MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Women’s Business Center (WBC) at Florida Institute of Technology! Our goal is to provide you, as a small business owner or potential small business owner, with the tools you need assist you in achieving the American dream – owning your own business.

Donn Miller-Kermani
WBC Director Donn Miller-Kermani

Small business is the backbone of economic development in the United States. More than half of all new jobs created are due to small business. Women-owned small businesses have grown twice the rate of all U.S. privately-held firms between 1997 and 2006 according to the National Women's Business Council. These women-owned firms employ over 12.8 million people, generating $1.9 trillion in sales. Yet with that growth, profits have only grown by 10%. This demonstrates the barriers that are still in place for women-owned small businesses. Recently, msnbc.com as well as bizjournal.com listed the Melbourne-Palm Bay area as one of the bottom five cities in the United States for women executives and women-owned small businesses. It is our goal to change that statistic for not only Brevard, but Indian River and St. Lucie counties as well.

The WBC offers a wide range of training, counseling, mentoring, technical assistance, and networking opportunities. The WBC has the power of four: The right place, people, partners, and products. The right place is Florida Institute of Technology and its conveniently located campus. The right people include the expertise of Florida Institute of Technology’s College of Business faculty and community volunteers. The right partners include community organizations and government agencies, and the right products include training, mentoring, counseling, networking opportunities, and conferences. The power of four will help guide the way to empower women for small business success.

We invite all women entrepreneurs and those just thinking about becoming entrepreneurs to come explore all the benefits of the WBC. We also encourage everyone in the community to support our efforts by donating to our fundraising efforts, as well as their time and expertise.

Join us as we revolutionize women-owned small businesses in our community.

Donn Miller-Kermani
Director, WBC

Women's Business Center, Florida Institute of Technology, 150 W. University Blvd, Melbourne, Florida 32901 (321) 674-7007