Chamber launches Women’s Business Council

The Chamber convened the first Women’s Business Council Meeting on April 5, gathering 10 business owners to discuss their respective businesses and some of the challenges they are facing, including finding skilled workers and the disproportionate wage gap between men and women in the region as compared to state averages.

“We launched the Women’s Business Council, as well as a Black Business Council earlier this year, to ensure all businesses have a seat at the table and that we are inclusive and representing all voices in our work for business advancement, advocacy, talent attraction and retention, and efforts to make the QC a vibrant place where people want to live, work and raise a family,” said Jaren Kleinkopf, the Chamber’s Talent and Inclusion Manager. Plans are underway to create three more business councils to inform the Chamber's work and goal to make the QC a prosperous region where all can thrive.

The council discussed ways they can share their knowledge and resources with other women of all ages, noting that there are a vast number of resources in the region, but not a lot of people know about them or how to access them. The group discussed opportunities to help other women entrepreneurs through mentoring and assisting women who want to start and run small businesses with business planning, fostering growth and building confidence. They spoke about the importance of mentorship in their own lives and how they can impact others and want to partner with organizations already doing this kind of great work.

Businesses attending the first Women’s Business Council meeting included:

• CoworkQC
• J&M Empire LLC
• Katsch Boutique
• Merrill Lynch
• Moore Divahs
• Quad Cities Investment Group
• State Farm Insurance
• TD Bank
• Team WTI
• TLT Accounting  LLC