The US Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced the launch of 20 new Women Business Centers (WBC) — the largest ever expansion of its network in its history — as well as a new digital e-learning platform for women entrepreneurs called Ascent.

The centers already started opening on January 1, however the SBA only announced its decision on Monday. The existing 136 WBCs train businesswomen one-on-one on business development, technical assistance, networking, financial management, procurement, and marketing.

“Over the past several months, we have seen Women’s Business Centers provide aid to our nation’s innovative and determined entrepreneurs, allowing countless small business owners to pivot with confidence to stay afloat during the pandemic,” SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza said.  “Expanding the WBC program is part of this Administration’s longstanding commitment to the success of female entrepreneurs and women-owned small businesses. Adding these new Women’s Business Centers to the already existing network of centers across America will boost timely resources to our nation’s female economic drivers, providing them with local training and counseling.”

The new WBCs will further the administration’s partnership with Historically Black Colleges and will open in urban, rural and underserved areas in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia,  Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania,Tennessee, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

“Opening the doors to the new Women’s Business Centers is crucial to the vitality of women-owned small business owners. This network expansion will provide female entrepreneurs with the resources they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses,” Associate Administrator for the Office of Entrepreneurial Development Allen Gutierrez said. “We look forward to the continued success of the WBC program as it contributes to the overall health of our economy and creates jobs in their local communities.”

Meanwhile, the first live webinar for Ascent, the digital platform to help expand federal resources and training for women entrepreneurs, will host its first class on Thursday, January 7, 2021, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. You can register here.

SBA Administrator Carranza will be attending the online launch event for Ascent, which is designed to help “the nearly 10 million American women entrepreneurs grow and scale their small business.”

The event will feature panel discussions on “small business solutions to Disaster and Economic Recovery, Strategic Marketing, Your People, Business Financial Strategies, and Access to Capital” and will host speakers with successful women-owned business enterprise leaders.

If you are not able to make the event, have no worries. Just keep an eye on Contractor News as we have been admitted as media to cover the webinar.