BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Women's Business Development Center - ECPv6.11.2.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Women's Business Development Center
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.wbdc.org/en/
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Women's Business Development Center
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/Chicago
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:CDT
DTSTART:20260308T080000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
TZNAME:CST
DTSTART:20261101T070000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261006
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261007
DTSTAMP:20261006T063855
CREATED:20260921T205205Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260921T210320Z
UID:37281-1791244800-1791331199@www.wbdc.org
SUMMARY:RiseUp Fall 2026 | Application Deadline
DESCRIPTION:The Women’s Business Development Center is proud to present RiseUp\, a childcare business cohort tailored exclusively for childcare entrepreneurs. This dynamic program offers comprehensive training on key business topics and personalized one-on-one advising. \nJoin our Upcoming Fall Cohort! \nWe provide business development counseling\, workshops and classes\, and access to capital through loan packaging and microloans to new and established providers. Program participants will follow a step by step process to develop a business and marketing plan\, policies and procedures for their childcare business\, a parent handbook and a sound understanding of business financials. \nWho Should Attend? \n\nAspiring Childcare entrepreneurs\nLicensed home providers under 2 years in business\nChildcare center providers under 2 years in business\n\nWhen? \nTuesdays | October 6-27\, 2026 \n6:00 pm – 8:00 pm\, CDT \nWhere? \nVia Zoom \n \nFunded (in part) through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.  All opinions\, conclusions\, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. \n \nThe Early Childhood Education Entrepreneurial Program in Aurora is offered through generous funding from the Aurora Women’s Empowerment Foundation.
URL:https://www.wbdc.org/en/event/riseup-fall-2026-application-deadline/
CATEGORIES:Childcare Businesses,Virtual
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.wbdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/riseup.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261006T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261006T113000
DTSTAMP:20261006T063855
CREATED:20260224T163136Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260911T164322Z
UID:35473-1791277200-1791286200@www.wbdc.org
SUMMARY:Smart Marketing Leveraging: AI for Small Business Marketing
DESCRIPTION:FOR ILLINOIS RESIDENTS ONLY. In this 1.5-hour workshop\, small business owners will explore how to leverage AI—especially tools like ChatGPT\, Gemini\, and CoPilot—to boost marketing effectiveness and productivity. You’ll start by understanding what AI is (and what it isn’t) and how the platforms we hear about fit into the broader picture of artificial intelligence. The session will unpack how AI works in simple\, practical terms\, followed by a discussion of key limitations to be aware of when using it. Participants will then learn five smart\, actionable ways to use AI for small business marketing—from crafting effective social posts to brainstorming ad ideas—and common pitfalls to avoid. Whether you are new to AI or looking to refine your digital strategy\, this session will help you work smarter\, not just harder.
URL:https://www.wbdc.org/en/event/how-to-write-a-business-plan-workshop-2/
CATEGORIES:Start-Up & Emerging Businesses,Virtual
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.wbdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Startup-and-Emerging-Events.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR