Washington, D.C. (September 27, 2021) – The Enterprising Women of Color DMV Business Center (Center) today announced the participants for the Ascend.Her: Phoenix Cohort, the latest cohort of Wacif’s award-winning Ascend Capital Accelerator. The Phoenix Cohort includes 14 dynamic women entrepreneurs of color who will build the resilience and growth of their businesses by participating in the eight-week, intensive, cohort-based program.
“Women entrepreneurs of color lead the way nationally and regionally in small business and job creation, so building a resilient economy requires supporting the resilience of these entrepreneurs,” said Wacif CEO Harold B. Pettigrew Jr. “Wacif is excited to launch the Ascend.Her: Phoenix Cohort to support their success, build their business’s capacity, and invest in their future.”
With a focus on helping women entrepreneurs of color rise from an incredibly challenging pandemic business environment, the Ascend.Her: Phoenix Cohort will strengthen entrepreneurs’ financial capability, deepen their marketing and relationship-building skills, and position them to secure affordable growth capital. The Ascend.Her: Phoenix Cohort draws on the curriculum offered through its parent accelerator, Wacif’s award-winning Ascend Capital Accelerator. The Ascend.Her: Phoenix Cohort is made possible through a partnership with the U.S. Minority Business Development Agency.
“The data tell us that supporting the resilience of women entrepreneurs of color will help catalyze an equitable economic recovery,” said Enterprising Women of Color DMV Business Center Program Director Messay Derebe. “I am honored to collaborate with these 14 inspiring entrepreneurs to sustain their resilience and growth.”
Below are the entrepreneurs in the Phoenix Cohort of Ascend.Her Capital Accelerator:
Entrepreneur
Shirley Boubert-Rumble
Amber Chaney
Dr. Bridgette Chase
Vicki Davis
Erica Fells
Teresa Gilchrist
Alana Hill
Jennifer Hoang
Monica Lamont
Victoria Lebeaux
Portia Moore
Lavanya Poteau
Kuku Smith
Shauna Stallworth
Business
Chase Counseling and Consulting Services, LLC
Vicki Davis Group
The Sugar Life
Ascend.Her Capital Accelerator is one component of the Center’s mission to empower and invest in women entrepreneurs of color by dismantling systemic inequity through economic opportunity. By providing access to affordable capital and funding opportunities, a full suite of business services, advisory, and programming services, networking opportunities, and cohort-based learning, the Center commits to advancing economic justice for historically underserved communities.
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About the Enterprising Women of Color DMV Business Center
The Enterprising Women of Color DMV Business Center (Center) fosters and supports a small business ecosystem for women of color in the National Capital Region. The Center’s robust business services—including financial capital, business advisory services, and networking support—are dedicated to supporting the growth and resiliency of women of color entrepreneurs. This Center is powered by the Washington Area Community Investment Fund (Wacif), which has served women entrepreneurs of color since 1987, and is made possible through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). To learn more about the Center, visit https://ewoc.wacif.org.
About the Washington Area Community Investment Fund
Washington Area Community Investment Fund, Inc. (Wacif) is one of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area’s leading Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) focused on small business development. Wacif’s mission is to increase equity and economic opportunity in underserved communities in the Washington, D.C. area by investing knowledge, social, and financial capital in low-and-moderate-income entrepreneurs. To learn more about Wacif’s mission, visit www.wacif.org.