Getting your start as a founder is a heady undertaking in any year. Finding the right connections, support, mentors and partners are all game-changers. And this is so true in the midst of economic uncertainty.
Through her work at the Center for Women and Enterprise (CWE), Michelle Miller has an up close seat to watch women launch and grow their businesses. In this Q&A, Michelle discusses how CWE’s efforts support women entrepreneurs and business owners, highlights what’s one of the region’s hottest industries, shares the work ahead for CWE, and more.
Startup Boston (SB): Could you walk me through what the Center for Women & Enterprise is? Who do you work with?
Michelle Miller (MM): At the Center for Women & Enterprise, we believe lifting up women benefits everyone. For over 25 years, we’ve helped women launch and grow their businesses by connecting them with the resources to succeed. Because when we empower women economically, we create a ripple effect that expands throughout their communities.
At CWE, we’re proud to be the most trusted and impactful training and certification program for women in New England. We offer:
Education and training experiences, including a 13-week accelerator course, Power Forward, for established businesses ready to grow. We offer small group huddles for people working on a certification application and/or a bid application
1:1/Individual, confidential and uplifting business counseling
Connection opportunities
Women’s business enterprise certification. A woman-owned business, for example, may seek to work with a corporation or the government - say, a construction company seeking to build a park for a city, or a skincare company seeking to sell their products to Target. Certification is an important - and exciting - way to expand a company’s visibility among decision-makers in corporate and government supply chains. In short, it’ll help bid on contracts as a women-owned vendor in both the private and public sectors
In partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, CWE also operates the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) in New England. The VBOC program offers resources to veterans, service members, and military spouses who are interested in starting or growing a small business.
SB: Can you explain the kind of support you provide for entrepreneurs and business owners? Do they have previous experience? Do you help them refine their ideas?
MM: We are connectors and educators. We provide education to women looking to grow their business, for example, through the Power Forward accelerator and the small group huddles. Through these programs, we provide women with the tools they need to expand their business. We refer entrepreneurs to trusted partners for any support they need, but we cannot offer.
As we enter 2025, we are increasingly focused on helping women grow their existing operations. This includes exploring certification and contracting opportunities. We enjoy deep, long-standing relationships with partner organizations (for instance, specialty food incubators, entrepreneurial development services that focus on startups, and local legal clinics) that serve entrepreneurs, and make connections to those organizations for entrepreneurs seeking startup support and/or industry-specific support.
Our approach is customized to the individual. The more established a business gets, the more tailored the support needs to be. We are committed to serving entrepreneurs in New England via small group experiences, one-on-one experiences, and building community.
SB: What industries does CWE work with? Is there an industry that's getting a lot of attention now?
MM: At CWE, we are generalists, welcoming entrepreneurs from any industry. There are amazing resources that provide industry-specific support, and so we work in partnership with them to provide the most comprehensive level of service possible to entrepreneurs in New England.
That said, in Massachusetts, clean energy is where it’s at! Businesses in offshore wind, high-efficiency buildings, net-zero grid and/or clean transportation should absolutely reach out to us. Thanks to recent legislation, there are several opportunities for entrepreneurs in clean energy, and we want to help you take advantage of them. Any entrepreneurs in this space should ask us about EmpowHer Climate Ventures.
SB: Switching gears a bit, CWE is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Please walk me through the history of CWE and how it's evolved over the years. You've been with CWE for almost nine years, too. Tell me about your work there.
MM: CWE started in Boston in 1995, under co-founders Andrea Silbert and Susan Hammond. Since then, we’ve grown to serve Central Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Vermont. We also operate the Veterans Business Outreach Center of New England.
I’m so honored to be a part of the CWE team, and to be coming up on nine years! The entrepreneurs we serve amaze and inspire me every day. In my current role, I oversee our programmatic operations across our footprint, allowing me to engage with the women lifting up the world throughout New England.
SB: Now looking ahead, what are CWE's goals for 2025?
MM: In 2025, we aim to serve growth-phase entrepreneurs in New England with impactful programs that help them identify and reach their goals. We will be offering more programs (like growth-phase support, including our Power Forward accelerator, how to prepare financial statements, and how to prepare for certification and/or contracting opportunities) and one-on-one support targeted at established entrepreneurs looking to grow their operations.
It is important to note, that as a federally funded nonprofit, we are navigating significant changes in response to recent executive orders from the new administration. We are open, available, and more committed than ever to serving New England’s entrepreneurs, but our response times may be delayed.
SB: And lastly, CWE speaks to lots of entrepreneurs and business owners every day. What are their thoughts about the year ahead? Are they hopeful with the current economic climate?
MM: The entrepreneurs we serve are deeply committed and ambitious. They look forward to continuing to grow New England’s economy via their operations. However, barriers continue, and are critical to address. These barriers include lack of access to capital and lack of affordable childcare. Like CWE, the entrepreneurs we serve are ready to face any challenge!
Like the women entrepreneurs and business owners involved with CWE, finding a place to grow and thrive is essential. The power of the startup ecosystem comes from its community. And networking is a crucial component.
To help founders, entrepreneurs, creators, emerging talent and others, we launched The Startup Directory: Networking Groups. This extensive list of networking groups across New England (including CWE) are tailored to help you find your people for your startup journey.
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About the author: Kathleen Ohlson is a Boston-based content writer with a background as a high-tech reporter and storyteller. With a passion for creating content that resonates with audiences, you can connect with her on LinkedIn.
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