Mayor Walsh announces start of WEBos week 2020, providing women entrepreneurs with resources for navigating COVID-19 related business needs

Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Mayor's Offices of Economic Development and Women's Advancement today announced the sixth annual  Women Entrepreneurs Boston (WEBos) Week, a series of free, virtual events to support and promote women entrepreneurs throughout the City of Boston. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's "Striving and Thriving with WEBos" programming will be held online, expanding access to all events. All networking opportunities, business coaching, educational workshops, and guidance on funding resources are hosted by industry leaders to support the prosperity of women entrepreneurs and business owners across the City. For a full list of events, visit here.

"Every year, the City of Boston hosts WeBos Week with our partner organizations to showcase the important and hard work of women entrepreneurs and business owners," said Mayor Walsh. "Even though we cannot meet in person, it's now more important than ever to mark and support these businesses and leaders as they navigate their COVID-related business needs. I encourage business owners to take advantage of these opportunities, and thank all the organizations and participants who adapted to a virtual format this year."

Today, WEBos Week kicked off with the Equity and Innovation Panel, presented by the Roxbury Innovation Center. The conversation will be centered around Why the BLM Movement Is More Important Than Ever in Creating Space for Imagination and Innovation for BIPOC. The event will be moderated by Danielle Johnson, owner of SPARK FM Online and first Black woman to own a digital radio station in Boston. Leaders and entrepreneurs will discuss the current cultural reckoning with race and the opportunities for diverse innovators to thrive.

Over the past six years, more than 5,000 women have participated in more than 100 WEBos Week events. The 2020 WEBos Week will be held virtually with more than 20 workshops, panels, and wellness events geared towards balancing personal health and creative solution making in COVID-19. Each year, the City of Boston partners with diverse and dynamic organizations to host events, including Golden Seeds,  Innovation Studio, Roxbury Innovation Center, Mass Innovation Nights, Innovation Women, The Capital Network, Fairmount Innovation Lab, IFundWomen, Mainvest, Boston Women's Market, Empower Our Crown and more.

"Womxn entrepreneurs are ready to innovate!" says Daniel Enríquez Vidaña, President of Innovation Studio. "In the past year, all of our Pitch Night winners since September 2019 have been 90%+ women and 90% Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. We are here in collaboration with WEBos to raise womxn entrepreneurs' voices and increase the diversity of the innovation community. We believe innovation is for everyone!"  

Expanding on the Economic Development Center, the Mayor's Office of Economic Development will organize several workshops on small business and entrepreneurship resources as part of this year's programming; including You want to Start a Business?, to help focus and test your business concept and define next steps on Monday, October 19th at 12 p.m., Online Marketing Strategies during Covid on Thursday, October 22 at 3 p.m., and 10  Legal Mistakes for Businesses to Avoid on Friday, October 23 at 10 a.m.

For a complete list of events happening throughout WEBos Week, visit boston.gov/we-bos or follow  @EconDevBoston, @BostonWomen, and #WEBOSWeek on Twitter. 

ABOUT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

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 here.

ABOUT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF WOMEN'S ADVANCEMENT

The Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement creates specific programming and opportunities that support three priority areas: economic equity, safety, and empowerment, and representation. 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 gaps; reducing the demand for commercial sexual exploitation; and creating specific programming for women entrepreneurs. Learn more here.

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