Women’s Economic Ventures Partners with the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara to Launch Pilot Program

Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV), in partnership with the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara (HACSB), is excited to announce the pilot launch of its Spanish-language 5-week, 4-session course, Explorando el Emprendimiento, set to begin April 23, 2019. Non-housing residents are eligible to apply and participate in the course.

Exploring Entrepreneurship, the English version of Explorando el Emprendimiento, launched in 2017 and has served over 150 clients. These programs are designed to fill a need which WEV recognized when evaluating its programs; clients were looking for a comprehensive way to assess the feasibility of starting their own business before setting off on that journey.

Explorando el Emprendimiento will expose students to the basics of entrepreneurship through weekly discussions and hands-on activities. Course topics include myth busting about entrepreneurship, defining a target market and conducting market research, as well as evaluating personal and financial readiness to start a business.

“We are proud to have developed a program which helps us strengthen our partnership with HACSB and expands our offering of Spanish-language services in the City of Santa Barbara through the launch of Explorando el Emprendimiento” says Evelina Ochoa, WEV’s Training Program Manager, “We’ve known for years that Spanish speaking Santa Barbara and HACSB residents are rich in entrepreneurial spirit and initiative, but need the right support to get started on a successful journey. During these five weeks, students will become empowered with the necessary skills and knowledge to make the right decisions for their families going forward. We expect this course to mark the beginning of a long-term relationship with many budding entrepreneurs.”

After the course, students may decide to move on to WEV’s more intensive Smart Entreprenurial Training (SET) course, create a plan to launch their business, or decide to pursue their ideas without the commitment of business ownership, all of which are positive outcomes.

What: Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) pilot Explorando el Emprendimiento course
Schedule: Santa Barbara: Tuesdays; April 23rd – May 21st (excluding May 7th), 6:00-9:00pm at 333 S. Salinas St.
Cost: $125, registration fee will be waived for the first pilot course.
Registration: WEV staff will process applications in person at HACSB’s Presidio Springs Community Room located at 721 Laguna St., Santa Barbara on the following dates and times, please note only street parking is available:

Tuesday, April 2nd from 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm Wednesday, April 3rd from 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm Thursday, April 4th from 2 pm – 7 pm

Tuesday, April 9th from 12:30 pm- 3:30 pm Wednesday, April 10th from 2 pm- 7 pm Thursday, April 11th 2 pm-7pm

About Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV)
Women’s Economic Ventures is dedicated to creating an equitable and just society through the economic empowerment of women. WEV provides training, consulting and loans to help entrepreneurs start, grow and thrive in business. WEV serves all of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties from offices in Santa Barbara and Ventura. While WEV targets its services toward women, it serves men as well, and provides many services in English and Spanish.

Since 1991, WEV has provided business training and consulting to over 14,000 women and men throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, and made more than $4 million in loans, assisting over 4,000 local businesses. WEV is a U.S. Small Business Administration’s Women’s Business Center, and a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).

A pioneer in the field, WEV was founded by Marsha Bailey, a nationally recognized advocate for women business owners. Marsha recently completed her tenure as board president of the national Association of Women’s Business Centers, and sits on the National Women’s Business Council.