Session

WORDS Perspectives From the Founders

It is a pleasure to bring you greetings during this special event in celebration of Women’s Small Business Month. First and Foremost, I would like to extend a thank you to our sponsors Fifth Third Bank, ADP and Georgia Power, it is with our sponsors, that we are able to make all things happen, we thank you for your support. A thank you to the phenomenal women around us, we continue to say that “amazing things happen, when women come together. In celebration of our event, we have selected the theme “Business In Action, Count Me In,. We remain true to our vision, engaging in initiatives that support the economic advancement of women, especially women of color.

As women, we still struggle with inequalities, we are often undervalued and faced with increased expectations. We are often overlooked, underfunded, and underpaid, but we still operate with hope. As we celebrate Women’s Small Business Month, we are still in a fight for political power and economic opportunities. Our selection of our theme today, Business In Action, Count Me In, is a representation of our vision for the future. We are paving the way, creating our own opportunities, and we are unstoppable. Statistics indicate that Women of color account

for 89% (1,625) of the new businesses opened every day over the past year and the numbers

continue to increase. However, we should all pause when we hear the following statistic, “Of all minority women-owned businesses, African

American women-owned businesses show the greatest difference in revenue when compared with all women-owned firms, they earn an annual revenue of $24,000”.

This is one of the reasons we remain committed to the mission of supporting women in business. WEOP, is proud to provide twenty years of service to our community of women. Over the last two decades, the organization has conducted hundreds of educational workshops, helping women secure contracts, empowering women with information, connections and resources. I encourage you to stay connected to WEOP, subscribe to our monthly newsletter and continued to stay involved with your community.

Antionette Ball Marionette Ball Founder & CEO Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Project, Inc. (WEOP) www.weop.org