New Women’s Business Center is First to Support an HBCU in Ohio, and Will Provide Training, Assistance and Loan Capital to Women-Owned Small Business Owners, CSU Students
(DAYTON, OH) – ECDI, in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Central State University (CSU), has announced it will open the Women’s Business Center (WBC) of Dayton at Central State University-Dayton. This will be ECDI’s fifth WBC in Ohio and the first in partnership with a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). The launch is the result of a recent SBA announcement of 17 new WBCs, 13 of which will be hosted by HBCUs.
The ECDI WBCs empower all entrepreneurs to create sustainable businesses, offering additional programming and networking geared towards the needs of women entrepreneurs. The WBC of Dayton will support and develop small business owners through education, training and mentorship services. Additional resources and access to facilities including printing, laptops and wi-fi are available to all entrepreneurs in the greater Dayton community, including Central State students. As a small business lender, ECDI can also provide loans up to $2 million, serving as a one-stop-resource for WBC members.
“WBCs are vital to supporting women-owned small businesses and they go hand-in-hand with ECDI’s mission of investing in people to create measurable and enduring social and economic change,” said Inna Kinney, Founder and CEO of ECDI. “We are elated to partner with the historic Central State University to bring these vital resources to not only their talented students, but the Dayton community as a whole.”
“Like many regions we serve, minority and under-resourced populations in the Dayton area face disproportionately high poverty and unemployment rates, and have less access to economic opportunity,” said Nicole Liatos, ECDI's VP of Entrepreneurial Programs. “We’re excited to partner with Central State University, an HBCU, to provide more inclusive access to opportunities. Together, we’ll work to remove barriers and empower underrepresented members of the community to improve their daily lives through entrepreneurship.”
“The WBC will truly bolster our Workforce Training and Business Development Center, which was created to support historically underserved and underemployed populations in our community, and provide career pathways for its participants,” said CSU President Dr. Morakinyo Kuti. “Additionally, Central State University is rich with entrepreneurial talent. There is a unique need for this program as more than 400 participants have engaged with the Workforce Training and Business Development Center.”
According to recent research, it’s been found that 93 percent of Gen-Z’ers have explored the possibility of business ownership and 75 percent want to launch their own business. For CSU students and other up-and-coming or established entrepreneurs of the Dayton community, the new WBC will provide no-cost space and resources to build, launch, and grow their own legacies.
ECDI’s four additional SBA-powered WBCs include: the WBC of Northern Ohio in Cleveland, the WBC of Central Ohio in Columbus, the WBC of Central Appalachia in Portsmouth at Shawnee State University, and the WBC of Greater Cincinnati. To date, the WBCs in Ohio have served nearly 14,000 clients, provided 15,500 hours of counseling, and helped to start over 775 businesses.
The WBC of Dayton is slated to open in late 2024 and will be located at 840 Germantown Street. ECDI is currently recruiting a program director.
To learn more about the WBCs in Ohio, visit https://www.wbcohio.org. To learn more about SBA’s programs and resources for women entrepreneurs, visit www.sba.gov/women. To learn more about Central State University and their Workforce Training and Business Development Center, visit https://www.centralstate.edu/workforce-training-and-business-development-center.
MEDIA RELEASE
Media Contact: Katie Laux | 614-559-0196
For Immediate Release: August 26, 2024
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ABOUT ECDI
ECDI is a nonprofit organization, dedicated to assuring underbanked entrepreneurs – regardless of where they came from, where they live, their gender, or their race – have access to funding and business incubation services they need to succeed. Based in Columbus, with offices in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Akron, Canton, Toledo, and Portsmouth, we serve small businesses in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Indiana. As the nation’s top SBA microloan intermediary and a U.S. Treasury-designated CDFI, we have assisted more than 32,000 individuals, disbursed more than $185 million through more than 6,200 loans, and created and retained more than 43,500 estimated jobs since 2004. Learn more: ecdi.org
ABOUT THE SBA
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. Learn more: sba.gov
ABOUT CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY: Central State University is a public HBCU and 1890 Land-Grant Institution with a 135-year tradition of preparing students from diverse backgrounds and experiences for leadership, research, and service. Central State ranks among U.S. News & World Report’s best colleges in five categories, including Best Undergraduate Engineering Program and Top Public Schools. The University fosters academic excellence within a nurturing environment and provides a solid liberal arts foundation and STEM-Ag curriculum leading to professional careers and advanced studies globally.
EEO STATEMENT: Central State University, an 1890 Land Grant Institution, is committed to the full inclusion of all people and does not discriminate based on race, age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV / AIDS states, marital or family status, military status, national origin political beliefs, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact the Department of Human Resources at (937) 376-6540. Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity institution
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