Women’s Business Center: We Have Entrepreneurs at Home

By: Ashley Kurz, Managing Editor 

There is a piece of Buffalo business that has stood its ground for two decades right here on campus – the Women’s Business Center (WBC) – which lives in Science Hall and continues to thrive. I had the pleasure of speaking with Ida Bengtsson and Danielle Pagano earlier this week in the WBC office. Bengtsson is the program manager; she organizes events and workshops. Pagano coordinates grants and handles marketing. These two are the powerhouses behind the Women’s Business Center; they taught me everything about their goals and mission, but if you’re looking for a more formal explanation, their weekly newsletter invitation says the WBC is “a non-for-profit organization whose mission is to empower entrepreneurs to succeed through education, connections and community.”

For the last 20 years, Canisius has hosted the WBC. Since then, dedicated alumni and representatives have kept it a place for women to succeed in business. You can be anywhere on your entrepreneurial journey, from an idea to a storefront; the WBC will be there. They hold 10-month sessions each year for up to 30 women, and with weekly classes and experienced mentors, small business owners begin to blossom. The classes are split into cohorts which cater to all levels of experience for its members. Each cohort is taught by a business owner who has gone through the program and continues to come back to the Women’s Business Center for others. Members can apply for scholarships and grants too, and the WBC is actively looking for fundraising to aid members with costs in any way they can. The organization is a thriving circle of support for the women of Buffalo. 

Their workshops are held throughout the year and are open to everyone in the community, including Canisius students! Anyone interested can attend events like Canva 101, Quickbooks: an accounting workshop, SEO: search engine optimization and more, to satisfy their curiosity for free. A monthly event that has been growing in popularity is their Caffeinated Connections. The Women’s Business Center connects with local, woman-owned coffee shops to host a meeting space for entrepreneurs. Bengtsson described it as “easy, very casual networking over coffee for an hour in the morning.” Young businesswomen can support a small business as well as dip their toes into the world of networking, especially with the help of the WBC team by their side. Accessibility is the most important factor of the events, as when asked about choosing event locations Bengtsson said, “If you couldn’t join us in North Tonawanda because it was just too far away, we might have it in West Seneca next month.” They want as many women as possible to have as many opportunities as possible. For example, most events are also held on Zoom. They keep workshops open to all for many reasons, the main being the responsibilities women have that can keep them from attending. So please, bring your kids, your sister, a friend, but also your ideas – because they hold the power to success. 

With the new team comes a new director, who will be named soon. During their Summer Social event, the entire program announced a sort of rebranding for this new year. They introduced the new team – Ida Bengtsson, Danielle Pagano and the new director position – to both past and present members. Bengtsson recounted, “It was just like relaunching ourselves in the community.” With that relaunch comes many new connections with established organizations, as in this here university. Pagano explained that “we are going to work on expanding our relationship with Canisius more, so everybody knows us” – an exciting declaration with perfect timing. The WNY Prosperity Fellowship Program is a relationship that the WBC has been nurturing as well, with co-hosted events and more to come.  

Something so precious about what they do is the Ignite Sessions. These one-on-one sessions, held with Business Development Specialist Lynn Rybak, are available for potential entrepreneurs and established owners. You lay out your business plan and she creates an audit that can be used to see your business on paper – the numbers/costs and plans are created for free. This service can cost a business up to $10,000, something extremely out of reach for an owner putting everything into their organization. The WBC knows this, which is why it is so important that any woman in Buffalo does not need to be held back by unrealistic, even detrimental costs. It is done in an hour, and you are able to leave with “resources and connections, their next steps and what they should do next,” Pagano explained. They don’t stop at these ‘sessions’ either; each May the WBC holds the Ignite Awards, “which [honor] entrepreneurs in the community,” Bengtsson told me. Each year there are about five people who are honored and celebrated for their accomplishments in the community, giving them the recognition they deserve as well as a space for newly graduated members to appreciate themselves and their hard work. 

They may have a new team, but 20 years of support deservingly carry the Women’s Business Center to new heights. The organization is dear to all its members and wants to be clear that they’re not in competition with anybody. With supporting women in business, there is no trick or gag, just faith in what women can accomplish with the tools they weren’t born with access to. Both Bengtsson and Pagano share that their biggest gift is being able to watch women grow. I would like to thank them for their hard work and for taking the time with me to share their mission with Canisius students. For any questions, please do not hesitate to contact wbcinfo@canisius.edu or stop by their office in Science Hall from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Their next Caffeinated Connections will be held at Spoke & Dagger Co. on Oct. 15 from 9-10 a.m.