WEALF Celebrates the Holidays and its Entrepreneurs, December 2022 Newsletter

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Dear Friends,

On behalf of all of us at WEALF, our entrepreneurs, and our advisors, we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season and a prosperous new year. I am sure you will agree it’s a bustling time for all with so many gatherings of family and friends and the frantic search for perfect gifts. While last month we had Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, we want you to know that for us every day is Women Entrepreneurs’ Day.

Take a look at the amazing offerings of our WEALF entrepreneurs. You will find something for every occasion with heirloom delicacies and baked goods to make you a hit at any party and the latest fashion items, so you dazzle as well. There are unique gifts for every member of your family including the four-legged ones and even some items and services to pamper yourself during this hectic time. Is your home ready for company and your car sparkling to pick up out-of-towners at the airport? Check out our entrepreneurs in the cleaning business.

Looking for a gift for that exceptional person on your list that cares about making an impact and changing lives? Consider a tax-deductible donation in their name to WEALF. We provide women entrepreneurs the opportunity to realize their dreams of self-sufficiency and the profound satisfaction of building thriving businesses. Since our first loan in 2012, WEALF has made over $650,000 in loans coupled with one-on-one mentoring to more than 70 women.

To celebrate our next decade, we have set a new goal of funding a total of $1 million in loans by the end of 2024. To accomplish our goal, we need to raise $200,000. While this goal may seem bold, nothing is bolder than the ambition and perseverance of our entrepreneurs. It is their spirit and your generosity that will power us in this campaign. We invite you to ring in 2023 by sharing the WEALF!

Sincerely,
Vicki Weiner
Founder, WEALF

MEET THE NEW WOMEN OF WEALF

Our WEALF family is growing with two new entrepreneurs that came on board this fall. Please visit their websites to learn more about their products and why they are so passionate about their businesses and the communities they serve.

GUIRLENE AUGUSTE - GOGO WASH

Wanting to get her own car washed, Guirlene found there was no easy way to accomplish that, particularly with a busy life. She decided to address the problem by creating a mobile app allowing people to go online to schedule the service on a day, time, and place of their convenience. GoGo Wash offers mobile detailing car wash services to individuals, local businesses, shops, universities, hotels, restaurants, and malls. GoGo Wash has 728 contractors and three full-time employees to coordinate and tailor a fit for each client’s circumstances and car washing requirements.

MICHELLE FALLS - YNOT TRANSPORT NYC

Michelle (Kiki) is the founder of YNOT Transport that provides affordable, reliable, and safe transportation from New York City for families to visit their incarcerated loved ones in federal and state correctional facilities in NY, NJ, CT and PA. Drawing on her own experience, Michelle recognized visiting correctional facilities can be a very scary experience, particularly the first time. Part of the service prepares visitors for the process. In addition, services include counseling families on business activities. YNOT riders can book seats in vans or rent cars directly from the YNOT website.

WEALF currently supports over 50 women entrepreneurs and their businesses meet all our women on our WEBSITE

MENTOR SPOTLIGHT

Thank you to our Board of Advisors, the mentors are the heart of WEALF. We invite you to get to know these expert businesswomen and consultants who understand what it is to be a woman entrepreneur. Our mentors are an accessible team dedicated to working one-to-one with our program participants to create a supportive environment in which the entrepreneurial spirit can flourish. It's an exciting time to be part of WEALF and we appreciate all of you.

STEPHANIE NEVILLE

Stephanie Neville brings a diverse background of knowledge and experience to WEALF through her prior professional life as a lawyer at top Wall Street law firms and as in-house counsel at a global bank. Currently, Stephanie and another WEALF mentor provide women entrepreneurs with legal and business advice at affordable rates. She has also served as counsel for various pro bono matters and has extensive nonprofit involvement in social service, political and refugee organizations. Among her many roles, she is most proud of her engagement on the Board of Trustees of the Brooklyn Public Library, her work as the Campaign Finance Chair to a NYC Councilman, her service with national and international Jewish organizations, and her participation with WEALF. Stephanie was a pioneer in the implementation of the concept of “part time” employment at large New York City law firms, and she has spent many years mentoring young women lawyers and other professionals and entrepreneurs.

Stephanie has brought her skills in solving complex legal and commercial matters, including people-related issues, to WEALF. As a mentor she has formed lasting relationships with her mentees by carefully listening to their business concerns and other challenges, and by offering effective and practical solutions to her mentees’ affairs as they arise. Stephanie has also made it possible for WEALF participants to obtain pro bono legal services from a prestigious NYC law firm.

Stephanie along with fellow WEALF Advisor Diane Lob and Founder Vicki Weiner have taken on the responsibility this year of creating and constituting WEALF's Operating Guidelines and Core Values to prepare us for strategic growth in 2023 in order to help even more women entrepreneurs.

More about Stephanie

WEALF NEXT II WITH BABSON

This fall, WEALF continued its partnership with Babson College for WEALF NEXT II to benefit our entrepreneurs by providing valuable tools needed for their businesses. This new course focuses on financial competence for early-stage companies and follows the successful strategic growth program launched earlier this year with Babson.

WEALF mentors often find the area where most of our women participants struggle is understanding financial information and how to use it for critical decision making. We are offering this series to our newest entrepreneurs to give them an important and realistic base from which to build.

Our initiation of WEALF NEXT program has been a way to personalize educational opportunities to fit the specific needs of our participants. Our experience with Babson has been very positive because they understand and focus development of professional women.

Attention champions of women entrepreneurs – If you are interested in supporting more of these educational programs with Babson or other learning institutions and partners, please consider underwriting WEALF scholarships.

TIS THE SEASON TO BE BACK IN PERSON!

Earlier this month, WEALF entrepreneurs, advisors and our families came together at Chelsea Market to celebrate the spirit of the holidays and the spirit of entrepreneurship! It had been too long since we all saw each other, and the event was a great opportunity to reconnect and to also finally meet WEALF participants we've only seen on Zoom. Special thanks to Rachel Simons of Seed+Mill for arranging the wonderful space for us at Chelsea Market.

WEALF Founder Vicki Weiner and entrepreneur Rachel Simons of Seed+Mill at Chelsea Market.

Over 50 entrepreneurs, advisors and guests arrive ready to celebrate in person.

Longtime WEALF entrepreneurs Stacy Cole and Missy Koo, Brooklyn Piggies, expressed how thankful they are for having access to much needed capital quickly from WEALF, and also the recent success of their creative Instagram reels in marketing their product.

WEALF entrepreneur Aliza Carter founder of the fashion company The Candy Shop with WEALF Advisor and clothes designer Andrea Masano discussing contacts they know in the garment industry and sharing tips on streamlining their designs from production to retail.

WEALF entrepreneur Sandy Bastein of BabaLID and Plumeria Bouquets inspired us all in sharing the evolution of her two businesses and the importance of believing in yourself as proud mentor Vicki Weiner, WEALF's founder and Sandy's biggest cheerleader, reflected along with her.

Jean Chatman, WEALF entrepreneur and founder of Chatman J Cakes and Karen Radley, WEALF's technical advisor and longtime Chatman J Cakes customer remarked on the popularity of Jean's pistachio cake at the NY Chamber's Small Biz Fair this fall. "Still time to put your order in for this holiday season and be delivered in the New York city area!" exclaimed Jean!

WEALF NEWS FLASHES

JENNIFER FIORE & NINA LALLI

MONDAYS pottery collaborates with Rosie Lee Studios to create Pilar, a new lighting collection Inspired by Brancusi's Endless Columns; the collection balances elemental shapes with crisp metalwork; red, brown, and buff clays coated in a range of earthen glazes are punctuated by solid brass or Spanish alabaster globes.

SASHA MILLSTEIN

It is a busy time for the founder of Aunt Ethel’s Pot Pies. First Sasha was featured on Elevator Talk presented by Bevnet & Nosh. Elevator, a video podcast, for up-and-coming food and beverage brands. In the episode co-hosted by Adam Spriggs, WEALF entrepreneur Millstein explains how she has made the frozen pot pie even better. In addition Sasha is running a Kickstarter campaign to fund the launch of two new vegetarian flavors, Cream of 'Shroom Pot Pie & Roasted Cauliflower Pot Pie

NATALIA KONOVALOVA & NORA GARDNER

Natalia and Nora joined forces to offer a private shopping tour of Natalia's Le'Bulga bags and Nora's clothing. The result, a successful sale for both brands and an example of how when small businesses work together; they can both benefit.

MILLIE CARBAJAL & REBECCA SCOTT

The founders of M&M 24 hour Daycare, and Sustainable Snacks respectively teamed up to produce a PSA on the COVID vaccine. The PSA, featuring families talking about their experience with COVID vaccine, was made for the community health campaign Salud Mía NYC, and produced in conjunction with BRIC.

Women's Enterprise Action Loan Fund (WEALF)

1160 Park Ave

New York, NY 10128-1212

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