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MAYOR BARAKA, NEWARK COMMUNITY EDC, AND WALKER’S FOUNDATION LAUNCH
“MOMS WHO HUSTLE” ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM FOR MILLENNIAL MOMS
Single, millennial, low-income, Newark mothers will participate in 12-week program and learn how to
launch and grow their own businesses
Newark, NJ — May 9, 2017 — Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Deputy Mayor of Economic and Housing Development Baye Adofo-Wilson, Newark Community Economic Development Corporation acting president and CEO Aisha Glover, and Walker’s Legacy Foundation founder and CEO Natalie Madeira Cofield announced today the launch of Newark Moms Who Hustle during a press conference this morning at Essex County College in downtown Newark.
The 12-week program is designed to help Newark residents who are single, low-income, millennial mothers, become businesswomen. Many single mothers lack the resources and/or networking opportunities needed to take their business and overall entrepreneurial confidence to the next level. Moms Who Hustle will provide mothers who are Newark residents with the tools necessary to achieve economic stability. The skills these mothers gain will benefit them, their families and communities.
“Newark has many mothers, both married and single, who often have to be the central economic power in their families,” said Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka. “Others have dreams of owning their own businesses and becoming self-sufficient. But they often lack the resources, knowledge, and confidence to achieve these dreams and goals. That is why we are privileged to partner with the Walker’s Legacy Foundation and proud to offer the ‘Moms Who Hustle’ program to empower our mothers with the many tools they need to become successful business owners and major factors in Newark’s economic growth.”
The class will provide participants with complimentary childcare, access to financial planning tools, and entrepreneurial insight. Additional resources are available to participants through the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation’s and Walker’s Legacy App.
“The Walker’s Legacy Foundation has created an incredible opportunity for entrepreneurial mothers with the Moms Who Hustle program. We are honored they saw fit to continue their pilot program here in Newark,” said Aisha Glover, Newark Community Economic Development Corporation acting president and CEO. “Moms Who Hustle is about becoming your own boss, taking control of your finances and learning how to navigate the tools and resources needed to launch your dreams. Newark Community EDC is excited to partner on this program, and we look forward to supporting all of the applicants and participants as their businesses grow.”
For its inaugural year, the Moms Who Hustle program will serve 100 women across five cohorts in four cities: Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Detroit, and Newark. Walker’s Legacy Foundation selected Newark because of the City’s commitment to promoting economic stability and supporting existing and aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly entrepreneurial women and people of color. With the City and EDC as its partners, Walker’s Legacy Foundation hopes to develop the untapped talent and power of millennial mothers in Newark, and create stronger and more financially stable families and neighborhoods.
“Moms Who Hustle is for the enterprising mother with dynamic ideas, talents, or crafts who seeks to flourish as an entrepreneur,” said Natalie Madeira Cofield, founder and CEO of Walker’s Legacy Foundation. “Walker’s Legacy Foundation is proud to honor Madam C. J. Walker, who too experienced single motherhood, by providing the resources other women need to build their own legacies and achieve economic stability.”
-NEWARK-
Walker’s Legacy Foundation
The mission of the City’s department of Economic and Housing Development is to create economic opportunity for Newark residents and enhance the vibrancy of the City. To this end, the department seeks to position Newark to take advantage of its unique assets, including its strategic location, a diverse and underutilized workforce, a large amount of developable land, concentration of corporate and business service firms, several major universities, and a wealth of arts and cultural assets.
Newark Economic & Housing Development
The mission of the City’s department of Economic and Housing Development is to create economic opportunity for Newark residents and enhance the vibrancy of the City. To this end, the department seeks to position Newark to take advantage of its unique assets, including its strategic location, a diverse and underutilized workforce, a large amount of developable land, concentration of corporate and business service firms, several major universities, and a wealth of arts and cultural assets.
Newark Community Economic Development Corporation
The Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (Newark Community EDC) is the primary economic development catalyst for the State of New Jersey’s largest city, Newark. It is organized to retain, attract and grow businesses, enhance small and minority business capacity, and spur real estate development.
For more information on the City of Newark, please visit: www.newarknj.gov
To visit the City of Newark’s official photo galleries: https://www.flickr.com/photos/newarkpressoffice/sets