Past celebrations of Women Entrepreneurship Day Below!
Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization
Celebrated Women Entrepreneurs on 11/19/2022 ~ #ChooseWOMEN Wednesday on 11/30/2022!
#WEDO2022 Summit Information Below!
Head of Marketing and Founder of Inkwhy, Janice Dru-Bennett, is the Ambassador for the Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WEDO) in Rhode Island.
This year's #WEDO2022 Rhode Island Summit happened on Thursday, November 17th, at Venture Café Providence! All were welcome to come to the event, support and celebrate Women Entrepreneurs!
225 Dyer Street, Providence, RI 02903
This year's #WEDO2022 Rhode Island Summit happened on Thursday, November 17th, at Venture Café Providence! All were welcome to come to the event, support and celebrate Women Entrepreneurs!
225 Dyer Street, Providence, RI 02903
- 4:00-6:00 p.m. Eastern Time - Expo Tables: Women's Entrepreneurship Resources
- 5:00-6:00 p.m. Eastern Time - RI Life Sciences Investment Innovation (with Women-Led Organization, RIBio)
- 6:00-6:45 p.m. Eastern Time - PANEL: Women Entrepreneurs of Rhode Island (will be recorded and broadcasted)
For nearly two decades, Janice Dru-Bennett has held senior level strategy, marketing, partnerships, and business development positions in financial services, B2B and SaaS software, higher education, technology and innovation. As an entrepreneur and executive, she is passionate about solving problems, supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and spending quality time with her family in Rhode Island. She is an advocate of self care, health and wellness, enabling partners who deliver individual and enterprise-level resilience solutions. As the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization Rhode Island Ambassador, she aims to make a positive difference locally and globally. A lifelong learner, Janice advocates a growth mindset and opportunities to advance humanity to help make the world a better place for us all.
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Karla Vigil serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of the Equity Institute, an organization whose mission is to develop and implement innovative solutions for building more diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning and professional environments. Equity Institute was founded in 2019 and builds on the success of their award-winning initiative, EduLeaders of Color Rhode Island, which she co-founded in 2016. Karla oversees the organization’s creative vision and leads strategic initiatives to develop equitable policies and practices. She also has been a strong advocate in her state and beyond, voicing the importance of recruiting and retaining teachers of color. Karla has a wealth of knowledge and experience creating and leading initiatives in the K-12 education sector. She is a highly sought-after education advisor on a range of topics, including educator diversity, culturally responsive teaching, organizational management and leadership, anti-racism, and educator training and development. While she has worked across various organizations, one of her most valuable experiences was serving as a fourth-grade classroom teacher dedicated to broadening students’ perspectives through multicultural and social justice education. Karla is a Deeper Learning Equity Fellow (cohort 3), Pahara NextGen Fellow (Winter 2020 cohort), Google for Education advisor, and a community advisor for the Nellie Mae Foundation.
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Kim Anderson has been a successful retailer and business leader for more than 35 years, starting in the management and buying departments of Jordan Marsh and Macy’s. She is former owner of the home store Teapots & Tassels, Co., where she was awarded “Entrepreneur of the Year” in 1991 by the SBA and “Citizen of the Year” in 2005. In 2009 she co-founded, with her 15-year-old daughter, Ava Anderson Non-Toxic, the nation’s safest full line of personal care and home cleaning products, sold via direct sales. Their business educated millions of American families on the dangers of harmful chemicals in conventional products for humans and the environment, with the support of 18,000 independent Representatives. In six years, they reached $60M run rate, were honored by Inc. Magazine, Fortune and Entrepreneur and sold in 2016. She and her family are impact investors against climate crisis, specifically with an interest in alternative proteins. In 2019 she created and co-founded PLANT CITY, the world’s first and largest plant-based food hall with celebrity chef Matthew Kenney, as an impact investment to show that food systems can be sustainable and delicious. In 2021 she opened two PLANT CITY X’s, the northeast’s first plant-based drive-thru’s in Middletown and Warwick, RI. She was recently chosen to be fifth RI’er to be entered into RI Entrepreneur Hall of Fame by the Met School. Kim is a board member of Lincoln School, Social Enterprise Greenhouse, Collis Foundation and EverHope Foundation, a judge for Rhode Island Business Competition, and mentors many socially responsible entrepreneurs.
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Sue Gardiner is the owner of South County Wealth Planning, a firm focused on financial planning for real lives. Her process goes beyond the traditional aspects of financial planning, working as both an advisor and a coach. Building on years of working as a financial analyst, Sue guides clients through the real-life decisions they make today while keeping strategic options open for the future. As a parent, spouse, daughter, and entrepreneur, Sue is acutely aware of the financial demands on families, caregivers, and business owners. It is her purpose to work collaboratively with clients in many aspects of their financial lives so they are enabled to make sound financial decisions that will positively impact their personal self, families, businesses, and philanthropic ventures. Sue holds both the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ credential along with a dual B.A. degree in Psychology and Communications from the University of Rhode Island and an M.B.A. from the Boston College Carroll School of Management. In addition to being mom to her 3 little boys, Sue serves in her community as a board member for the Providence Children’s Museum, committee member for the North Kingstown Asset Management Commission, and founding member of the Women in Leadership Nexus.
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Tiesha Sinouthasy is the Founder of Peace of Mind Nannies, a childcare agency specializing in care of children and young adults with disabilities. Ultimately, Tiesha became a business owner because it allowed her to create an inclusive culture within an impactful organization. Launching Peace of Mind Nannies is the culmination of Tiesha’s professional experience in the nonprofit field, higher education and over ten years of experience as a childcare provider through babysitting agencies and privately as a nanny. Her passion for empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities began early through her volunteer work with Best Buddies; a nonprofit organization that creates opportunities for friendships and leadership development among individuals with and without disabilities. Tiesha recently worked for two Medicaid programs in Rhode Island for disabled children. Prior to that, Tiesha spent her career building strong relationships in the Greater Providence community. She established diverse partnerships and outreach efforts on behalf of national nonprofit organizations such as the YMCA, City Year and Year Up. Tiesha also worked at Brown University as the Community Partnerships Manager at the Swearer Center. Tiesha holds a Bachelor’s of Science from Salve Regina University where she studied Social Work. Tiesha is appointed to the East Providence Affirmative Action Committee.
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Tina Guenette Pedersen is a motivational speaker who currently is CEO, President and Founder of her own national non-profit RAMP - real access motivates progress. Tina is a 4x cancer 4x stroke survivor who 8 years ago walked into a minor surgery and took a stroke to her spinal cord, she is now paralyzed from the waist down. She didn’t let that stop her. Instead, she persevered and learned to navigate the world with her positive attitude. Tina devotes her life to helping others by raising awareness of accessibility for all. From talking to school age children on introduction to engaging the disability community to bullying and dealing with life’s curve balls. Tina works with all businesses, professions and first responders on all areas of communication and best practices of working to include the disability community. She sits on the Governor’s commission on disability as Vice Chair and Chair of the Awareness committee. She loves the opportunity to share her story, meet new people and advocate for all. She is currently the first person of physical disability to win a national title for the USA Ambassador organization or any mainstream pageant. It’s all based on community service and to date in the last year she has completed 4735 community service hours. Community service isn’t something she does it’s all part of her DNA. It’s just who she is at the very core. With all she has been through in her life, to get up everyday with a positive attitude and to help others is a true testimony of the type of person she really is all around.
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As Chief Executive Officer, Trudy Mandeville has built her organization using a philosophy that recognizes the needs of customers and community. TCP Learning's 30-year vision and mission has been guided by an evidence-based philosophy designed to maximize their client's investment in technology supported learning and is grounded in the value of service. Their focus includes recognizing learning skills required by adults as self-directed, self-regulated learners. Therefore, the focus is on the design of the learner's experience and coaching for success. As advocates for well-designed, evidence-based, technology supported, learning experiences, TCP Learning's vision and mission guides their ability to maximize their client's investment in learning technology. With decades of experience in this industry, they engage both creativity and innovation with experience and evidence to assist their clients as they plan, design, create and deliver learning that transforms their workforce and their business. Like many of their peers, TCP Learning can produce quality immersive learning experiences. Their differentiation is not the use of trend or technology for its sake alone but rather approach each opportunity as unique -- collaborating with the best partners -- always focusing on the optimal, authentic outcomes for the learner.
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Yemi Sekoni, is the owner and director of Donahue Models & Talent, LLC - Rhode Island’s oldest modeling agency. Her company represents some of New England’s top professional talent and works with many corporate giants across the region, helping these companies to launch successful advertising campaigns and convey critical marketing messages. As a former model and actress, Yemi has over 45 years of experience in various areas of the fashion and entertainment industry, including theater, tv, film, print and runway. She has a bachelor’s degree in education, a post-graduate diploma in marketing, and an MBA, and has worked in banking, business development, relationship management and event planning. She is also an alum of the renowned Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business Program. In addition to running her agency, Yemi is the founder and executive producer of Rhode Island Fashion Week as well as a mentor with the Rhode Island chapter of the Small Business Administration’s SCORE offering consulting, educational and business coaching support to emerging fashion designers in her local community.
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For those who couldn't join in person or those who participated in person and wanted to continue to network and connect after our live event, VIRTUALLY! Inkwhy hosted an optional post-networking event, led by Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization’s Rhode Island Ambassador (Panel Moderator, Janice Dru-Bennett)
- Topic: #WEDO2022 #RhodeIsland Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization Networking Night - Join us virtually for an evening networking event following in-person resource sharing and a panel discussion at Venture Cafe Providence!
- Time: Nov 17, 2022 8:30-9:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
#WEDO2022 In-Person / Virtual Summit held on November 19, 2022 at the UN Delegates Dining Room in NYC
View the invitation on LinkedIn from Founder of Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization, Wendy Diamond!
View the invitation on LinkedIn from Founder of Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization, Wendy Diamond!
#WEDO2021 Rhode Island Recording
2021 - Global Virtual Summit & More
- Rhode Islanders met at the Norman Bird Sanctuary in Middletown for a Coffee & Walk at 10 AM EST prior to the virtual summit. Also Innovate Newport hosted a screening of the #WEDO2021 Global Virtual Summit from 2-4:30 PM EST in a large event space. Register HERE: https://bit.ly/wedoinri ~ Women who participated in the walk and/or the watch party were invited to have a free coworking day at Innovate Newport on FRIDAY, 11/19/2021. Reach out to community manager Kevin Buck for more information. communitymanager@innovatenewport.org #401-302-3370
About this event
Join business leaders, government officials, women entrepreneurs, change-makers, and our volunteers and leaders, and witness history in the making. We will collaborate to create solutions in the fields of entrepreneurship, women empowerment, education, policy creation, and much more. Through this summit, we will find innovative ways to empower women in business, resulting in a much larger change. By elevating women financially, their communities, states, and countries will prosper. Not only will they prosper, but we will be creating the blueprint for eradicating poverty worldwide. - Rhode Island #WEDO2021 Interactive Networking (Hybrid) ~ 12-2 PM EST [Event Ended, see Video Above]
- Rhode Island #WEDO2021 Guests, Participants and Supporters included:
- Amy Erickson has spent years working in non-profit development and fundraising, helping people to make a greater impact on the world. With Innovation Studio, Amy has perfected the art of connecting, building community by making connections within her network.
- Irina Randrianarivelo is founder and Editor-in-Chief of MadaLiving, a modern digital publication focusing on life, culture, and living on the island of Madagascar. As an avid digital nomad, she enjoys being a liaison and connecting people and cultures together.
- Janice Dru-Bennett is the founder of Inkwhy and Rhode Island ambassador for the Women's Entrepreneurship Day organization. She has worked with startups to Fortune 500 companies and is passionate about supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and helping make the world a better place through cultivating Strategic Partnerships.
- Lisa Foster is a Talent Solutions Consultant providing high-impact processes and tools to bridge the bap between attracting and managing talent. Solutions that directly influence an organization's competitiveness today and in the future.
- Narine Emdjian is a Federal Funding Adviser helping startups & scientists to win federal grants. She is Podcast Host @HyeTechMinds: From Silicon Valley to Boston, from Yerevan to Paris, meet technology leaders, founders, innovators, and entrepreneurs behind some of the most successful and innovative startups in the world.
- Sabina Matos is Lieutenant Governor of the State of Rhode Island -- the second woman to hold this post and the first woman of color. Additionally, she is the first Dominican American to hold the position of Lieutenant Governor in the United States. She is a founding member of LUCHA-Latina’s United for Change.
- Sandra Enos is a retired sociology professor and founder of Giving Beyond the Box. We curate gift boxes that support social impact, business owners of color, women entrepreneurs and Providence-based artists.
- Elaine Dickson is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified DEI Consultant and Speaker, success strategist, and advisor with extensive experience supporting business leaders during periods of rapid growth and upheaval. She is the founder and CEO at Mavenly Consultants LLC, a consulting firm providing CFO level strategy, finance, plus bookkeeping services to help small and mid-sized companies succeed. Prior to her current role, Elaine served as President of E2 Global Consultants, a finance and accounting firm providing consulting to senior level accounting and finance leaders. Additionally, she held several management positions in banking and investment institutions. In both her professional and personal engagements, Elaine brings an inclusion and equity lens and is unafraid to have hard conversations on behalf of and in service to under-represented populations.
- Suzanne McDonald is a Brand journalist, education innovator, community launcher, success advocate, podcaster, multi-award-winning Marketing Solutionist. She improves lives from her clients, customers and colleagues to her students and vast network of expert partners. As CEO of Angles & Insights, the former Boston Globe journalist and her team customize digital marketing solutions for brands, from solopreneurs to corporate sales-marketing teams. Suzanne also founded and curates Newport Interactive Marketing networking-learning community -- bringing expert speakers &insights to local businesses, agencies & nonprofits -- and has developed & hosted 120+ in-person and virtual events, backed by an intern.
- Theresa A. Krebs is a Risk modeler, geophysical scientist, and software innovator. For over 10+ years spanning insurance, software, consulting, and nonprofit ventures, she has applied her quantitative skills to everything from the biometeorology of plant habitats; to storm surges in the Caribbean islands; to the high-viscosity fluid dynamics of rising plumes in the Earth's mantle. It was all beautiful to her. Now she dreams of taking those skills one step farther by doing modeling work or software development that has real social and sustainable impact.
- Tuni Schartner, RI's Economic Gardener Principal/Founder Tuni Schartner Consulting LLC "...with ideas that pop like kernels of corn in hot oil and a love & passion for helping small businesses and the RI economy grow; business and community strategic planning and development is more of a calling than a profession. I have chosen a life that my work is woven into and I work with people I know, like & trust!" Mission: to help businesses thrive, to help the Rhode Island economy grow and to always focus on the greater good.
- Ann Marie van den Hurk's mission is to make it harder for cybercriminals to access a small business's data and IP by providing holistic solutions to cyber risk, cybersecurity, and communications. You could call me a cyber champion empowering female small business owners with knowledge and solutions to move them towards being more cyber secure, lessening the damage of an attack, and being more resilient after an intrusion.
Additional #WEDO2021 Summits!
- Massachusetts Women's Entrepreneurship Day Event 11/19/2021 from 7:30-9:00 AM EST
- Maldives - WomenPreneurs Forum 2021 (in-Person) on 11/20/2021
- Finland / Helsinki #WEDO2021 (Virtual) on 11/19/2021
- WEDO Asia - Virtual Summit on 11/19/2021 (Virtual) 10:30 AM Singapore Time
- WEDO Africa SATURDAY 20 NOV 21 09:00-11:00AM US (CT)
- WEDO Canada Women's Entrepreneur Event on Nov 18 - All Times in MST
- WEDO Australia & New Zealand [11/18 to 11/19/2021 WED Seminar ~ Eventbrite Link]
- Pacific NW Friends of WEDO Women's Entrepreneurship Day Virtual Celebration ~ Wednesday, Nov 10th 2021, 5-6:30 PM PST [Eventbrite Registration - Past Event - Facebook Live Recording]
#WEDO2020 - Past Celebrations of Women's Entrepreneurship Day!
In 2020 and beyond, we encourage everyone to support women entrepreneurs and register for access to replays of these free, virtual events to learn and grow together. Explore other upcoming events on the HUB platform and #ChooseWOMEN the Wednesday after Thanksgiving!
Register for WED RI on both the HUB platform for post- event networking and to view the replay from Venture Café. #WEDO2020 #WEDRI2020
Register for WED RI on both the HUB platform for post- event networking and to view the replay from Venture Café. #WEDO2020 #WEDRI2020
This breakfast event will feature Jules Pieri, author of "How We Make Stuff Now" as well as the co-founder and former CEO of Grommet.
Original offline event in Cyprus canceled due to new regulations in Cyprus - the online celebration in collaboration with WED Venezuela was broadcast on YouTube from 15:30 - 17:30 p.m. Cyprus time / 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. EST.
You are invited to the WED West Africa Virtual Summit on the 20th of November. This Virtual Summit covers the entire region of West Africa. Share with your network and be prepared to listen to experts who have disrupted the norm in their industries.
You are invited to the WED West Africa Virtual Summit on the 20th of November. This Virtual Summit covers the entire region of West Africa. Share with your network and be prepared to listen to experts who have disrupted the norm in their industries.