Fourth annual WE BOS Week aims to support women entrepreneurs

Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Mayor's Office of Economic Development, and the Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement today announced the fourth annual Women Entrepreneurs Boston (WE BOS) Week, a week-long series of free events beginning on Sunday, October 14, 2018 designed to support women entrepreneurs. Curated around this year's theme, "Get Inspired, Get Connected, Get Funded," WE BOS Week is comprised of networking opportunities, educational workshops, panel discussions, and coaching sessions with industry leaders and investors.

"Women-owned businesses bring so much life into our neighborhoods and throughout the entire City of Boston," said Mayor Walsh. "I couldn't be prouder to host the fourth annual WE BOS Week to make sure Boston's current and aspiring women entrepreneurs have access to the opportunities and resources they need to launch and grow thriving businesses."

Hosted in partnership with organizations throughout Boston and across the entrepreneurship ecosystem, WE BOS Week helps women entrepreneurs build their networks and learn new skills to scale and grow their businesses. Over the past three years, more than 3,000 women have participated in over 65 WE BOS Week events in partnership with dozens of organizations.

"We are thrilled to expand our partnerships and programming for the fourth annual WE BOS Week," said Abby Furey, WE BOS Program Manager. "Under this year's theme of 'Get Inspired, Get Connected, Get Funded', events hosted throughout the City will provide networking opportunities, resources and access to industry experts in Venture Capital, Life Science, Tech, Social Enterprise, and Creative Economy."

Boston was recently ranked as the #1 city for startups in a report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and named a top five city by Dell Technologies for its ability to foster women's entrepreneurship.

The annual WE BOS Week kick-off celebration will be held in partnership with Mass Innovation Nights (MIN) at Women Founders Night at District Hall, where 10 women-led startups will showcase their businesses. The week will also feature over 25 free events throughout the City, office hours with accelerators and investors, instructional workshops, and curated networking opportunities.

For a complete list of events happening throughout WE BOS Week, visit we-bos.comor follow @WE_BOS on Twitter.

The Economic Development Cabinet's mission is to make Boston an appealing and accessible place for working families, entrepreneurs, businesses, and investors to innovate, grow, and thrive in a way that fosters inclusion, broadens opportunity, and shares prosperity, thereby enhancing the quality of life for all Bostonians and the experience for all visitors. Learn more on their website.

The Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement creates specific programming and opportunities that support four priority areas: economic equity, safety, empowerment and representation, and health. Some of the office's most recent work includes: research on paid parental leave and childcare affordability; a multi-pronged approach to closing the gender pay gap; reducing the demand for sex trafficking; and creating specific programming for women entrepreneurs. Learn more on their website.