Delegates from the United Kingdom Learn Best Practices on Women’s Entrepreneurship

Springfield, VA - On Thursday, May 6, a group of distinguished advisors and entrepreneurs from the United Kingdom visited the Community Business Partnership (CBP) to discuss best practices for working with disadvantaged women entrepreneurs. The study group, hosted by Project Tsunami, is visiting the U.S. for just a week following a Virtual Global Forum, and included representatives from The Royal Bank of Scotland, regional development agencies, the Department for Trade and Industry, Prowess, and various entrepreneurs. In addition to the Community Business Partnership’s Women’s Business Center (WBC), the delegates were hosted by the Northern Virginia Chapter of the National Association of Woman Business Owners (NAWBO NOVA). Invited special guests included the manager for Virginia’s Women Business Enterprise (WBE) Certification program, and Patricia Sands, CEO of Spill-Guard, LLC, who spoke about the emergence of her successful business under the WBC’s guidance.

“This afternoon’s information exchange has made the entire trip worthwhile,” reported Saab Pahal, Minority Business Advisor for the London Development Agency.

Elizabeth Vazquez, Executive Director of Project Tsunami, added, "We were thrilled to have the opportunity to introduce leaders from the UK to the managers of best practice initiatives launched by organizations such as WBC, CBP, NAWBO NOVA and the Virginia Certification office."

Atlanta and Washington-based Project Tsunami is a global accelerator for women's entrepreneurship and uses a three-pronged strategy to create a worldwide wave of change to advance the women's small and medium enterprises sector.

The Community Business Partnership’s programs also include the South Fairfax Small Business Development Center, a Business Finance Center, and a Business Incubation Center. Its Women’s Business Center provides training, assistance and support to minority and socially disadvantaged women seeking to start and grow their own businesses. It is funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration and Fairfax County’s Commission for Women. The WBC partners with NAWBO NOVA for professional development and mentoring activities for women entrepreneurs in Northern Virginia, and with the Mason Enterprise Center and Virginia’s WBE programs for clients seeking procurement opportunities.