Walker’s Legacy to Research Fastest-Growing Segment of Entrepreneurs: Black Women

Walker’s Legacy, a business collective for women of color, has been contracted to research the challenges and opportunities for women of color in business by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the National Women’s Business Council.

[Related: Detroit City Council Honors Women Empowerment Activists]

Panels and research conducted by business experts will take place in Washington, D.C. and New York City. Both metropolises have high rates of black female entrepreneurship. The goal is to

gain greater insight from qualitative research on black women-owned businesses, one of the fastest growing segments of entrepreneurs.

“One of the most remarkable entrepreneurial trends in recent years is the phenomenal growth among black women. The number of firms skyrocketed by 178% from 2002 to 2012. And employment and receipts are increasing too, but not nearly at the same rate. There’s a lot more to this story, and we’re excited to explore these important questions,” said Amanda Brown, executive director, National Women’s Business Council.

In addition to the research and panel work, Walker’s Legacy will also hold a series of Women in Leadership programs across the country during March to celebrate women of color in business. Some of the programs include women’s leadership power brunches in cities such as Houston, New Orleans, and Orlando, and roundtable discussions in various cities.

The organization is also launching two international programs–one in Johannesburg, South Africa and the other in Nairobi, Kenya, on March 8^th

in honor of International Women’s History Month.

“For more than five years Walker’s Legacy has worked to advance the agenda and opportunities of women of color in business from the White House to local communities. As an organization we recognize the broad spectrum of needs that entrepreneurs and professional business women have from visibility, to access to networks, to access to opportunities, to access to capital and we

have designed our organization to build local and global ecosystems to increase supports and success of women of color in business,” said Natalie Madeira Cofield, founder and CEO, Walker’s Legacy.

“Walker’s Legacy is designed to make celebrity of professional and enterprising women of color in business by highlighting their stories and celebrating their unique achievements.”

Walker’s Legacy has a network of more than 13,000 women and represents more than 20 cities throughout the nation.