Recognizing, Honoring, And Celebrating The Business Center for Entrepreneurship & Social Enterprise - For Its for 10 years of success and achievement.

WHEREAS, In 1999, The Business Center for Entrepreneurship & Social Enterprise (“The Business Center”) was established as a non-profit business incubation organization to serve the businesses and neighborhoods of Northwest Philadelphia and beyond; and

WHEREAS, The goal of The Business Center is to stimulate the genesis and growth of small businesses in Germantown, Mt. Airy, West Oak Lane, and Olney and its efforts have helped to energize neighborhood development and economics in Northwest Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, The Business Center offers programs that foster business success including the annual Enterprising Woman Business Plan Competition where 66 female entrepreneurs received monetary awards to assist them in growing their businesses, the Small Business Communiversity program where over 1,000 participants have been educated on writing and implementing business plans, the Youth Entrepreneurship Program where many participants have gone to colleges and trade schools and have become entrepreneurs, the Youth & Money camp where children, ages 7-14, are educated about entrepreneurship and the importance of financial literacy; and

WHEREAS, From a national and global perspective, The Business Center has launched an online business planning workshop that has trained participants from Virginia to Tennessee, submitted a proposal to the University of Nigeria to offer business planning workshops, and participated in national conferences by demonstrating how business plan competitions can be a catalyst for regional economic development; and

WHEREAS, The Business Center has built collaborative partner relationships with over 50 community development agencies, business associations, and city, state, and federal organizations in order to promote small businesses and community entrepreneurship; therefore, be it,

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the City Council of Philadelphia hereby honor The Business Center for Entrepreneurship & Social Enterprise for 10 years of success and achievement in promoting entrepreneurship in our communities.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to representatives of The Business Center for Entrepreneurship & Social Enterprise as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

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