WE Master Leadership Fall Conference: Securing the Bag: Finding Funding

Join us either virtually or in person for our Fall conference!

Join WENYC for an empowering conversation on overcoming the unique funding challenges women entrepreneurs face. Did you know it wasn't until 1988 that women could legally sign for a business loan on their own? Today, women are launching businesses at a remarkable rate, yet financial barriers remain.

In this engaging and interactive session, we'll delve into these challenges and equip you with actionable strategies to enhance your chances of securing the funding your business needs. Whether you attend in person or online, you'll gain valuable insights and tools to help you confidently navigate the funding landscape.

Don't miss out—be part of this crucial discussion and take a step closer to securing the bag for your business!

Read on for more details and register today!

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About our keynote speaker:

Geri Stengel President,

Geri Stengel has been involved in the women’s entrepreneurship space for over 25 years. Her company, Ventureneer, recently coproduced the Wells Fargo 2024 Impact of Women-Owned Businesses and Diversity in Venture Capital: Challenges and Opportunities for New York City, commissioned by the NYC Economic Development Corporation. Ventureneer also co-produced How Women (and Men) Invest in Startups. Ventureneer manages the NYC Small Business Services M/WBE Mentors program.

Stengel is a former WENYC mentor and former board member of the NYC chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners. She is best known for writing about the success factor of women entrepreneurs in Forbes.

About our Presenter:

Simone Castillo, CEO and Founder,

Simone Castillo, CEO and Founder of Velvet Canary Advisors (“VCA”) is an Ivy-League MBA with over two decades of experience as a trusted knowledge partner and executor for Fortune 500s, global-NGOs, small business & venture backed startups. Simone’s fundamental integrity around servant leadership has made her a sought-after speaker, knowledge partner and advisor to thought leaders at Goldman Sachs, Best Buy and the NYC Department of Education. In addition to her natural abilities, emotional intelligence formed from real life experiences and professional acumen, Simone has led cross-functional teams around the world with adept and dynamic execution equipping C-suite leaders at KPMG, the United Nations Populations Fund and Techstars to become fiscally fearless via operational strategies.

After seven years of investing in, advising, and scaling startups in North America and the southern horn of Africa, Simone launched VCA in 2019 to empower diverse entrepreneurs and change-makers to take up space in all business environments and equip them with the essential financial resilience tools.

Using her own journey to teach and inspire, Simone is a well of invaluable knowledge for women and people of color navigating their professional paths. Simone brings wisdom to every conversation convening community and empowering today’s change makers and executives to courageously lead our next generations.

*Important Messages from the Organizer* By registering for this event you hereby consent to the use of your image and/or statements made by you in any official DSBS or City of New York (City) media events and hereby release and hold harmless the City from any liability regarding the use of your image and/or statements for any legitimate government purposes in perpetuity.

Reasonable accommodations are available upon request. If you require accommodations, please contact Michelle Barnes-Anderson, MPA-IG, Director, Office For Disability Services at [email protected].

If you have questions about this WE NYC Program or would like additional information about WE NYC, please e-mail [email protected] or visit we.nyc.

Host or Publisher Women Entrepreneurs NYC (WE NYC)