Alumna Theresa G. Kennedy named director of the Women Business Center of Mississippi
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” Those words of Marianne Williamson ring silently in the ears of Moss Point, Mississippi native, Theresa Grace Kennedy every day as a constant reminder to stay humble, steadfast and committed to growth.
Theresa is the newly appointed director for the Women Business Center of Mississippi (WBCM). WBCM was launched in April 2016 and is managed by the Mississippi Minority Business Alliance, Inc. (MMBA), a non-profit organization that has focused on the growth of minority and women-owned businesses for 19 years. The WBCM is the state’s only women’s business center partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
“We eagerly look forward to small businesses and entrepreneurs, particularly women-owned, getting the assistance they need to develop, grow and succeed,” says Janita R. Stewart, District Director for the SBA in Mississippi.
“One of the organizations created to do just that is SBA’s Women’s Business Centers. These nearly 100 centers represent a national network throughout the United States and its territories, and their purpose is to seek to “level the playing field” for women entrepreneurs who still face unique obstacles in today’s business world,” says Stewart.
WBCM provides business training and education, one-on-one counseling, export assistance, resources to entrepreneurs, operations and financial management, access to capital and technical assistance to nascent and established women entrepreneurs who are primarily located in Mississippi.
Theresa believes in women supporting other women and advocates for the protection of women and children’s rights. She is excited about this grand opportunity to impact the lives of women throughout the state.
“Although we are still in the early stages of growth as a center, we have a growing list of business clients and members that we serve on a daily basis,” said Theresa.
She attributes her success to her parents, Willie and Barbara Kennedy. She is a proud alumna of the? Alcorn State University, from where she earned a bachelor’s degree in ?business administration and a master’s degree in agricultural economics. Kennedy has worked in the area of agriculture, entrepreneurship, banking, political campaigns, small business consulting, city government, community outreach and marketing.
WBCM’s office hours are 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday. To learn more about the WBCM, please visit www.wbcmississippi.org as well as like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter (@wbcmississippi).
