Calling on the Women's Fund

The White House Called and We Answered!

“Winning the Future with American Business”

The White House Business Council called on the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island to co-sponsor “Winning the Future with American Business,” a statewide conversation, one of the 100 community conversations that have been carried out throughout the United States as part of President Obama’s call to action.

Women leaders of small and mid size businesses from across the state joined Jeanne Hulit, Regional Administrator of the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) to explore the impediments to creating job growth through women owned businesses in Rhode Island. 

Participants shared their experiences and the obstacles which ranged from finding qualified experienced people, to lack of public transportation, the cost of living and immigration laws that create barriers to growing potential workforce. The need to engage a critical mass of women in business, removing any potential infrastructure or legislative impediments, and ensuring women have the vision and access to capital to grow their businesses were themes identified and discussed by participants.

Hulit reported government contracting now includes sub-categories and contracts for women, in part, to satisfy women owned businesses in 88 industries.  Nuria Chantre

Senator Jack Reed and the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island Host Women Leading Rhode Island - Judiciary, Education, Healthcare and Business

Thanks for helping RI celebrate Women’s History Month in March! 

Senator Jack Reed and the Women’s Fund co-hosted a discussion on Contemporary History of Rhode Island Women Leaders in Government, the Judiciary, Education, Healthcare and Business.  

The panel made up of leaders from the four spheres urged young women to get involved in politics in order to affect the kinds of changes that are important in leveling the playing field. They included Teresa Paiva-Weed, President of the Senate; Justice Haiganush R. Bedrosian from Family Court; Nancy Carriuolo, PhD, President of Rhode Island College; Kathleen Hittner, MD; and, Merrill Sherman, President and CEO of Bank RI.

With the many “Firsts” achieved by RI women leaders this year - the first woman State Senate President, the first women Judges to be appointed to the US District Court, Rhode Island Superior Court and the first Chief of Family Court, along with the first women Presidents of Salve Regina University and Brown University, and the first Presidents and CEO’s of Bank RI and Citizen’s Bank – there are certainly new precedents that have been set for future generations of Rhode Island women.

Dr. Hittner emphasized, “Our politicians and our boardrooms need to actively engage women to be part of the process. I think our government has an obligation to seek representation from women and our boardrooms need to get that representation.” 

The message from all to an audience of 75 - Be willing to talk about banking, finance, taxation, accounting and the environment, and most of all, to get out of your comfort zone.

Further, panelists advised those in the audience to find ways to get involved early on and carry a “say yes now, figure it out later” attitude!  Nuria Chantre

Thanks to you we are able to become a resource, connecting local and national economic issues to make these conversations possible!