WISE Women’s Business Center awarded state grant, selected as an entrepreneurship-assistance center

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The WISE Women’s Business Center (WISE WBC) says it has been selected as one of 24 entrepreneurship-assistance centers in New York.

The recognition follows the receipt of a grant of more than $73,000 from Empire State Development (ESD) in 2023, “furthering the center’s commitment to advancing women in business and fostering economic growth in Central New York,” per the announcement from Syracuse University (SU).

WISE WBC tells CNYBJ that the grant renews annually as long as the organization meets the goals for the funding.

The WISE Women’s Business Center works in collaboration with SU’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

The center’s programs reach underserved, minority and rural populations across the seven counties it serves, which the organization says is “in line with its commitment to equity and community impact.”

The entrepreneurship-assistance centers program — which ESD administers — seeks to support aspiring and existing entrepreneurs by providing “essential resources and fostering a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem,” SU said. The centers act as “catalysts”for economic development, offering educational programs, training, and mentorship opportunities to empower businesses across the state.

SU said that the WISE Women’s Business Center will use the 2023 ESD grant to support its Accelerate: Business Plan Intensive program. The initiative is currently in its fourth year, and the program’s seventh cohort begins work on April 9.

The low-cost, eight-week “intensive” program provides women entrepreneurs in the early stages of their business with expert guidance, peer collaboration, and personalized support in developing and refining business plans that they can use for loan applicationsand finding business partners.

“We are honored to be selected as an Entrepreneurship Assistance Center and are excited about the opportunities this presents for women entrepreneurs in our region,”Meghan Florkowski, director at the WISE Women’s Business Center, said in the SU announcement. “This grant will enable us to enhance our commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs, fostering economic growth, collaborating with community partners, and contributing to the vibrancy of the Central New York small business community.”

In addition to its affiliation with the Whitman School, the WISE Women’s Business Center is designated as a Women’s Business Center through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). This recognition “underscores the center’s commitment to serving women entrepreneurs by providing impactful programs, resources, and one-on-one tailored support in reaching their business goals.”