Even in Connecticut, the current recession has added a level of economic stress to the budgets of many of families particularly those headed by women. In response to the needs of its core clientele, WBDC is taking action to help educate its clients on how to manage financial needs with less resources.

New Haven CT - With a charitable gift from First Niagara Bank, WBDC established an Opportunity Fund to help clients pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. Lindsey Ruminski of New Haven was the most recent recipient to benefit from WBDC’s Opportunity Fund.

(Stamford, CT) The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC), the leader in entrepreneurial training and financial education for women in Connecticut recently graduated nine students from the Kauffmann Foundation’s internationally recognized curriculum, FastTrac, a nine week entrepreneurial development program.

FIRST NIAGARA HELPS WOMEN’S BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL LAUNCH ANNUAL BUSINESS BREAKFAST STAMFORD, CT— The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) will present its 10th WBDC Business Breakfast: Power, Politics & Purse Strings on Thursday, November 3, 2011 at the Trumbull Marriott Merritt Parkway in Trumbull CT. The marquee sponsor is First Niagara .

With an initial gift from First Niagara, WBDC established an Opportunity Fund to help clients pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. Monique Wilson of Norwalk is one of the first recipients to benefit form WBDC’s Opportunity Fund.

Fran Pastore, President & CEO of the Women’s Business Development Council testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship in Washington DC on June 16 during an Examination of US Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Programs to review eliminating inefficiencies, duplications, fraud and abuse in the agency. Ms. Pastore was invited to testify by staff of Senator Mary Landrieu (D) Louisiana, Chair of the Committee. Senator Olympia Snow (R) Maine is the Ranking Member.

Fran Pastore, founder, President and CEO of the Women’s Business Development Council in Stamford, Conn. was today appointed to serve a three-year term on the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC), a nonpartisan federal advisory council created to serve as an independent source of advice and policy recommendations to the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration on economic issues of importance to women business owners.

The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) has received a $5,300 grant from The Valley Community Foundation to provide general operating support to help women achieve economic self-reliance by educating and counseling them to start and grow businesses which, in turn, results in job creation and community vitality.

Fran Pastore, CEO of the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) has been appointed as a member of the executive committee for the Business Council for Peace (Bpeace) and to the Board of Directors of Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC). In October 2010 she was also appointed to the Governor’s Small Business Advisory Board, charged with promoting resources to small businesses.