Idaho Women’s Business Center opens two more offices

Continuing in its goal to cover the entire state, the Idaho Women’s Business Center has opened two new offices, in Idaho Falls and in Moscow.

“We continue to expand our reach in our relentless effort provide entrepreneurial support to women-owned businesses and underserved populations throughout Idaho,” said Megan Bryant, director of communications & connections, in an email message.

The Idaho Falls office, known as IWBC East, will be housed in the Idaho Innovation Center. This gives IWBC East the opportunity to be housed with the Idaho Falls Small Business Development Center in the same building.

“This is a proven model as both the Boise and Nampa IWBC offices are housed with the Small Business Development Centers, hosted by Boise State University,” the organization noted in a press release.

The Moscow office, known as IWBC North, will be housed in the Moscow Chamber of Commerce office. In particular, the IWBC North office is intended to serve businesses run by Latina and Native American women, the organization noted.

“Tatiana Morales, a former Vandal graduate, has a love for serving the Hispanic community and is excited to engage with not only Latina entrepreneurs but also the growing number of Native women running businesses on Idaho’s reservations,” the IWBC said in its release. “She has experience in not only minority outreach, but strong translation skills and will be playing a large role in the Mujer a Mujer Unidas project, an upcoming platform to engage more Spanish speakers into entrepreneurial counseling and training.”

Idaho political leaders also praised the announcements.

“Congratulations to the Idaho Women’s Business Center on opening its newest offices in Eastern and North Idaho. Idaho’s women small business owners are essential to our state’s economic recovery, job creation, and upward mobility,” said Sen. Jim Risch in a statement. “These new locations will provide a tailored resource for women entrepreneurs in rural and traditionally underserved areas.”

“In the short time since opening, IWBC has already proven itself an invaluable resource for small businesses across Idaho,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, whose district covers Idaho Falls, in a statement. “Now more than ever, IWBC’s services are a precious lifeline to business owners and entrepreneurs, and I am pleased to see the center broaden its footprint in rural Idaho.”

“Idaho’s entrepreneurs and business leaders are at the heart of our state’s economic success,” said Gov. Brad Little in a statement. “I want to thank the Idaho Women’s Business Center for the continued support of Idaho’s women entrepreneurs in our cities and rural communities. This expansion will help provide the important services Idahoans can use to flourish in our state’s business-friendly environment.”

Susie Rios, statewide outreach director of the Idaho Women’s Business Center, in September became the first recipient of the Advisor of the Year award from the Association of Women’s Business Centers, a national organization. At the same event, IWBC Executive Director Diane Bevan took a position on the AWBC Board of Director, joining the board as an officer; she serves as vice chair of the Fund Development Committee.

The Idaho Women’s Business Center, which opened a year ago, is funded by two grants from the U.S. Small Business Administration to ensure it will cover the entire state. In addition to the new offices, and the existing ones in Boise and Nampa, the organization also has an office in Twin Falls, in the office of the Twin Falls Chamber of Commerce.

The organization is hosted by the Idaho Hispanic Foundation under the direction of the Idaho Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, with the University of Idaho as a co-partner.

The initial grants were announced in June 2019, after two previous incarnations of the Idaho Women’s Business Center had failed due to not being able to meet the program’s stringent financial match requirements. At the time the current incarnation was funded, Idaho was one of just three states nationwide, along with Alaska and South Carolina, without one.