September 2010: Danielle Lower
Danielle Lower is the Director of the Women’s Business Institute, a part of the Miller Business Resource Center at the Miller campus in Sandy. In addition to counseling clients on how to launch a business and training Utah’s Refugees to manage non-profit organizations, Danielle has recently brought two new programs to Salt Lake Community College that promote and support women leaders and entrepreneurs in Utah: Women Leaders Utah and Banking on Women.
Director of the Women's Business Institute
Women Leaders Utah is a virtual registry whose goal is to increase access to the expertise of women leaders throughout Utah. The registry acts as a vehicle for identifying women leaders, building relationships, and expanding networks. This will result in expanded opportunities for organizations and individual growth by leveraging current and emerging women leaders’ skills, competencies and track records in creating diverse results.
Read this great article from the Salt Lake Tribune featuring Women Leaders Utah.
Banking on Women™ is a comprehensive program that provides women entrepreneurs with the training, mentoring, and microloans to build their businesses. Banking on Women is designed for women who are not able to access traditional sources of funding for their businesses. Female entrepreneurs looking to start or grow their microenterprise are encouraged to apply. A microenterprise business is a small business with five or fewer employees that requires less than $35,000 to start, and is too small to qualify for commercial banking services.
Salt Lake Community College was chosen above any other location in the U.S. to pilot this multifaceted program, which includes small business financial education classes, mentoring and the opportunity to apply for a microenterprise loan. By investing in women entrepreneurs, the pilot supports job creation/retention and economic development in Salt Lake City.
As part of this special partnership, GE Capital will work with the Utah Microenterprise Loan Fund and the Women’s Business Institute at Salt Lake Community College to:
- Offer training and support through the “First Step Fast Trac” program
- Match participants with mentorship opportunities offered by program partners
- Provide access to microenterprise loans for qualified program participants
- Raise awareness for opportunities for women in the larger Salt Lake community
Read some recent articles from the Salt Lake Tribune and Utah Daily Pulse about the Banking on Women program.