We are thrilled to share that our first cohort in our Comadres program has been an enormous success. We designed this Latina Entrepreneurship Program to build community, business acumen and connect Latinas in Skagit and Whatcom Counties with the tools and resources they need to launch a business successfully.

The group started with the aim of attracting 20 budding entrepreneurs. It grew beyond our expectations to include 27 women eager to learn as much as possible, all while embracing the sentiment of community and cooperation. These women quickly created study groups to complete their homework and increase communication, including a WhatsApp group to help each other reach their goals.

These talented individuals each provided a "business pitch," an opportunity to demonstrate the feasibility of their business idea and plans to launch their microenterprise. Through the support of BECU/Mastercard, Western Washington University's SBDC, and the Whatcom Foundation, we provided $500 to every team or individual participant that attended all the sessions and completed the requirement for their final project. We are so proud of their initial success and can't wait to see what businesses launch as part of the program.

As part of their 3rd week in the program, we introduced our participants to resources at the local and state level to provide them with a well-rounded array of economic development support. The sessions were bilingual in English and Spanish translation.

The women and their families celebrated their graduation at COA, Mexican Restaurant, and Tequila Bar, a minority and women-owned business in Mount Vernon, on May 12th. We are so proud of their initial success and can't wait to see what businesses launch as part of the program.