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Past Webinars

Empowering Women Owned Businesses in Rural Illinois: How to foster an economic ecosystem of support for women led firms 

Date: March 17, 2021  

The Offices of Minority Economic Empowerment and Regional Economic Development hosted a webinar exploring how to grow, invest, and increase economic opportunity for rural women owner businesses in Illinois. For the past two decades, women-owned businesses have been the fastest growing segment in the U.S. economy, growing at twice the rate of all other businesses. Attendees heard from women-owned firms who shared their success stories, and highlighted best practices, lessons learned, and strategies for success to help rural women own businesses thrive. This session shared practical resources and information aimed at closing the economic gap many women-owned businesses face, especially in more rural parts of the State.