WELink

“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.”                                                                                                            Oprah Winfrey

WE Link

Women-Owned Business Mentoring 

The Chamber, in partnership with ATHENAPowerLink®, is proud to present WE Link, a year-long business mentoring program for women business owners.

What is the WE Link program?
WE Link, based on the national ATHENAPowerLink® program, connects selected women business owners with a skilled advisory panel. The advisory panel, which is made up of lawyers, bankers, accountants and other business professionals, provides free business consultation for one year. The panel consults to help the business owner achieve networking, capital, operational and strategic goals. The program also helps enhance the business owner's leadership and management skills for future business endeavors.

Apply for WE Link - Applications for WE Link are now closed. For more information on the program, see below. 

2011 WE Link/ATHENAPowerLink® advisory panel recipient - Kelly Kolar of Kolar Design

Kolar Design was chosen from among a number of applicants based upon the company’s track record of success and potential for growth. Over the next year, Kolar will work with her panel closely to develop her business through open discussions on her goals for the business and the issues she’s facing. All of this is done with the ultimate goal in mind – to strengthen her business and come out even stronger after she graduates the program.

For more information on Kelly Kolar and Kolar Design, visit http://kolardesign.net/ 

 

 

Who are potential WE Link candidates?Women business owners seeking mentoring support must meet the following criteria:

  • 51% of business is owned and actively managed by a woman or women
  • At least two years in operation
  • At least two full-time employees, including applicant
  • At least $250,000 in annual gross revenues for a manufacturing or retail business; or at least $100,000 in annual gross revenues for a service business
  • Clearly defined business objectives and specific reasons for seeking an Advisory Panel

What are the responsibilities of the woman business owners?Once a business owner is accepted and an advisory panel is assigned, there is a nominal $250 fee to ensure the long-term viability of the program. In addition, she must:

  • Be willing to openly discuss with the advisory panel the goals for the business and the issues she’s facing
  • Provide a suitable meeting place
  • Provide a meeting agenda and appropriate materials for review, such as financial statements, business plan, etc.
  • Identify specific company difficulties requiring advice of the advisory panel
  • Accept or reject panel members’ advice

Why should a business get involved with this program?Look at these powerful statistics from ATHENA International (www.athenainternational.org ). According to ATHENA International, on average, women business owners participating in the this mentoring program see the following results:

  • 88.5% increase in sales
  • 37.6% increase in business net income
  • 56.6% increase in personal income
  • 36.3% increase full-time employees
  • 75.0% increase in part-time employees

2011 WE Link/Athena PowerLink Governing Body Roster

Chair, GOVERNING BODY:
Julie Coyne, Vice President
PNC Bank

GOVERNING BODY:
Peter Landesman, Director, Marketing & Membership Dev.
Employers Resource Association, Inc.

Bonnie Deer, Business Development Specialist
U.S. Small Business Administration

Patrick Longo, Vice President/Director
Hamilton County Business Center

Kathy Ordosh, Principal
Clark, Schaefer, Hackett & Co.

Debbie Simpson, President
Multi-Craft Litho, Inc. 

Rea Waldon, Senior Vice President
Urban League of Greater Cincinnati

Jill A. Weller, Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
 

Staff, HOST ORGANIZATION:
Diana Long, Program Manager, Women Excel
Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber
441 Vine Street, Suite 300
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 USA
513-686-2946
dlong@cincinnatichamber.com


Advisory Panel Chair 09/10:
La Donna Altman, Treasury Management Officer
PNC Bank
5535 Glenway Ave.
Locator 25-C0934
Cincinnati, OH 45238
513-922-3868
513-218-8309 cell
Ladonna.altman@pnc.com

 

Special Thanks to the 2009-10 Advisory Panel Members: 

  • La Donna Altman, Panel Coordinator, PNC Bank 
  • Carla Eng, 2008/2009 Panel Recipient, Abstract Displays 
  • Mary Myers, Strategic Planning, Hamilton County Development Company 
  • Stacy Aaron, Process & Procedures, Change Guides 
  • Eric J. Schnieber, Finance, Clark Schaefer Hackett 

2008-09 Advisory Panel Members: 

  • Debbie Simpson, Panel Coordinator, Multi-Craft  
  • Mary Myers, Strategic Planning, Hamilton County Development Company  
  • Wendy Vonderhaar,Marketing, Intrinzic Marketing + Design  
  • Ken McFarland, Human Resources, Employers Resource Association  
  • Stacy Aaron, Process & Procedures, Change Guides  
  • John Melvin, Overall Support, Clermont Chamber of Commerce Small Business Development Center  

WE Link Success StoriesMyca Multimedia & Training Solutions, a provider of online training and e-learning solutions, was the first company to take part in the Chamber's WE Link program. Read more about how WE Link helped Myca tranform their business model and increase sales. More information 

For more information contact Diana Long at 513.686.2946 or dlong@cincinnatichamber.com.