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Supporting Women Entrepreneurs

Women entrepreneurs typically have to balance community and family service while maintaining their savviness as a businesswoman. To provide support and networking opportunities for women entrepreneurs in the Atlanta area, Dr. Roshawnna Novellus recently launched the inaugural EnrichHER Business Conference that engaged more than 250 participants.


“The main objective of the EnrichHER Conference was to bring together women-led businesses from a variety of industries so that they could obtain access to resources, education, inspiration and access to capital,” says Dr. Novellus. “We highlighted women in technology, civic engagement, arts and entertainment because women in different sectors often doing receive the same type of resources.”

Held at Atlanta Tech Village, EnrichHER was co-hosted by the City of Atlanta. One of the key goals is to create the space to empower women entrepreneurs and plug them into a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem that will yield business results. At EnrichHER, six women-led businesses participated in a business pitch competition. The winner, Lalanya Abner of ImaginationBeyond Boundaries, was awarded $5,000 in funding.


“A business challenge unique to women being taken seriously, which perpetuates lack of confidence,” says Dr. Novellus. “EnrichHER gave six incredibly talented women a platform to confidently communicate their entrepreneurial passion to an audience of over 250 people. They received feedback and ideas from three subject matter experts and gained potential investors and supporters who believe in their vision.”

The event brought together women power players in Atlanta’s business community, including Lisa Nicole Cloud, CEO of Elite Marketing Strategies and star of BRAVO TV's “Married to Medicine,” who served as keynote speaker. Rashan Ali, multi-media personality, was the master of ceremony. EnrichHER speakers and panelists included Abigail Trembel, president of Randstad; Kimberly Blackwell, advisor for PMM & NBWC; Susan Oh, managing partner of Telemundo; Veronica Maldonado-Torres, program director for Georgia Protege Project; Genevieve Bos, managing partner of Thought Capital.

Judges for the business pitch competition included: Grace Fricks, president of Access to Capital For Entrepreneurs; Theia Washington, executive director of Atlanta's Women's Entrepreneurship Initiative; and Dina Marto, founder of Twelve Studios.



“We were able to have women starting in their entrepreneurial journey connect to seasoned women entrepreneurs, who shared their trials and triumphs,” says Dr. Novellus. “Also, networking to build potential investors, suppliers, strategic partners creates an invaluable space for those breaking into entrepreneurship.”

On the heels of the successful inaugural event, Dr. Novellus is excited for the next phase of providing much-needed support and resources for women entrepreneurs in the Atlanta-metro area. She is preparing to launch a women-led business accelerator program, which will be paired with an alternative funding platform so that businesses have the startup capital necessary to launch their business.
  
EnrichHER welcomes partners who able to contribute monetary donations, mentorship, planning and organization skills, please email hello@enrichher.com. Also continue the conversation on social media with @RoshawnnaNovellus and follow the hashtag #EnrichHER.


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