
from evolution to revolution."
Susan Bari, President, WBENC
The Training and Finance Continuum
"A recent MS Foundation study commissioned
by the Women's Funding Network highlighted
the four strategies that will begin to alleviate
poverty .Two (of the four) strategies are:
1) building women's entrepreneurship through
training, education and support services; and
2) developing long -term financial security
through asset building and (financial) literacy."
Ann Marie Almeida, President, AWBC
"Fostering the development of growth-oriented
women entrepreneurs is key. WBENC and the
Women Presidents' Organization (WPO ) have a
joint venture focusing on WBE firms (certified
women's business enterprises that are 51% or
more women-owned) with revenues of $50
million + in sales."
Susan Bari, President, WBENC
Work-Life Balance
"A key issue is the effect of family and life
balance on the business. Realistically, it plays
such a role in the amount of time, energy and
commitment a women can devote to the
growth of her business. We sometimes
minimize the significance of lifestyle
businesses, but perhaps we don't have a good
infrastructure for women to achieve both a
high-growth business and a happy family."
Robin Diamond, Executive Director, DSEF
Technology and International Trade
"By 2020, women-owned enterprises must
be completely adept at using all available
technology for communications, and for
providing their goods and services. They also
must be fully comfortable operating in the
international arena, as it is quite likely they
will have business partners or strategic
partners in other parts of the world."
Susan Chaires, Esq., Former Legal Counsel for both
NAWBO and the CWBR
On Moving Toward 2020
"My biggest hope is that we
can encourage many more
women to create million $
businesses. This helps
everyone, especially
our country."
Beverly J. Inman-Ebel, Immediate Past President,
NAWBO
"International women will be
represented in all the growth
opportunities. Their work
will be recognized as more
than just women's success.
Many more countries will meet their
(economic) potential through women's
entrepreneurship. VC opportunities all over
the world will be accessible to men and
women. And our work will be recognized by
the media as not 'mom and pop,' but as
contributing to global growth."
Marsha Firestone, President, WPO
On Implementing the Strategic Framework
"We should each have a specific project or
deliverable for this to be successful."
Susan Bari, President, WBENC
"There should be a (periodic) gathering of all
women's organizations to review the
agenda and the action steps to make it
happen. This could happen every 2 years."
Leslie Grossman, Co-Founder, WLE
