New event celebrates women entrepreneurs

MISHAWAKA, Ind. – Monday is Women Entrepreneurship Day. It’s a day that recognizes women business owners around the country.

In Michiana, a first of its kind event is helping women entrepreneurs.  

More than 100 women will gather at Celebration Palace in Mishawaka for the first “Women’s Entrepreneurship Summit, Round Tables for Success.” It’s geared towards providing leadership, resources, and inspiration to women business owners in Michiana.

Cindy Cohen is a South Bend mother who runs C2 Your Health Women’s Initiative, a non-profit organization.  

Cohen created the conference to help women in the area like her. She says women own 37 percent of businesses in Indiana, but only two percent of businesses in St. Joseph County.

Cohen says a majority of businesses owned by women fail. She says a reason why that number is low is because women aren’t being connected to the resources that can help them.

“We hope that those 100 women go out and share their experience during the year,” said Cohen. “If everyone shares that they learn with 30 women that will be 3,000 women in Michiana that are impacted.”

A recent report from the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship says business owners who have access to mentors and resources report higher revenues and growth rates.

Vida Bridges is an entrepreneur from South Bend. She says she’s excited to attend. Bridges hopes to learn how to grow her consulting business and other projects.

“I think it’s important because we do need to support each other as women,” said Bridges. “In order for us to grow, especially for us to grow our businesses, we need to have more resources available for us, mentors, women working together, so that we can grow together as women entrepreneurs.”

To learn more, click here.