women entrepreneurs Archives | Positive Planet US

December 21, 2021April 4, 2022

US applications extended until January 31

Positive Planet US is excited to announce we have opened a pplications for minority entrepreneurs across the U.S. to get exclusive high-level coaching sessions. These applications will be extended until January 31, 2022.

Positive Planet US has partnered with senior leaders at Capgemini to provide this 12-week “Accelerator Hub” program that will support 50 minority businesses through weekly coaching sessions.

The entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to learn how to start and grow a business, sell their product or service, leverage social media and other marketing tools, apply for a business loan, and get information customized for small-business owners. Participants will also be offered access to special bonus sessions presented by key industry experts from exclusive partnerships.

As a U.S. nonprofit helping underserved communities succeed through entrepreneurship, Positive Planet is looking for companies that are:

* Located in the U.S.
* Incorporated or not
* Have $0-1 million in funding
* Are currently raising or not raising funds
* In the following categories: Economic Development, Women Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, Small Business, Community, Commerce, E-Commerce, Women Founders, Women Start-up, Financial Inclusion, NGOs, Business, Entrepreneurship

For more information, to apply, or to watch a video of our president Ingrid Gonzalez, please use your LinkedIn account or Facebook account to log in to F6S.

December 13, 2021December 15, 2021

Episode 15: Trigg-Jones shows us how magic happens when women create together

Cathlees Trigg-Jones founded iWoman TV, a digital streaming platform by women, about women, and for everyone.

“It doesn’t matter what you’re feeling, there’s a community for you,” says our latest interviewee, Cathleen Trigg-Jones. With 25 years as an award-winning journalist and producer, Trigg-Jones has experienced the lack of representation in media firsthand and felt compelled to address it, not just for herself, but for the wider community. So, she founded iWoman TV—a digital streaming platform by women, about women, f or everyone.

In this episode of A Positive Voice, Trigg-Jones shares her mission for the platform, what she needs to make it successful, and why she is so passionate about it. We also welcome Christine Matovich as co-host. You might recognize Christine from an earlier podcast: she and Cathleen got to know each other in Positive Planet US‘s most recent Accelerator Hub, from which they are among our recent graduate cohorts. Tune in to the conversation on Apple Podcast, Audible, and more.

Listen on Apple Podcasts — Listen to Episode 15 on Apple Podcasts

November 29, 2021December 3, 2021

Episode 13: CommonTime provides global access to arts education

In 2020, Christine Matovich founded CommonTime, an online platform providing global access to the arts. With the onset of the pandemic, countless artists were unemployed, museums and performing arts centers closed, and educators teaching online were in need of new material to connect with their students.

Christine responded by building a digital platform to connect students and educators to teaching artists; private art teachers to individual learners; and arts organizations to educational institutions—regardless of location. And so, CommonTime’s existence is proof that out of necessity, creative solutions are born.

In this episode, we chat with Christine about the role of the arts as a vital, integrated, and accessible part of the education curriculum, the industry’s contribution to the global economy, and how to surround yourself with great people to build a successful business. She also gives us a tip on where to find a thriving creative community in New York (hint: it’s not Manhattan).

A graduate of Positive Planet US’s most recent Accelerator Hub, Christine is a multi-hyphenate (opera singer, cellist, and artist manager are just some hats she has worn) who has described herself as “never comfortable with just a single track with my craft.”

Tune in to hear her speak passionately about entrepreneurship and creativity and all the most relevant in 2021, the year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development, as declared by the UN.

Listen on Spotify — Listen to Episode 13 on Spotify.

November 19, 2021December 3, 2021

Episode 10: Bennani builds an ethical, eco-friendly sneaker brand in Casablanca

On this episode, we interview Fadila Bennani, who decided to leave her stable job at Groupon in Casablanca after she had her daughter, so that she could fulfill her lifelong dream of creating a socially and environmentally responsible and authentic Moroccan brand now called Amaz.

Bennani was always into shoes as a student in high school and the university, but working as a consultant, she couldn’t wear sneakers in the office. At the same time, she was inspired by smaller brands launching online and growing fast in Europe, which were appealing to a more conscious consumer.

Now her shoe company, Amaz, takes traditional forms of Moroccan textile weaving to create both social and environmental impacts, at every level of its operation. “Amaz for Education” works as a give-back program which for every sneaker sold, one day of school is financed for a young girl in Morocco. They’ve raised they equivalent of over a year of schooling since the program started.

Her experience in e-commerce also opened her eyes to frivolous consumption of low value products. Working with recycled material and using traditional textile weaving of plastic bags, she has upcycled the equivalent of 500 standard plastic bags, and 700 VHS tapes (using the film).

By utilizing Moroccan know-how and craftsmanship, Bennani continues to build an ethical, eco-friendly and socially sustainable sneaker brand in Casablanca.