Dallas’ Veteran Women’s Enterprise Center is a COVID-19 success story
As outlined in the article above by Allison Hatfield
“COVID-19 may have been just what the Veteran Women’s Enterprise Center (VWEC) needed to find its footing. After years of struggling to get off the ground, the southern Dallas nonprofit is thriving in the current moment, thanks to funding from The Boone Family Foundation, North Texas Cares, Texas Capital and BBVA.
“I’m shocked that in the second quarter we’ve almost doubled the amount of money we were able to raise in all of last year,” says CEO VR Small, who founded VWEC in 2017.”
This morning, we will provide an indept review into what’s happening at the VWEC led by our Founder/CEO, VR Small. Specifically, our COVID 19 Summer Programming, ongoing virtual series and planned enhanced mentoring.
Meet Our Speaker:
VR Small, is the founder and chief executive officer for the Veteran Women’s Enterprise Center (VWEC), a national initiative launched in southern Dallas. VR testified for the original House Bill to make June 12, Women Veterans Day in Texas. This year, VR led the launched of the first annual statewide Women Veterans Day Pitch Competition highlighting the innovations and economic impact of current/potential women veteran entrepreneurs. VR serves on the Advisory Committee for TWU’s Center for Women Entrepreneurs and is a fellow of SMU’s Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity—Inclusive Economy, Dallas Public Voices, the Bush Institute Stand-to-Veteran Leadership Program and is featured in Dallas Innovates: The Future 50 North Texans. VR is the SBA’s DFW District 2020 Veteran Small Business Advocate of the Year and serves on the 30th Congressional District Veteran Advisory Committee.
In alignment with the VWEC’s mission, VR just completed phase one of the Moments That Matter Research Project exclusively focused on women veteran owned businesses in the DFW metroplex with the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank and has currently launched phase two with SMU’s Hunt Institute, Global Development Lab to conduct a series of national focus groups.
Most importantly, VR is a Navy Veteran, proud stepdaughter, and sister to U.S. Army Retired Vietnam & Iraq Veterans, respectively. Living her personal slogan “Changing the way we see the world and do business,” VR is a motivational speakers, moderator, educator and advocate specifically for women veteran as well as women and small businesses in general—driving social and economic change across our nation.