OUR APPROACH “Women are more than half the population of the United States and make remarkable political, economic and social contributions to our country. Women entrepreneurs, in particular, are creating new businesses, disrupting established industries and developing innovative products at a record pace. Thirty years ago, there were approximately 4 million women-owned businesses in the United States. Today, there are more than 11 million women-owned businesses – representing 39 percent of all firms. While this trend is moving in the right direction, women-owned businesses still grow at a slower rate and earn less revenue than male-owned firms. In fact, women entrepreneurs face persistent institutional barriers that make achieving financial parity a serious challenge with lasting consequences. The Women’s Business Center of Metro Richmond (WBCRVA) aims to provide the resources, education and support to eliminate the aforementioned hurdles. WBCRVA is a hybrid of an incubator and standard rental office space. (data from report prepared by the minority staff of the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship)