March 21 – With spring upon us, the LAEDA family tree of entrepreneurs and small business owners yields yet another fruitful branch with the completion of Session 80 of our nine-week program. It was the second round of the Women’s Business Academy, and the group included ten different businesses that spanned several industries, including fashion, digital media, self-care, and home improvements. As is want to happen, the group became very friendly with one another, forging bonds that will support each individual as they seek to scale their business.
Although LAEDA has run its Entrepreneurial Development Training Program (EDTP) for 27 years, and yielded hundreds of graduates, it has made a point to evolve and stay relevant to business owners operating in the present and planning for the future. Most recently, the organization redesigned the Small Business Financing classes, of which there are four, to provide course members with the most up-to-date information.
Jamie Shanker, Program Manager of the Women’s Business Center, was particularly excited for the delivery of this to our students. "This year, we wanted to showcase the connection between credit, banking, loans, and personal finances. Thus, we restructured and made alterations to our curriculum, resulting on a cohesive unit on Small Business Financing. We feel this series did a good job at educating our students on how to start preparing to access capital from traditional lending sources."
As always, the last class concluded with a potluck. Marie and James Wilson, who operate a catering company they are seeking to transition to a food truck, took the opportunity to impress their peers with a full spread built around their favorite foundation – the baked potato. Hungry students had the option to dress their potatoes with either a seafood gravy, a slow-cooked barbeque short rib, pico de gallo and avocados – and of course, cheese, including a homemade vegan option based on carrots, apples, and potatoes (Editor’s note – it was delicious!).
The course brought back old instructors and featured new ones, and students left feeling more prepared to confront the challenges of running a successful business in 2018. Some students will take over family businesses, while others have left their full-time employment to make it on their own; one trend remains consistent, and that is the strong foundational business education LAEDA has provided its nine-week students, and the ongoing support it offers to anyone that has been a part of the organization’s 30 year history. Interested in applying to the nine-week program? Apply here.