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Santa Barbara, CA – [June 4, 2025] — Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) brought together WEV clients, elected officials, donors and local partners at its Community Impact Event on May 22, 2025 at The HUB in downtown Santa Barbara. The event celebrated the transformative achievements of 2024 and unveiled the newly released WEV 2024 Impact Report. Highlighted was WEV’s far-reaching support of women entrepreneurs and a reaffirmation of its mission to advance economic equity across the Central Coast.
“Economic equity is about building healthy and thriving communities for everyone,” said Irene Kelly, WEV’s Associate Director of Community Engagement, as she opened the program. “Our clients remind us that feeling financially stable, confident and excited about the future is a shared dream we can achieve together.”
The event was presented by Bank of America, with remarks from Brenda Cervantes, Vice President Business Banker, who emphasized the bank’s commitment to advancing women’s financial empowerment. “When women are inspired to impact their communities, we build a stronger society,” Cervantes said. “True community impact knows no bounds.”
The audience also heard from WEV client and nurse practitioner Laura Abrignani, founder of Coastal Well Woman, who shared her personal and entrepreneurial journey. “WEV saw the vision, saw the need and supported me with the financial tools to build a solid business,” Abrignani shared. “True independence means financial security—and that’s the key to a better future for women and families.”
The program featured key highlights from WEV’s work:
- Over 1,400 businesses launched or expanded by WEV clients in the past five years with $167M in revenue and 4,000 jobs created or sustained
- 90% of Financial Empowerment clients report reduced financial stress and improved budgeting confidence
“We are facing real threats to programs that hold our communities together,” Kelly said in closing. “But with collective focus, aligned values, and shared purpose, we can build the future we want—and WEV will be here every step of the way.”
WEV thanks their generous 2024 sponsors who made the event and impact possible, including, Community Impact and Presenting Sponsor, Bank of America and event sponsors: Athens Services, Banks Coaching, Chevron, La Arcada, Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics at CSU Channel Islands, Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co, Nicholson & Schwartz, Santa Barbara Foundation, Tileco, UCLA Health, US Bank, Ventura County Credit Union.
To read WEV’s 2024 Impact Report, please click here.
About Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV), http://www.wevonline.org
Women’s Economic Ventures is a nonprofit dedicated to the economic empowerment of women. WEV is a business resource network for anyone looking to start or grow a business and improve their business and financial skills. WEV provides a full range of small business support – including classes, consulting, and funding – as well as financial literacy programs in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. While WEV’s focus is on women, it welcomes everyone into the WEV community. Business courses, programs and loans are provided in both English and Spanish.
Since 1991, WEV has provided business training and small business advisory services to more than 20,000 people throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. WEV has made more than $10 million in small business loans and grants and helped nearly 6,000 local businesses start or expand, generating an estimated $598 million in annual sales and sustaining or creating nearly 12,000 local jobs. WEV is a U.S. Small Business Administration’s Women’s Business Center, as well as a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).
To support WEV’s work, please visit http://www.wevonline.org/support.
