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OPA News Release: [03/14/2002]
Contact Name: Elissa
Pruett
Women Affected by 9/11 To Attend Entrepreneurship Conference
Small Business Owners Focus on Growth and Recovery
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today
announced that 50 women small business owners who were affected by the Sept. 11
attacks will attend the Department of Labor’s Conference on Women’s
Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century in Washington, D.C. The women
are a part of the American Women’s Economic Development Corporation
(AWED).
“These women are true representatives of all that is great about
American society. In the face of disaster they volunteered their time and
effort to rebuild their communities,” Chao said. “They recognize that
it is our duty as Americans to foster growth in our businesses—we are
proud to have them with us today.”
The women fall into four categories: one, businesses at or immediately
around Ground Zero—for example, a woman from South America whose insurance
brokerage business covered many of the Hispanic service workers who worked in
the World Trade Center. She lost over 60 clients in the attacks; two, women
whose businesses were dramatically impacted by the attacks (i.e. 60% of client
base was affected) but whose businesses are located elsewhere in New
York—for example, one woman, a florist who lives in Long Island, home to
many NYC firefighters made the funeral wreaths and arrangements for many of the
firefighters' funerals; three, volunteers who, upon being called by AWED, came
to the immediate assistance of these businesses and who have been providing
business counseling since that time; and four, businesses who have sustained
growth rising out of the ashes of the attack—this category exemplifies the
resilience of America, of women and of the entrepreneurial spirit, and includes
a woman who is a construction consultant who is positioned to work on the
rebuilding of New York.
Since its inception, AWED has served over 100,000 women through formal
course instruction, one-on-one business counseling, seminars, networking events
and peer group support. Their goal is to increase the start-up, survival and
expansion rates of small businesses. AWED utilizes a pool of talented,
successful and dedicated volunteer entrepreneur executives who provide high
quality business training, counseling and support to aspiring women business
owners.
The Department of Labor’s Women Entrepreneurship event, hosted with
The Public Forum Institute, will provide a forum for women business owners to
celebrate their successes, share ideas and bring attention to any obstacles
that stand in the way of further growth. Over one thousand women business
leaders will attend the conference.
Media who wish to cover the event should contact Ashley Barnes at (202)
693-4676. Press must be credentialed prior to the event. For more information,
please go to www.dol.gov.
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