WASHINGTON - s4story -- As the start of National Small Business Week begins, Walker's Legacy Foundation has launched its signature business development program, Women Who Enterprise in multiple U.S. cities. This 3-month accelerator targets early-stage women of color entrepreneurs and address the unique challenges and barriers faced by women of color entrepreneurs. Women of color entrepreneurs are the country's fastest-growing demographic of business owners, yet face the greatest barriers. For the last 12 years, the collective brand of Walker's Legacy has led the charge and serves as a national model to inspire, engage and equip women-led businesses along their entrepreneurial journey.

The Women Who Enterprise program model and curriculum are specifically tailored to increase participants' access to capital, networks, and confidence to successfully own, operate, and scale their businesses during the pandemic and beyond.  The Women Who Enterprise business training program utilizes a virtual cohort model, that's instructor-led and coupled with expert lecturers, all centered around a culturally relevant and responsive curriculum to equip existing registered businesswomen of color in their pursuit of advancing their business operations and access to funding.

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"Women serve as the backbone of our communities, which means they serve as the backbone of our economy. As evidenced by the rapid increase of Black and Brown women-led businesses being registered daily across the U.S., we know now more than ever, these women are opening businesses out of necessity and our community is suffering due to the impact COVID-19 has had on the workforce."  Ayris Scales, CEO of Walker's Legacy Foundation. "Our accelerators address the real-time needs and desires of these women to ensure they are focusing on their whole selves in order to increase their confidence,  connections, and coins.

Key findings from Walker's Legacy Foundation's COVID-19 Impact Study funded by the Gates Foundation, released in June have informed the foundation's approach to Women Who Enterprise. The report, which is focused on the impact of COVID-19 on women of color businesses, is the only study of its kind led by women of color entrepreneurs, focused on women of color entrepreneurs in the country. According to the survey results from over 1000 women of color nationally, 75% noted that COVID-19 impacted their mental health, while 80% of women said they did not have an Emergency Preparedness Plan and 90% feared their doors would be closed before the end of the year. Additional programming and funding are needed to respond to these findings and the foundation is open to partnering with stakeholders who are interested in addressing systemic, impactful change.

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Women Who Enterprise is currently offered in 3-cities: Washington, D.C. presented by Wells Fargo; Rochester, NY presented by PayPal, REDCo, M&T Bank, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Konar Foundation, and the City of Rochester; and Birmingham, AL presented also by PayPal.  All accelerator programs begin November 6, 2021, and will be conducted virtually due to the pandemic.  Women of color business owners who have a registered business in one of the three cities listed can apply online. Applications close October 4th at 11:59 PM EST.

For more information, please visit https://www.walkerslegacy.org/accelerators

About Walker's Legacy: Walker's Legacy is a global platform for professional and entrepreneurial multicultural women. We exist to inspire, equip, and engage through thought-provoking content, educational programming, and a global community.