WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING PROGRAM GETS NEW NAME -California American Woman’s Economic Development Corporation (AWED) To Be Called Women’s Enterprise Development Corporation (WEDC)- While the services and staff will remain the same, California American Woman’s Economic Development (AWED) Corporation will now be known as Women’s Enterprise Development Corporation (WEDC). The change was announced by John F. Walker, Jr., Board President. The non profit organization has offered low-cost, high quality entrepreneurial training in Los Angeles and Orange Counties 1991. Dr. Philip Borden, WEDC executive director, cites a two-fold reason for the change: “The new name will better reflect the broader scope and extended service area of our organization. Though we became a separate non profit agency from the founding New York operation, it was not until now that we have significantly augmented the original licensed program and training regime.” WEDC’s future plans include creating expanded alliances with other entrepreneurial and enterprise training, counseling and funding organizations, locally, regionally, and nationally. The new name removes the geographic limits from the organization. Borden adds: “We have gained extraordinary experience as a service organization headquartered in Southern California. The difficult economy and rich cultural mix help us develop effective strategies for a client base of business owners who truly need our programs.” WEDC ADD ONE Letty Herndon, vice president of government and community relations, concurs with Borden. “In our business courses, we teach students that business plans and missions must be re-examined from time to time to keep abreast of current trends and to re-address the needs of the client. The AWED to WEDC name change gives us an excellent opportunity to do that ourselves,” states Herndon. “Women-owned businesses continue to grow at an astonishing rate, and WEDC will be focusing on current entrepreneurial issues including improved access to capital, increased topic-specific business training, and attention to the enterprise development needs of underserved members of the community,” Herndon adds. The organization has been customizing the curriculum of its core programs, “Starting Your Own Business” and “Managing Your Own Business”, for a significant portion of its history. WEDC courses have been created that are language specific (Spanish, Korean, Chinese), geographically specific (South Central, East Los Angeles, South Bay, etc.) and enterprise specific (for child care providers, home-based business, non profit and arts organizations, etc.). WEDC has served the business needs of more than 9,000 entrepreneurs since 1991 through business courses, counseling, workshops, seminars, conferences and publications. All WEDC courses are taught by business professionals who volunteer their time to share their experience and expertise with WEDC students. WEDC also operates the Harbor Business Assistance Center in San Pedro, a full service business support center funded by the City of Los Angeles Community Development Department. It provides city, county and economic development services under grants from the Department of Justice, the Office of Refugee Resettlement, the Los Angeles Housing Authority and others. WEDC programs are funded by government, corporate, individual, and foundation financial donations and in-kind goods and services. For more information about Women’s Enterprise Development Corporation call 562/983-3747.
