Panelists Maria Durant, owner of Dance 4 Wellness; Cory Pironti, owner of Dandyline Designs; and Emily Barany, owner of Emily Barany Consulting discuss their strategies on giving back to the community
Over 40 Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) clients, supporters and members of the community enjoyed an evening of inspiration and networking at WEV Connects at the Ventura City Hall Community Room.
“Many of our WEV clients care deeply about the community and desire to give back, but new business owners are often overwhelmed by the number and size of requests they receive for donations,” said Marsha Bailey, Founder and CEO of Women’s Economic Ventures.
Panelists shared the benefits and challenges of giving back, as well as best practices they’ve learned to ensure philanthropic efforts do not hurt cash flow or prevent business growth. Panelist Maria Durant, owner of Dance 4 Wellness, teaches ballroom dance lessons to promote physical, mental and emotional wellness. She gives back to the community by offering free dance lessons to community members affected by cancer, as well as local students at school sites. Panelist Cory Pironti, owner of Dandyline Designs, pushes the boundaries of small design to help local client businesses create big impressions through web design. Panelist Emily Barany, owner of Emily Barany Consulting, works with nonprofits and corporate businesses to help develop partnerships that are mutually beneficial, and works to help clients make the greatest difference with the resources available to them.
The WEV Women’s Business Center offers a comprehensive 14 week, 56-hour Self-Employment Training (SET) program, for women and men who want to start a business.
WEV is now holding free 1-hour orientations to determine readiness for SET course beginning in September. Orientation is required to enroll.
Upcoming Ventura County Orientations include:
Oxnard: Tuesday, August 11th from 6 -7 p.m.
Ventura: Wednesday, August 12th from 12-1 p.m.
Ventura: Tuesday, August 18th from 6 – 7 p.m.
To register or for more information, visit http://wevonline.org/orientations.
