Summer of Success as WEALF nears $1 Million Milestone

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Summer may be winding down, but the heat is still on at WEALF!

Our entrepreneurs’ numbers are soaring: An order for 2,000 pies. A Top 5 shout-out from The New York Times, and many other exciting successful activities are taking place. By year-end, WEALF will hit a milestone $1,000,000 in loans.

But that’s not all. Mentoring is a cornerstone of the WEALF model. We are excited to have attracted 2 new mentors to our Board of Advisors: Candace Leeds, Marketing and Public Relations Executive and Karen Pearce, Founder and CEO of Karen Pearce Global Direct. These highly successful women are a great addition to our existing talent pool. We are expanding our activities beyond the one-to-one mentoring that accompanies each loan to include monthly in-person meet-ups where mentors and mentees can interact informally and provide peer support, share ideas, and discuss issues.

We also collaborated with aligned organizations, including SCORE and Babson’s Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership, and sponsored 3 learning opportunities for mentees and mentors alike to grow their skills and business impact.

We continue to seek like-minded allies and new sources of funding in the business world to join us in this mission to support promising women entrepreneurs who do not yet qualify for traditional funding. You can see the impact in the numbers and the highlights below. We are aiming this year to increase our lending capacity and continue expanding our educational programming within our community.

Please let us know about new funding opportunities or introduce us to a potential funder. Even as summer temperatures cool, WEALF will stay blazing hot with your help!

Thank you for your support of WEALF.

Sincerely,
Vicki Weiner
Founder

NEW ADVISORS ENHANCE MENTORING POOL

Candace Leeds joins our Board of Advisors specializing in Marketing and Public Relations. Candace has decades of experience working in leadership roles for both corporations and non-profit organizations, specializing in branding, marketing/PR and development. Her diverse background brings a unique perspective to her clients, helping them to build capacity and achieve their goals. She has recently been consulting to nonprofits, analyzing needs and overall strategies, working to highlight impact, build brand awareness, and raise funds. Candace served as Director of Advancement and Donor Relations at the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, raising major gifts, and. two decades as Vice President of Public Affairs at Loews Corporation. READ CANDACE'S FULL BIO

Karen Pearse is a renowned marble expert and Founder & CEO of Karen Pearse Global Direct, the foremost global source for natural stone and architectural surfaces. Since establishing the Karen Pearse brand in 1981, she has gained worldwide recognition working with the most prominent architects, designers, retailers, and developers on prestigious projects. Her work encompasses large commercial and retail spaces, hotels, luxury homes, and designer boutiques, such as La Samaritaine, Paris; Neiman Marcus, Hudson Yards; Louis Vuitton; Saks Fifth Avenue, New York Flagship; Four Seasons, San Francisco and Macau, among many others. More than just sourcing, Pearse’s namesake brand facilitates and manages all steps of the design process, from conception and quarrying/production to fabrication and installation. Her exceptional international team, spanning from NYC to China, works closely with clients on all aspects of the design process, including project management, technical drawings, and logistics. Pearse blends her passion for natural stone and design with a lifetime of experience in the world of stone and architecture. READ KAREN'S FULL BIO

WEALF ONCE A MONTH MEET UPS

In June Board of Advisor member, Joan Lipitiz, began hosting monthly in person meetups for WEALF entrepreneurs and mentors. At WEALF we consistently look for new ways for our members to come together to benefit from our growing community of talented businesswomen and mentors. At the meetups entrepreneurs have the opportunity to meet with our diverse group of mentors who can provide a fresh look at their businesses in areas where help is needed. Importantly they can share with one another their successes, challenges, and connect for potential areas of collaboration.

WEALF HOSTS ITS SECOND PARLOR PARTY

WEALF Founder and CEO Vicki Weiner welcomed friends of WEALF and their guests to our second Parlor Party on June 5, 2024. The Parlor Party events aim to grow our community of friends and funders as we advance our mission to support promising women entrepreneurs through microloans and mentoring. The event featured speakers WEALF entrepreneur and mentee Jessica Spaulding, Founder and CEO, Harlem Chocolate Factory, and her mentor, WEALF Board member Margi Booth, Chairman, M Booth & Associates. In 2019, Jessica received her first of two WEALF loans for Harlem Chocolate Factory and Margi became her WEALF mentor. Harlem Chocolate Factory has grown from a local market vendor to a brand with retail and production operations, recognized among Oprah’s Favorite Things (2020) and featured in the business press, including Forbes and Entrepreneur.

“Throughout my time as an entrepreneur access to capital has been the single most difficult part of my life,” said Jessica. “WEALF cuts through the noise to get low-cost capital without all the hoops to jump through. Also, the quality of mentorship is so much better than what I’ve been provided in the past. Meeting Margi has changed my life.”

A passionate entrepreneur and big supporter of women in the workplace, Margi shared her great joy in helping women grow their businesses. She says it has been a great privilege to be a part of the WEALF family and to watch Jessica become an even more savvy marketeer and a resilient business leader.

Attendees met active WEALF participants and enjoyed tasty offerings from WEALF entrepreneurs, including ice cream from Dennine Dyer's Solo Scoop , cookies from Esther Hirsch's Whimsical Sweets, and tahini fudge from Seed + Mill.

Thanks to all who joined us! (photo of Margi Booth and Jessica Spaulding by Claire Holt)

A BUSY SUMMER FOR OUR ENTREPRENUERS

Portriat Photo of Esther Hirsch founder of Whimsical Sweets holding one of her cookies

FANCY PIES LLC DELIVERS 2,000 PIES TO BLOOMBERG

Recently, Fancy Pies was one of the businesses highlighted in Bloomberg’s celebration of small businesses. Founder June Coleman along with a team of ten, baked 2,000 mini cherry pies and delivered them to 3 different Bloomberg locations. June and her team worked for four days to prepare the order; three days were spent preparing the dough, and then worked in shifts for an additional twenty hours to fill and bake the pies. The preparation was a family affair; one of June’s team members was her brother, who frequently helps with big orders.

SANT M MARY JANE SLIPPERS FEATURED IN SHOP BAZAAR
Sant M’s Mary Janes indoor/outdoor Venetian slipper in gingham print are featured on Shop Bazaar’s website and social media. Shop Bazaar writes the Mary Janes “playfully chic gingham print will add a pep to your step” and “add instant personality to every outfit”. Shop Bazaar loves the slipper’s contrasting trim, sleek shape, comfortable construction, and colorful versatility. Sant M is founded by WEALF entrepreneur Min Santandrea.

SEED+MILL TEAMS UP WITH JENIS FOR A NEW ICE CREAM FLAVOR & IS WRITTEN UP IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

Tahini Oat Chocolate Cookie is the name of the new ice cream flavor created by Jeni’s and Seed+Mill. This flavor is available at Jeni’s Ice Cream stores just for the summer and features two ice creams twisted together, one side rich chocolate made with fair trade cocoa and the other tahini made with Seed + Mill’s small batch tahini. In addition Seed + Mill’s Vegan tahini soft serve was named one of the city's five best in a July 4th column by The New York Times Beck Hughes. Hughes describes Seed + Mill’s sundae with oat milk soft serve topped with crumbled halvah and a drizzle of tahini available at the company’s Chelsea Market location as “nutty, creamy, joyful, triumphant … summer!”. Seed + Mill is founded by WEALF entrepreneur Rachel Simons.

HAPPY HOUNDS HOSTS A SUMMER OF EVENTS
Happy Hounds CBD founder and WEALF entrepreneur Rianna Young has spent almost every weekend this summer participating in different pet themed events around the New York City area. Rianna partnered with Korean K9 Rescue for the LIC Dog Fest, an indoor event featuring dog treats, doggy meals, an agility course, dog training and adoptable dogs. The events gave Rianna a chance to meet with customers and give their dogs a sample of Happy Hounds CBD calming dog treats and tinctures. When it comes to small business nothing can beat the opportunity to grow your business by meeting potential customers face to face.

ROAD TO $1 MILLION!
Since the program started 10 years ago WEALF is on track to hit a milestone of $1 million in loans to promising women entrepreneurs by the end of this year. We have supported more than 100 businesses on their way to business success, with countless more to follow Please consider donating (link) and introducing us to potential new funders.

Women's Enterprise Action Loan Fund (WEALF)

1160 Park Ave

New York, NY 10128-1212

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