Babson professor Donna Stoddard and Chief Diversity Officer Elizabeth Thornton, will participate in the 2008 National Women’s Business Research Symposium in Washington, D.C., May 6 and 7.
Babson’s Center for Women’s Leadership (CWL) collaborated with The Center for Women’s Business Research on a project to uncover the challenges women-of-color entrepreneurs face in their attempts to grow their businesses (overview in box below).
Accelerating the Growth of Businesses Owned by Women of Color is a national, multi-year research effort that engages women-of-color entrepreneurs in a dialogue about the factors that are preventing them from growing their businesses, and the actions that are necessary to meet and overcome those barriers.
The project is focused on Asian, Latina, African-American & other multi-ethnic women who:
- Own 50 percent or more of a business
- Have been in business three or more years
- Have annual revenues between $250,000 and $5 million
- Want to grow their business beyond their current level
The Symposium, Research to Roadmap: Accelerating the Growth of Businesses Owned by Women of Color, begins with a Capitol Hill briefing of the research results to members of Congress and other leaders in the House briefing room.
Day two will include candid discussion of the preliminary results of the three-year project led by Donna Stoddard, associate professor and division chair in the Technology Operations and Information Management Division at Babson, and Gwen Martin, Managing Director & Director of Research for the Center for Women’s Business Research. Also on day two Stoddard will present Practical Implications for Action and then will moderate a panel discussion “Indicators of Progress.”Thornton will moderate the “Indicators of Progress” discussion with symposium participants.
Leaders from all sectors will engage in assessing the implications of the research findings for collaboratively building a roadmap of economic opportunity for this vital segment of the small business sector.
See the full Symposium agenda here.
The Center for Women's Leadership (CWL) at Babson is dedicated to the advancement of women in business. Through the Center's education and outreach activities as well as through its research, CWL enables the professional accomplishment of women and the success of organizations seeking to leverage their talent and market power. Our extensive research and faculty team make Babson the leading authority on global women's entrepreneurship and a premiere source for the insights and educational opportunities that women need to achieve their leadership goals.
The Center for Women’s Business Research (CWBR) provides data-driven knowledge that advances the economic, social and political impact of women business owners and their enterprises. We do this by setting the national agenda; creating insight on the status and achievements of women business owners; altering perceptions about the economic viability and progress of women-owned enterprises; and driving awareness of the economic and social impact of this vital business sector.
