“It just makes sense,” says Mildred Walters, Director of the Pathway Women’s Business Center. “I’m a strong believer in collaboration and our recent partnership with Nashville NAWBO is a perfect example of that.”
Nashville was chosen by the SBA as one of only six locations to receive a new Women’s Business Center in 2015. And the Pathway WBC, located in the Pathway Lending building in Metro Center, readily accepts the call to serve as a resource for women in business, providing a forum for training, education, and peer learning that supports and accelerates the growth of these businesses.
Mildred, former Executive Director of the Nashville Business Incubation Center (retired), educator, and business owner, has seen many businesses transition through the various stages of growth and has this insight to share: “While entrepreneurship comes with a certain degree of economic freedom, you must have a viable business idea. And the Pathway WBC offers women business owners the unique opportunity to connect with individuals who have the knowledge and experience to help them not only clarify and grow their business ideas, but to put systems in place to help sustain that growth.”
And the space that the Pathway WBC calls home is breathtaking. Designed by women for women, the renovations are a portrait of elegance and grace. The petal soft gray walls create an inviting atmosphere that’s charged by the boldness of purple accents that weave in and out of each room. From the bistro style café to the classrooms and small co-working meeting spaces, the layout is one that encourages collaboration, networking, and learning.
The programming, which includes classroom training and business counseling, is geared toward businesses that fall into three main categories: startups, growth (positioned to add employees or a new product/service), and fine tuning (consistently profitable, looking to secure stability and longevity). They also provide assistance with regard to accessing capital, government procurement, and contracting import and export services, all for little or no cost to participants.
“We want women to come in and bring us their ideas and their challenges. We’re here to help, but we can’t do that if we don’t know what’s going on.”
Mildred, along with Amy Bunton, President of the Pathway WBC, and the fantastic staff, are committed to changing the way women do business in Nashville, and we like that.
Please welcome our newest Corporate Partner!
Stop by the Pathway WBC and learn about the exciting resources now available to you!