Urban League Of Louisiana Presents Inaugural Women’s Entrepreneurship Week

In celebration of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day on Nov.19, the Urban League of Louisiana will host its inaugural Women’s Entrepreneurship Week (WEW) on Nov. 14-17 in New Orleans.
“During this week, we will celebrate women entrepreneurs from across Louisiana and provide opportunities for education, networking, and resource sharing,” the organization said in an announcement on Instagram.

Black Women in Retail Marketplace and Graduation

On Nov. 14, the Urban League of Louisiana will celebrate the inaugural cohort of its Black Women in Retail Accelerator Program. Ten Black women-owned retail businesses in Louisiana were selected to receive coaching, mentorship and leadership development training through the program this year. The program opened up opportunities for the participating businesses to gain assistance with obtaining small business certifications and contracting.

The Black Women in Retail marketplace and graduation, in collaboration with the National Urban League, will occur at The Southern Food & Beverage Museum from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. CST.

WEW Welcome Reception & Women in Business Pitch Competition: Scale Up!

The organization will host the Women’s Entrepreneurship Week welcome reception on Nov. 15. As part of the event’s kick-off celebration, four finalists will compete to win $10,000 during the annual “Women in Business Pitch Competition: Scale Up!”. Judges will select a winner for the 11th year by assessing the effectiveness and scalability of the finalists’ business models. Contestants must assert how they intend to apply the award funds to the growth of their business.

The WEW Welcome Reception and Women in Business Pitch Competition will occur at The Cannery from 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. CST.

Hope2Women Summit

In collaboration with the Association of Women’s Business Centers and powered by the network of Women’s Business Centers across the United States, the Urban League of Louisiana will host its Hope2Women Summit on Nov. 16. The organization has planned out a full day of expert coaching, workshops, networking and learning opportunities for women entrepreneurs to take part in and uncover resources to grow successful businesses.

Participants can attend several plenary and breakout sessions that include The State of Women-owned Small Businesses, Pitch to Win: Becoming Your Brand’s #1 Ambassador and Bid to Win: Developing Your Skills to Bid and Win Government Contracts. Women entrepreneurs will hear from featured speakers Phala K. Mire, president and CEO of the Women’s Business Enterprise Council, and Janea Jamison from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy. Desiree Young, founder and CEO of VentureWalk Business Partners and Courtney Elzey, Principal at MCDS, LLC, will head two of the morning’s breakout sessions.

The Hope2Women Summit will occur at the Hyatt Regency from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CST. Tickets are available for $100 per person, which includes admission to all sessions.