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University of Hartford's Entrepreneurial Center | Women's Business Center 3 WELCOME The Barney School of Business is proud to have the Entrepreneurial Center as part of our organization. The Entrepreneurial Center's great work advising, coaching, and training entrepreneurs, is perfectly aligned with our mission to develop decision makers and leaders who are globally aware and socially responsible. Our faculty develops and delivers Entrepreneurial Center workshops. Our students gain terrific practical experience interning at the center and interacting with its clients. And we partner with many of the same organizations, like TD Bank and The Hartford, which support education and development programs across a wide range of audiences. We are very proud of the center's many accomplishments. One example is the center's 2015 Leadership Award from the The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) in recognition of the significant impact it has had opening up opportunities for women in construction. I fully expect the Entrepreneurial Center and the Women's Business Center to have many more years of success helping entrepreneurs gain needed business skills to succeed in the marketplace! —Martin S. Roth Dean Barney School of Business One of our primary goals at the Department of Economic and Community Development is to support existing businesses and help new ones grow. The partnerships we foster with organizations like the Entrepreneurial Center and the Women's Business Center at the University of Hartford are key to our success, as these smaller organizations offer hands-on assistance and training and other much-needed services. Strengthening these public- private partnerships has been and continues to be a critical element of Governor Dannel Malloy's economic development agenda. I want to congratulate the Entrepreneurial Center and the WBC for all they have accomplished and extend a heartfelt "thank you" for their efforts. Without them, Connecticut would be a far less friendly state for small businesses and entrepreneurs. —Commissioner Catherine Smith Department of Economic and Community Development I am thrilled to recognize this historic occasion commemorating 30 years of the Entrepreneurial Center and 15 years of the University of Hartford hosting a Women's Business Center. Throughout this time, the progress you have made is unprecedented. Through both centers, you have led the way in championing many of the clients you work with every day. As the face of America's business owners evolve, the work you do continues to grow more important. There are now 9.9 million women-owned businesses in the United States. That's an increase of 2.1 million businesses, or 27.5 percent, from 2007. This growth signals changes in the clients you serve, the needs they have, and the services you provide. The Office of Women's Business Ownership (OWBO) appreciates the projects you pilot, the pathways you pioneer, and the people you guide. Our hope is that the WBC continues to grow, providing valuable services to women entrepreneurs in your community. Again, we celebrate these milestones and congratulate you on the continued successes of both the Entrepreneurial Center and the Women's Business Center. Thank you for everything you do! —Erin E. Andrew Assistant Administrator Office of Women's Business Ownership U.S. Small Business Administration