Women's Initiative Talks Job Creation with Nancy Pelosi

By: Ellen Snook, Marketing Communications Director 

Women’s Initiative was honored to host an event in celebration of Women’s Equality Day with Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.

The event took place on Thursday, August 25, at Women’s Initiative graduate business, Casa Bonampak in San Francisco’s Mission District. Five graduates of the Women’s Initiative Simple Steps program, as well as four clients of Working Solutions, a nonprofit organization which provides microentrepreneurs with access to capital and resources, set up showcases of their businesses and spoke with Congresswoman Pelosi about their businesses, the jobs they have created, and how owning a business has improved their lives. After Congresswoman Pelosi met each of the business owners, they were seated at a roundtable to discuss job creation and issues facing women small business owners today.

The Congresswoman said that current budget decisions will have an impact on women and that Washington must ensure that the budget focuses on keeping the entrepreneurial spirit alive in this country. Julie Castro Abrams, CEO of Women’s Initiative, thanked Congresswoman Pelosi for being such an inspiring mentor to all women and for being an advocate of Women’s Initiative. Abrams said that Congresswoman Pelosi’s support of Women’s Initiative has helped create jobs, but that she must keep fighting the good fight and ensure that microenterprise development is included in Washington’s job creation strategy. Mark Quinn, district director of the SBA, underscored that all new jobs are coming from small business.

ABC7 and SF Gate/Mission Local covered the event.
Click here to see Congresswoman Pelosi's newsletter about the event

You can help women business owners continue to create new jobs by contacting your congressperson and asking them to make sure the jobs bill includes support of SBA Women's Business centers.

Women's Initiative Graduates participating in the event:
Nancy Charraga
Casa Bonampak
1051 Valencia St., San Francisco www.casabonampak.com
Created four jobs

Sharone Mendes
Carmel Blue Pregnancy and Parenting
1418 Grant St. San Francisco http://carmelblue.com
Created three jobs plus employment for many contractors

Kelly Smith
Rubber Ducky Soap Company www.rubberduckysoap.com
Created four jobs

Josey White
The Front Porch Restaurant
65a 29th Street
San Francisco, CA www.thefrontporch.com
Created 19 jobs

Cristina Arantes
Kika’s Treats
www.kikastreats.com

Technorati Tags: job creation, Nancy Pelosi, Working Solutions