Business Resources for Minorities and Women

Pittsburgh Region

• African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania
  This group provides access and business opportunities to African American business owners and professionals throughout the region.
• Allegheny County Office of Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (M/W/DBE)
  This office works in partnership with all county departments and the community at large, to ensure the inclusion of M/W/DBE firms in meaningful business opportunities throughout Allegheny County.
• Center for Women's Entrepreneurship at Chatham University
  The Center for Women's Entrepreneurship at Chatham University (CWE) provides opportunities for women entrepreneurs in both new development and growth stages of their businesses to start, develop and significantly grow their companies by utilizing Chatham resources, programs, faculty expertise, and student assistance.
• City of Pittsburgh Equal Employment Opportunity Review Commission
  In addition to monitoring, contract review, and contract reporting, the office proactively develops opportunities for minority and women owned businesses with a focus on outreach programs such as training, technical assistance, and capacity building.
• Diversity Business Resource Center
  The mission of the Diversity Business Resource Center is to provide diverse entrepreneurs with opportunities to make important business connections, to increase their company’s marketing exposure and to gain valuable market and business information.
• INROADS
  Career development for talented minority youth through internships with affiliated corporations. An office is located in Pittsburgh.
• OppsPlace
  OppsPlace.com works to enhance workforce diversity and create jobs and vendor supplier opportunities for minority individuals and businesses throughout the Pittsburgh region.
• Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  The Mission of the PMAHCC is to provide regional business opportunities which allow economic growth, while simultaneously advocating, promoting, and facilitating the success of Hispanic businesses.
• Seton Hill University National Education Center for Women in Business
  E-magnify offers convenient online access to a multitude of resources to help women entrepreneurs and professionals expand their business knowledge.
• Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh: Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise
  The URA strives to provide equal opportunities for business growth and development to minority and female business owners. All projects in excess of $150.000 or more are expected to award 18% of the total project costs to MBEs and 7% of total project costs to WBEs.
• Women's Business Network, Inc. of Southwestern Pennsylvania
  This organization provides an environment of support and assistance for entrepreneurial women and established women-owned businesses.

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Pennsylvania

• Business & Professional Women/PA
  This organization has recently become affiliated with the US Women's Chamber of Commerce to provide greater economic development opportunities for women and bring about real change in the key issues affecting women in business.
• Pennsylvania Bureau of Minority and Women Business Opportunities
  This agency provides the necessary training and resources for women and minority business owners to compete and participate in the state contracting process.
• Pennsylvania Minority Business Development Authority
  Low-interest financing for businesses owned and operated by ethnic minorities.
• Pennsylvania Minority Business Enterprise Center
  Committed to accelerating the growth and development of minority-owned enterprises all over the state of Pennsylvania.
• Pennsylvania Women Work!
  Pennsylvania Women Work! provides single parents, displaced homemakers and low-income heads of households with opportunities for educational and economic self-sufficiency.

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United States

• Center for Women's Business Research
  The Center for Women's Business Research provides original research documenting the economic and social contributions of women-owned firms. It is an excellent source for industry data, information on growth industries and general business statistics for women business owners.
• Make mine a million $ business
  Powered by Count Me In, a national nonprofit organization, is an online microlender, uses a unique women-friendly credit scoring system to make loans of $500 - $10,000 available to women who have nowhere to turn for that all-important first loan. Its goal is to promote the cause for women's economic independence through business loans and education.
• Minority Business Development Agency
  This agency, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is the only federal agency created specifically to foster the establishment and growth of minority-owned business in America. It actively coordinates and leverages public and private sector resources that facilitate strategic alliances in support of its mission.
• National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)
  NAWBO's membership includes women entrepreneurs in all industries and is open to sole proprietors, partners and corporate owners with day-to-day management responsibilities. It offers assistance with access to financial opportunities, educational programs, leadership training and an international network of business contacts. The web address for the Pittsburgh chapter is www.nawbopittsburgh.org.
• National Association for Female Executives
  NAFE, the largest women's professional association and the largest women business owner's organization in the country, empowers its members to achieve career success and financial success through education, networking and public advocacy.
• SBA - Online Women's Business Center
  The U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Women's Business Ownership promotes the growth of women-owned businesses through programs that address business training and technical assistance and provides access to credit and capital, federal contracts, and international trade opportunities.
• Working Mother
  Working Mother magazine and newsletter provides strategies and solutions for millions of consumers, specifically working mothers and female business owners. They compile an annual list of "The 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" and " Best Companies for Women of Color."