Lt. Gov. Stratton Empowers Minority Women Entrepreneurs

Lieutenant Gov. Juliana Stratton (D-Ill.) has announced a new campaign, "We Thrive," aimed at increasing financial empowerment and resource accessibility for minority women business owners. Stratton went to the Minority Business Development Center (MBDC) at Eastland Mall in Bloomington for the first "We Chats" session with minority female entrepreneurs.

Stratton underlined the importance of economic empowerment for women in her address to the audience. She said, "When women thrive, we all thrive," emphasizing the necessity of eliminating economic hurdles and the increased gender wage gap experienced by women of colour, particularly Black women.

"We Thrive" attempts to promote conversation and raise knowledge of available resources. Denise Moore, CEO and founder of MBDC, emphasized the barriers that women experience in receiving finance and reaffirmed the organization's commitment to tackling these concerns by 2024.

Mimi Lam, the owner of Mimi's Boutique, emphasized the need of government assistance for the development of small companies, especially those owned by minorities. Mimi underlined the need of resources and help for small Black-owned enterprises.

Stratton praised the significant insights acquired from the "We Chats," stating that company owners frequently confront issues in growing their companies and have difficulty obtaining critical information. She promised to utilize the knowledge obtained to shape the program, ensuring that women have the resources they need to succeed in their entrepreneurial ventures.