Graduates of WEV’s Emprendimiento Program in Santa Paula, May 11, 2023. Photo by WEV
Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV)’s Emprendimiento Program increases opportunities for historically marginalized individuals by providing entrepreneurial training and access to capital for limited English proficient (LEP) and Hispanic community members.
Graduation ceremonies were held May 2 – 11 in Oxnard and Santa Paula to celebrate 90 small business owners who completed Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV’s) Emprendimiento Program for entrepreneurial Hispanic and Indigenous Ventura County community members.
The 90 participants successfully completed WEV’s free, 8-week business training program taught in Spanish and are now each eligible to apply for a $7,500 microgrant award to grow their existing small business.
Emprendimiento is a unique program developed by WEV for low-English proficiency individuals and is funded by the state of California’s Employment Training Panel’s (ETP), Social Entrepreneurs for Economic Development (SEED) initiative. Launched in 2021, WEV’s Emprendimiento program provides entrepreneurial training, technical assistance, and microgrants for small business owners to grow their enterprise in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. To date, 330 people have participated in WEV’s Emprendimiento Program, 261 have graduated, and $600,000 in microgrants have been awarded to entrepreneurs in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. This summer $337,500 in grants will be awarded to the recent Ventura County graduates.
Emprendimiento Program information, including enrollment for the fall 2023 Santa Barbara County cohort, visit www.wevonline.org/classes-resources/emprendimiento/ .
Women’s Economic Ventures is dedicated to the economic empowerment of women. WEV is a business resource network for anyone looking to start a business, grow a local business, or improve their business skills. WEV provides a full range of small business support – including classes, consulting, and funding – as well as financial literacy programs in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. While WEV’s focus is on women, it welcomes people of all gender identities into the WEV community. Business courses, programs and loans are provided in both English and Spanish.
