Women's Entrepreneurship Week is the brainchild of leaders at a Milwaukee co-working space called Ward 4.
About a year and a half ago, these leaders figured that it was important to connect women just starting out in an often-solitary business environment with mentors and others. Quickly, they figured out they were onto something, as that day grew into a full week’s worth of events.
Next week, the second annual Women’s Entrepreneurship Week will feature an even heavier schedule. Community Curator at Ward 4, Kenzi Enright, andAccelity Marketing’sJenny Weeden are both heavily involved in the week.
"I think the awareness that there are so many women entrepreneurs was surprising," says Enright, "and that was really called us to create this entire week of events. Because we truly can't fit all of the women entrepreneur [speakers] in one day."
Weeden, who used to work in a Fortune 100 company and is now at a woman-run start-up, says, "I have learned more in the last two and a half years [at the start-up] than I probably learned in my entire life with regards to business and being a professional."
"You do get to really own that business. Even though you're not a partner or an owner, you have a really large hand in what happens in a start-up," she adds.
Whether you're working for a start-up or in the business industry in general, Weeden says, the event is meant to be inspirational. "To see all of these women entrepreneurs coming together, I think we don't realize how many big players are making moves in the community right now."
