Calling all home-based women business owners!

On Saturday June 17, New Economics for Women hosted its premier Connect-Grow Economic Mobility (C-GEM) event at the Hyatt House – LA University Medical Center. Inviting 180 Latina entrepreneurs that graduated from C-GEM’s “Mujeres y Dinero” program, which brings certification classes to their location of businesses, these women-owned home-based (cottage) businesses and start-ups went through a 6 week course being guided through each step of the way to launch their businesses. This event not only celebrated the 1st C-GEM “Mujeres y Dinero” graduates, but also marked a milestone for New Economics for Women as our Women’s Business Center and the East LA BusinessSource Center joined forces with community promotoras (women promoters) in making deliberate efforts to walk the streets of Boyle Heights, Huntington Park, South East LA, Compton, and Sun Valley to find these up and coming women start-ups and cottage businesses, and guide them on their journey to successfully launching their businesses. This 1st C-GEM “Mujeres y Dinero” program cohorts were all Latina entrepreneurs and courses were conducted in Spanish only, but subsequent classes will be taught in both English and Spanish. Congratulations to the 1st graduates of the “Mujeres y Dinero” program!  

C-GEM is a California State funded program that provides business training and coaching to over 300 entrepreneurs in a 2 year span with a focus on immigrant populations, street vendors, and cottage (micro home-based) industries operating in Los Angeles County. The program also offers grants to underserved markets across Los Angeles County and will administer $2 million in micro-grants. The program is offered in English and Spanish.

Ruth García-Corrales

NEW-WBC, Program Director