WBEC-East Selected by U.S. Small Business Administration to Lead Keystone Women’s Business Center Network in Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA – The Women’s Business Enterprise Center East (WBEC-East) is proud to announce its selection by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Women’s Business Ownership as Pennsylvania’s Lead Center under the Women’s Business Center Modernization and Alignment Initiative (NOFO No. SB-OEDWB-26-002).
Under this landmark initiative, WBEC-East will lead the development and coordination of a statewide Women’s Business Center Network designed to expand entrepreneurial access, strengthen service delivery, and increase support for entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the Commonwealth. The network will be built in partnership with Pennsylvania’s existing Women’s Business Centers at Assets in Lancaster and Chatham University CWE in Pittsburgh, alongside a growing ecosystem of public, private, and nonprofit partners. Information on how resource partners can become engaged with this initiative will be forthcoming from WBEC-East.
The SBA’s modernization initiative establishes a new Lead Center model intended to improve statewide coordination, increase access to counseling, training, technical assistance, and capital resources, and enhance outreach to entrepreneurs in underserved and rural communities.
“We are honored by SBA’s confidence in WBEC-East and excited to lead this transformative effort for Pennsylvania’s entrepreneurs,” said Elizabeth Walsh, President of WBEC-East. “For more than 30 years, our organization has helped entrepreneurs start, grow, and scale their businesses. This new statewide network will allow us to build upon that foundation, connect more entrepreneurs to resources and opportunities, and create a stronger, more coordinated ecosystem of support across Pennsylvania.”
The proposed Keystone Women’s Business Center Network will leverage the expertise of existing Women’s Business Centers, SBA resource partners, workforce organizations, lenders, educational institutions, economic development agencies, and industry partners to create a more connected and accessible entrepreneurial support system. The network will focus on expanding opportunities in areas including access to capital, procurement and government contracting, manufacturing, childcare businesses, rural entrepreneurship, business incubation, and workforce development.
“The WBEC-East team’s proposal gave us confidence in their organization’s readiness to lead this work. We look forward to growing our partnership with their organization as they build out the Women’s Business Center network in Pennsylvania to support entrepreneurs and small business concerns throughout the state.” – Elizabeth Habib, Assistant Administrator, Women’s Business Ownership Office
As Lead Center, WBEC-East will oversee statewide coordination, performance management, compliance, reporting, technology infrastructure, and partnership development while working collaboratively with Service Centers and future network partners to expand access to entrepreneurial resources throughout Pennsylvania.
The initiative represents a significant investment in the future of Pennsylvania’s small business community and aligns with SBA priorities related to entrepreneurship, job creation, access to capital, manufacturing growth, childcare support, and rural economic development.
About WBEC-East: We are an advocate for women business owners and entrepreneurs in Pennsylvania, from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, as well as Delaware and Southern New Jersey. We believe in innovation, opening doors, and creating partnerships that fuel the economy. Throughout our 30 year history, we have helped countless entrepreneurs transform unique business ideas in their heads into thriving companies. For more information, please visit www.wbeceast.com.
Media Contact:
Steve Damweber
Senior Manager, Outreach & Engagement | [email protected], (215) 790-505
WBEC-East’s Women’s Business Center exists to provide training, resources, and coaching to meet entrepreneurs where they are—no matter their starting point. Danielle’s journey illustrates that with the right mindset and a supportive community, every challenge can become a stepping stone toward success.
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