Women's Initiative for Self Employment: Where Dreams Become Thriving Businesses

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Women's Initiative is featured in the San Francisco Chronicle article "Microfinance groups help small businesses grow." The article spotlights our recent "Job Creation through Microenterprise" research.
»CLICK HERE to reade full article

»CLICK HERE to read our new publication: Job Creation
through
Microenterprise
Development

»CLICK HERE to join Women's Initiative for an intensive fall fellowship. Deadline is August 27.

»CLICK HERE to Check out our blog to learn more about Women’s Initiative and the field of microenterprise.

»CLICK HERE to see the moving video shown at our December breakfast.

» CLICK HERE to read the letter to Congress from Women’s Initiative and other members of the California Reinvestment Coalition recommending increased access to small-business lending for women- and minority-owned businesses.

Watch the slideshows of the winners that premiered at the Woman-Owned Business Award cermonies in all five Bay Area Counties! » CLICK HERE

Women's Initiative is featured in the San Francisco Chronicle. To read the article » CLICK HERE

Women's Initaitive wants to thank Safety Training Seminars for donating CPR and First-aid training classes to our staff.

Women's Initiative for Self Employment is a Bay Area non-profit which provides high-potential, lower-income women the training, resources and on-going support to start and grow their business. The business management training, technical assistance, and financial services we provide — in English and Spanish — improve the quality of life for the women we serve, their families and our communities.

Would You Like to Attend a Women's Initiative event? We have seminars, graduations and Connect events happening each month. » FIND OUT MORE

»CLICK HERE to buy WI

Women's Initiative is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S Small Business Administration

Women’s Initiative Silicon Valley is funded in part by the United Way

Watch our New Video "Women of Vision"

connie_rivera GRADUATE SOPTLIGHT
Connie Rivera opened her San Francisco shop, Mixcoatl, after graduating from the Women’s Initiative business training program in 2005. She came to the U.S. 24 years ago, from Toluca Mexico in search of a better life for herself and her family. Arriving with a high school education in hand, she worked her way through a series of jobs in the U.S as a babysitter, coffee shop worker, and then housekeeper for 15 years. However, she always knew she wanted, and was capable, of more.

Influenced and inspired by her grandparents who were artisans and merchants in Mexico, she began very gradually bringing art and jewelry from her hometown, selling little by little informally among friends. In 2005, Connie heard about Women’s Initiative business training program and could hardly believe it. “Wow, this is exactly what I need and have been looking for” she said.

»CLICK HERE to read more.