WEB APPOINTS INTERIM CEO
Alumni of WEB program steps into leadership position while national search begins
(Baltimore, MD) – The Board of Directors of Women Entrepreneurs of Baltimore, Inc. (WEB) is proud to announce the appointment of Y. Maria Welch Martinez as the Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the organization.
Martinez is the founder and CEO of Respira Medical, one of the region’s preeminent respiratory, sleep and home healthcare companies and is an alumnus of the WEB program. She has served as a member of the WEB Board of Directors since 2002.
“Maria brings the depth of professional expertise and the added value of her personal experience with WEB to this position at a critical moment of transition, said Mary Wamsley, president of the WEB board. “Maria’s passion and energy for WEB is well known throughout the community and is the steady hand we need to continue helping women, and men, achieve their dreams of business ownership,” she added.
“Ten years ago I graduated from the WEB program and launched my company. WEB gave me the invaluable tools and built the confidence I needed to start my business through its exceptional program,” said Martinez. “Entrepreneurship is in the spirits of women and men, who want to create self sustainability, build wealth, determine their own destiny and have the ability to create a positive impact on their community. That is why I am honored and excited to take on this opportunity.”
Martinez also serves as the chair of the Governor’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs, chair of the board for Centro de la Comunidad, is the immediate past president of the Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and serves on numerous boards including the Baltimore Community Foundation, the SEED School and The Living Classrooms Foundation.
WEB’s Year in Review 2011
OUTREACH EVENTS included:
CCBC’s Women’s Expo- Money Power Day at PolyWestern
- City of Baltimore Procurement Fair
- Goodwill Industries Breakfast
- V-WISE Conference
- United Way Kick-off
WORKSHOPS included:
- WPEO/WBENC
- Women’s Procurement Training
- Wake Up with WEB Seminars:
- Waking Up Your Business and Getting Unstuck
- Improving Your Bottom Line
- Marketing and Social Media
- Customer Relations and Sales Strategies
OFFSITE TRAININGS included:
- CCBC –Essex and Catonsville
- Maryland Office of Economic Development (MOED)
- Maryland Department of Human Resources
- Baltimore County Public Library –Arbutus Branch
HP LIFE LAB
WEB was one of only ten organizations in the United States to be awarded the 2011 HP Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurs (LIFE) Technology grant, which includes a newly-installed computer lab and training on the HP LIFE Curriculum. This award recognizes the valuable training and entrepreneurial development WEB accomplishes with its clients. The Lab was installed and launched in December, and trainings begin in 2012.
PROGRAMS
Right Start
To make the program more available to a broader audience, Right Start was offered onsite and off-site in both a four-week and Saturday intensive format. Both formats will be offered in 2012.
RAMP UP
WEB’s Ready to Write business planning course has been re-named RAMP UP and will be incorporating the HP Life entrepreneurial technology into the training curriculum in 2012.
COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS FELLOWSHIP
WEB was selected to receive an IREX Community Solutions fellow, Ms. Walaa Aqrabawi, a young professional from Jordan. From August through December, she met with staff to learn about WEB’s initiatives; attended events, and performed research on outcomes. As part of her fellowship, Ms. Aqrabawi will be continuing her project work related to women and entrepreneurism after her return to Jordan.
Women-owned businesses = Job creation
According to current Census data, Maryland has 186,000 women-owned businesses and the highest percentage of women-owned businesses in the U.S. As of 2007, nearly a third of all Maryland businesses were owned by women. In Baltimore, almost 37% of businesses were owned by women as of that time. The national average was about 29%.
(Source: Baltimore Business Journal, August 2011, and Kauffman Foundation data.)
Questions about the application process and which class may be right for you?
Please call us at 410-727-4921, ext. 10, or e-mail Info@webinc.org.
