The Women’s Foundation of Arkansas (WFA) has revealed the 10 participating grantees for its 2023 Women’s Economic Mobility Hub (WEM Hub). At the end of the six-month program, the WFA will have invested $200,000 into 40 Black women entrepreneurs in Arkansas, giving them access to vital support services, training and funding.
“Our 2023 WEM Hub cohort comes at a special time as we celebrate our organization turning ‘25 Years Bold,’” said Anna Beth Gorman, CEO of the WFA. “Our longevity showcases that we are excellent at what we do – creating research-based programs and initiatives to meet the real needs of women and girls. Our WEM Hub program is one of the many incredible ways we work to secure better economic security for women and girls in Arkansas.”
The WFA is Arkansas’s first and only statewide organization working to diversify Arkansas’s economy and workforce by providing women and minority women access to greater economic mobility through research-based support services, education, grants and other small business resources. The WEM Hub is a statewide program created to support Black women-owned businesses by providing technical assistance and additional resources, including $5,000 in unrestricted grant funds.
The 2023 WEM Hub cohort participants are as follows:
- Crystal Barnes, Blue’s Busy Bakery in Pine Bluff, Ark.
- Kimberly Moore Davis, Moore Accounting & Tax Services, LLC in Camden, Ark.
- Ashtone Dixon, The Hot Spot Salon & Cosmetics in Fayetteville, Ark.
- Tami East, Have Bar-Will Travel, LLC in Little Rock, Ark.
- Tina Gilbert, Next Level Training Solutions Group, LLC in Fayetteville, Ark.
- Ar’Jillian Gilmer, Gilmer’s Learning Solutions, LLC in Mayflower, Ark.
- MyKeya Henderson, Passport to Happy, LLC in Little Rock, Ark.
- Sandrekkia Morning, Seven Yellow Mornings LLC in Little Rock, Ark.
- Nykkia Sellers, Diabetes Care & Wellness, PLLC in West Memphis, Ark.
- Shayla Young, Sheelaughs LLC in Little Rock, Ark.
Support for the 2023 WEM Hub was provided by the Walton Family Foundation, Bank of America, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and private donors.
Based on research, the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas is intentionally seeking to invest more capital into the Arkansas Delta to ensure better equity and access through its WEM Hub program. Individuals and business owners looking to learn more about the program can visit WomensFoundationArkansas.org/Women-Empowered.
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