PEORIA, Ill. – Women looking to get help with starting a new business, or their current one, can now receive it in downtown Peoria.
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Tuesday for the opening of the Women’s Business Development Center in the Distillery Labs building. It’s one of 17 locations opening, with three in Illinois and the Peoria location the only one outside of the Chicagoland area.
Managing Director of Entrepreneurial Services Blanca Berthier says having a spot in Peoria makes sense.
“We already have a good network of clients in the Peoria area,” Berthier said. “Peoria has a history of vibrant businesses, and it’s only growing.”
Berthier says services and resources available at the center for free include mentorship and educational programs, training to access money for loans, and certifications.
For Peoria Mayor Rita Ali, who spoke at the ceremony, it was a trip down memory lane and her mother’s furniture and clothing store. Ali says she “poured her heart and soul” into the business.
“Today’s grand opening reminds me of how much my mother could have benefited from a resource like this. A place where she could have received guidance, training, and support tailored to her unique needs as a woman in business,” Ali said.
Ali brought up Peoria’s history with women in entrepreneurship, including Annie Malone. Malone is credited as the first female black millionaire in the United States, making her money through her hair care business.
The center is supported with $500,000 in federal funding secured by U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, who also attended the ceremony on Tuesday. In a statement, Duckworth says the center will “level the playing field for women entrepreneurs and business owners.” She says the facility will also help increase the number of affordable child care providers.
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