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Spring has sprung!
The signs of Spring are popping up all over New York and at WEALF. As they do each year, little green shoots are sprouting from the earth, promising the beauty and sweetness of blooming wildflowers and trees. We find ourselves out and about.

WEALF is also fostering growth. We are celebrating Small Business Month with our first quarter 2024 cohort of microloan recipients. Get to know these 6 extraordinary women, entrepreneurs, and community-builders. The women are as diverse as the businesses they have founded representing industries including ice cream, beauty, healthy food, decorative desserts, and jewelry. As members of our growing community of women business owners, they are determined to achieve success and become financially self-sufficient. To date, WEALF has provided more than $900,000 in loans along with one-to-one mentoring to women who do not qualify for traditional sources of funding.

I am also delighted to introduce Jennifer Chernaik as a new Board member. Jen brings a wealth of national and global marketing and branding experience and insights to share with WEALF participants. To learn more about her go to the ADVISORS PAGE ([link removed]) on our website. Welcome, Jen, and thank you for joining our mission.

How are you planning to grow this Spring? Here are a few ideas for your personal “garden.” Reach out to WEALF.org ([link removed]) to:
* Prepare the ground. Share this message to attract contacts and new followers to join you as a WEALF subscriber.
* Plant a seed. Encourage a woman entrepreneur you know to APPLY ([link removed]) for our no-interest loan.
* Get your hands dirty. Join us as a mentor and receive WEALF’s mentor training and peer support.
* Water the garden. DONATE ([link removed]) to WEALF or introduce us to a potential funder. You will see the impact of your contribution as each WEALF-supported business and entrepreneurial leader matures.

Wishing you a season full of fresh starts, nurturing and new growth.


** NEW ADVISOR JENNIFER CHERNAIK
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[link removed] is proud to welcome our newest advisor, Jennifer Chernaik. Jen is a seasoned marketing and advertising leader with client side and agency experience. She has spent the last 10 years at Verizon holding various roles across the marketing organization. Throughout her career she has brought together various teams, disciplines and personalities to build strategic and creative marketing solutions. Prior to Verizon, she supported iconic national and global brands across multiple categories including Volvo, P&G, SC Johnson, UNICEF, Nestle Purina, and Jim Beam.
Jen is originally from Chicago and currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and two children. READ JENNIFER'S FULL BIO ([link removed])


** INTRODUCING WEALF'S SPRING 2024 COHORT
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Our new entrepreneurs were culled from a large group of qualified applicants. As always, they are a diverse group of women and businesses. Below are their profiles. To learn more about each woman, click on her picture or company name to visit her website.
[link removed] (ESTY) HIRSCH, WHIMSICAL SWEETS ([link removed])
Whimsical Sweets is a specialty cookie company. The company does everything from cookiegrams iced with customized messages to French macarons, and iced sugar cookies. Whimsical has a sweet treat for every occasion, life event, and holiday. Want to make your own iced cookies, order a cookie kit, or take an online class or in-person class with Esty. All Whimsical cookies are made with love and are kosher. They can be ordered for individuals or corporate gifts.

NARELL S. VASQUEZ. FULL OF BEANS KITCHEN ([link removed])
Full of Beans Kitchen’s product is a nutritious pancake mix made from beans, which we call Full of Beans. Narell created the mix shortly after graduating Hostos Community College with a degree in Food and Sustainability. Pancakes made using Full of Beans mix are a favorite of health-conscious individuals and people with dietary restrictions. The mix is an Amazon Choice product for dairy and egg-free pancakes, and stands out from other plant-based products because it is high in protein, gluten-free, and allergen-free. The mix is sold on the company website and in select retail stores in New York City.

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** Portriat Photo of Esther Hirsch founder of Whimsical Sweets holding one of her cookies ([link removed])
** OPEYEMI OMOJOLA. OCTAVE JEWELRY ([link removed])
From rough rock to final polish each piece of Octave Jewelry tells a story and is an expression of contemporary sensibility and organic form. Every piece of Octave Jewelry contains a raw stone that Opeyemi cuts by hand to create bold shapes and playful sculptural elements which makes the piece unique and reflects your style. Octave features all types of jewelry, including necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings.
** OB NWAOGBE. OH BE YOU FACIAL BAR & UDODI SKINCARE ([link removed])

After college Ob began experiencing acne that left her with acne scars and hyperpigmentation. She tried various topical acne prescriptions with no results. Her experience inspired her to seek an esthetician license and found her skincare businesses. Ob’s businesses focuses on helping her clients age gracefully and avoid the skincare problems she experienced. Oh Be You Facial Bar offers a full menu of facials and advanced skin care treatments performed by licensed estheticians, and UDODI Skincare is a line of anti-aging skincare products with ingredients formulated to reverse the signs of aging.
** Portriat Photo of Esther Hirsch founder of Whimsical Sweets holding one of her cookies ([link removed])
** LISA SELWITZ, LILY LARK PARASOLS ([link removed])

Lily Lark Parasols, provides superior sun protection for women who thrive on quality and style. The parasols are handcrafted starting with an Asian-inspired bamboo frames topped with soft fabric canopies printed with exclusive contemporary fine art. All fabrics are coated with a UPF 50+ coating that protect from over 99% of UV rays making Lily Lark the most beautiful skin protection under the sun. Lisa's creation started with her own need. She wanted to walk outside with an umbrella to protect her skin from the sun and prevent wrinkles, but she found umbrellas uninspired and purely functional. While strolling in a sculpture garden with her aunt, she admired her lovely Asian parasol, Lisa had an aha moment! She was going to make a parasol that would speak to today’s contemporary women of all races. After 24 months of extensive research on all aspects of design and manufacturing, Lisa created the Lily-Lark sun parasol.
** DENNINE DYER, SOLO SCOOP CREAMERY ([link removed])
Solo Scoop Creamery is an artisanal mobile creamery featuring flavors inspired by Dennine’s travels. A freelance stylist, Dennine created Solo Scoop during the global pandemic as a form of self-care. She was unable to travel so she created ice cream flavors that were based on her past travels. Dennine sold her newly created ice creams and sorbets from a cart she took to popups and community block parties to let customers taste the world one scoop at a time. Today Dennine continues to travel and create new flavors. The Solo Scoop cart can be booked for private events.
In addition to these new women, WEALF currently supports over 50 women owned businesses. Visit our website to meet all our entrepreneurs and join us on social media in May as we celebrate Small Business Month.
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Copyright © 2024 Women's Enterprise Action Loan Fund (WEALF), All rights reserved.
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