NOVEMBER IS NATIONAL
ENTREPRENEURSHIP MONTH.
WHILE WOMEN STILL OWN FAR FEWER
BUSINESSES THAN MEN, FEMALE
ENTREPRENEURS ARE MAKING
PROGRESS.
RIGHT NOW, A CHALLENGING TIME
200 IS DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING
TONIGHT, I TALKED WITH KAREN
DOLEZAL, THE CEO, ABOUT WHAT
TWIN CITIES ENTREPRENEURS NEED
TO KNOW.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
C 200 IS A NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION WHOSE MEMBERS ARE
AMONG SOME OF THE MOST
OUR MOTTO IS ACCESS SHARED AND
OUR GOAL IS TO ADVANCE WOMEN
BUSINESS LEADERSHIP.
I AM PROUD TO SAY WE HAVE A LOT
CITIES AREA.
WHAT IS C 200 DOING TO HELP
THOSE FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS?
WE HAVE PROGRAMS
SPECIFICALLY POINTED AT WOMEN
ONE OF THEM IS THE PROTIGI
PROGRAM, WHICH IS FOUR WOMEN
ENTREPRENEURS.
WE PAIR THEM WITH MENTORS AND
SPONSORS WHO ARE C 200 MEMBERS
WHO ARE RUNNING SUCCESSFUL
THEIR SHOES AND BUILD BUSINESS
PROFITABILITY.
I UNDERSTAND YOU ALSO HAVE A
NEW PROGRAM, SPECIFICALLY FOR
ENTREPRENEURS WHO ARE WOMEN OF
COLOR?
YES, WE ARE VERY EXCITED
ABOUT THE CHAMPION PROGRAM,
ALSO AIMED AT WOMEN
ENTREPRENEURS. IN THAT PROGRAM,
THE APPLICATIONS ARE STILL
OPEN.
AS A PART OF THAT PROGRAM, THE
CANDIDATES WILL RECEIVE
CURRICULUM FOR ONE OF THE
FINEST COLLEGES IN THE U.S., A
PROGRAM, PLUS MENTORING AND
SPONSORING WITH C 200 MEMBERS
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST,
EVERYONE IN THE PROGRAM RECEIVE
CAN USE TO POUR INTO THEIR
BUSINESSES AND BRING THEIR
BUSINESSES UP.
WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF
HAVING THE MENTOR WHO HAS DONE
IT BEFORE THEM AND CAN GUIDE
THEM?
WHAT I HEAR MOST OFTEN FROM
PARTICIPANTS ARE TO KNOW THAT
THEY HAVE SOMEBODY THAT THEY
CAN TRUST IN SOMEBODY THAT
REALLY LISTENS TO THEM AND
AT HEART, PLUS SEASONED
EXPERIENCE SO THEY DON'T HAVE
TO LEARN EVERYTHING THE HARD
WAY.
WHY IS IT HARD RIGHT NOW FOR
FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS TO
SUCCEED?
EVEN AS FAR AS WE COME IN THE
PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WHY ARE
THERE STILL SOME OF THOSE
DIFFICULTIES?
AS YOU MENTIONED, A HISTORIC
PROBLEM.
I THINK THERE ARE SEVERAL
REASONS WHY, AND I THINK IN
EACH INDIVIDUAL CASE IT DEPENDS
ON THE BUSINESS OWNER HERSELF.
THINGS THAT WE SEE OUR ACCESS
TO CAPITAL, GETTING FUNDING FOR
THE BUSINESS.
THAT IS SORT OF A ROCKET THAT
PROPELS YOU.
SECOND IS THE ACCESS TO THESE
TYPE OF NETWORKS WE DESCRIBED
SPONSORS, PEOPLE WHO HELP OPEN
DOORS, MAKING CONNECTIONS AND
THAT HELPS ACCELERATE YOU AS
WELL.
THIRD, I THINK TRADITIONALLY,
WOMEN STILL BEAR QUITE A BIT OF
THE HOME BURDENS, SOME PEOPLE
CAN'T DEVOTE FULL TIME TO THE
BUSINESS, THEY CAN ONLY DEVOTE
PART-TIME.
THAT SLOWS THE GROWTH OF IT.
NOT HELPING THAT PROCESS ALONG.
HOW IS THAT IMPACTING WOMEN
ENTREPRENEURS?
RUNNING A BUSINESS UNDER THE
BEST OF CIRCUMSTANCES IS TOUGH.
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN WITH THE
PANDEMIC, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
IMPACTS THAT HAVE ARISEN, IT CAN
BE A VERY LONELY TIME.
THESE COACHING AND MENTORING
OPPORTUNITIES CAN HELP YOU TAKE
A LOOK AT EVERYTHING. I HEAR
ENTREPRENEURS SAYING THEY ARE
SEEING NOTHING, REEVALUATING
EVERYTHING AND FIGURING OUT
WHAT MIGHT BE THE BEST WAY TO
THEIR CUSTOMERS WHAT DO
CUSTOMERS WANT NOW, HOW CAN
THEY ACCESS IT NOW AND HOW
QUICKLY CAN THEY DELIVER THOSE
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.
WHETHER IT BE THROUGH
MENTORS OR JUST CONNECTING
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS WITH
OTHERS, WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF
WOMEN HELPING WOMEN IN THE
SECTOR?
I THINK THE WOMEN HELPING
WOMEN IN THIS SECTOR REALLY
SHOWS A VERY POWERFUL
COMMUNITY.
IT IS VERY LONELY AT THE TOP
AND A VERY TOUGH ROOM TO WALK
ALONG.
WE HAVE A COMMUNITY LIKE THIS
THAT ARE LOOKING OUT FOR EACH
OTHER, CHEERING FOR EACH OTHER
AND COMFORTING EACH OTHER.
IT GIVES WOMEN THE CONFIDENCE
TO SUCCEED.
WHERE CAN PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT
C 200 AND ITS PROGRAMMING?
YOU CAN VISIT C200.ORG. YOU
CAN ALSO LOOK US UP ON LINKED
IN, INSTRUMENTS WITH HER.
KAREN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
HELPING US LEARN ABOUT C 200
AND HOPEFULLY WOMEN
ENTREPRENEURS ARE WATCHING THIS
AND GET THAT INFORMATION OUT TO
HELP THEM SUCCEED GOING
FORWARD.
WE HAVE SOME APPLICANTS FOR
THE CHAMPION PROGRAM AND WE
WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MORE.