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In this Issue:
* Message from our Founder, Vicki Weiner
* WEALF Entrepreneur, Sandy Bastien Pilots Reading Initiative
* Meet New WEALF Entrepreneur Molly Culver, Founder of Molly Oliver Flowers
* Meet New WEALF Entrepreneurs Carrie Sporer & Meredith Krill, Founders of SWAIR
* Entrepreneur News Flashes

Hello WEALF Friends!

WEALF and our women founders have lost no time in getting 2025 off to a quick start!
* The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) named our own Rozanna Weinberger, founder of Rozanna’s Violins, Female Entrepreneur of the Year 2025! Rozanna is the second recipient of the NAMM award, created to recognize a female entrepreneur in the music industry who makes a positive global impact and inspires others.
* We welcomed 3 entrepreneurs into our program:: Mary Culver, Mary Oliver Flowers, Carrie Sporer & Meredith Krill, SWAIR.
* Rowena Sherer, Eat2Explore, was featured on Episode 696 (Jan 16) of Guy Raz’s How I Built This Advice Line ([link removed])

We are starting 2025 with a resolve to enable WEALF to grow, by providing capital and mentorship to a wide-ranging pool of participants and expanding our network of supporters and allies.

As highlighted in this Newsletter, our impact is increasing daily, reaching an underserved population of women in New York. Given the uncertain times we live in with widespread changes taking place that affect all of us, it is more important than ever to support one another in spirit and in the actions we take. Collaborating with each other and with like-minded organizations is the key to resilience.

Where others see reasons to say NO, we say YES by recognizing vision, hard work and capacity to learn as fundamental characteristics of creditworthiness. The latest report from our lending partner, Accompany Capital, backs this up. Since 2015, WEALF has disbursed more than 120 loans with a repayment rate of more than 93%!

Age, zip code, and ethnicity are not barriers to success for women who dream of expressing their smarts and creativity through business. WEALF’s participants are as diverse as the businesses they build. They represent all boroughs of New York with service and product businesses in beauty, fashion, food, canine care, childcare, cleaning and transportation, all contributing to the local economy.

When WEALF women succeed, our city thrives!
It’s more important than ever to join us:
1. Be a Dream Maker or make a tax-deductible donation ([link removed]) in any amount.
2. Ask your employer to match your gift.
3. Introduce us to an ally, potential partner or funder (mailto:[email protected]) .
4. Volunteer as a business mentor (mailto:[email protected])

Thank you for joining us on this journey.
Vicki Weiner
Founder


** SANDY BASTIEN PILOTS READING INITIATIVE
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The Reading is Eating Initiative™ created by WEALF entrepreneur Sandy Bastien wants to make reading a choice not a chore. Just as with food—no matter how nutritious a meal is, if it doesn’t appeal to you, you’re less likely to eat or benefit from it. Children need to be given books that spark their interest so they will engage, process, and truly understand the material.
A mother of 5 and an entrepreneur, Sandy aims to make reading enjoyable for kids and help them connect with stories that reflect their realities and dreams. Activities to reach both children and parents including:
* Interactive author engagements
* In classroom story enhancement and interpretation activities
* Literacy nights focused on family & community

Sandy is piloting The Reading is Eating™ in her community, visiting classrooms, local libraries, bookstores, summer camps, community organizations, and government agencies that work with families and children. She hosts reading events and distributes copies of her book Mommy's Invention Adventure: The Messy Spill. Sandy wants to grow the initiative through sponsorship. Contact [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) to sponsor an event.

Sandy is the founder of BabaLID™, a baby bottle with a detachable tethered cap that keeps the nipple clean and is easy to use. Visit the company website to purchase the bottles or: The BabaLID™ Bundle Gift Box: a bottle and a copy of Mommy's Invention Adventure: The Messy Spill empower moms, inspire kids.


** MEET OUR NEW ENTREPRENEURS
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[link removed] CULVER, MOLLY OLIVER FLOWERS ([link removed])
This sustainable floral design studio located in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, NY offers sustainable floral design services as well as a 100% locally-grown flower subscriptions. Molly founded her business in 2016 after over 10 years of working in the field of flower farming. After graduating Barnard and spending a year in Santiago, Chile Molly worked for a community-based environmental justice non-profit in the South Bronx which sparked her interest in flowers. In 2008 she moved to Santa Cruz to study organic farming at UCSC, and upon her return to Brooklyn both farmed flowers and designed arrangements for her friends. In 2019 after 15 seasons of growing flowers she retired and focused on Molly Oliver Flowers. Visit the company website to have Molly and her team of floral artists design an arrangement for your next event or signup for a subscription to have bouquets of fresh locally sourced flowers delivered to your home.
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CARRIE SPORER & MEREDITH KRILL, SWAIR ([link removed])
SWAIR manufactures time saving haircare for people who work out. SWAIR Showerless Shampoo cleans hair by simply spraying, towel drying, and styling with SWAIR leave-in conditioner after and you’re ready to go, no water required! All products are formulated with clean, high-quality ingredients. Carrie and Meredith met in 2007 while training for the New York City Marathon. Both loved training but found the need to wash their hair after every training session time consuming, so they searched for a better solution. Not finding one they created SWAIR. Visit the company website today, to learn more about the products and purchase them
ROZANNA WEINBERGER NAMED NAMM WOMAN OF THE YEAR Rozanna Weinberger, founder of Rozanna’s Violins & WEALF entrepreneur, won the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Female Entrepreneur of the Year 2025. Rozanna, a classically trained violinist and performer, is redefining classical music’s reach with her innovative decorated violins, featuring designs from Frozen, Game of Thrones, and Star Wars. Rozanna, received the award during the NAMM She Rocks Awards ceremony in January in Anaheim, California.
EAT2EXPLORE PERMANTELY LOWERS THE PRICE OF EXPLORER BOXERS EAT2EXPLORE founder & CEO Rowena Scherer wants to make it easier for families to cook together during these financially challenging times by lowering the price of all Explorer boxes by $5.This is not a limited-time offer. It is a commitment to growing the EAT2EXPLORE community, ensuring that as many people as possible can experience the joy of cooking, learning, and exploring new cultures together. Visit the EAT2EXPLORE website ([link removed]) to order a box to share with your family today.
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We have supported more than 150 businesses on their way to success, with countless more to follow Please consider DONATING ([link removed]) and introducing us to potential new funders.

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