About CWE

Imagine yourself as a successful businessperson -- independent, prosperous, a leader in your field. It’s possible with the right tools and support.

What We Do and Why

CWE Community ClassroomThe Center for Women & Enterprise is a nationally known nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people start and grow their businesses. CWE has worked with more than 65,000 Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont entrepreneurs since 1995. CWE also operates the Veterans Business Outreach Center of New England (VBOC of NE) that focuses on assisting veterans, active-duty service members and their families with starting and growing their business.

Our Mission

CWE is an inclusive economic empowerment organization.  We help women business owners and aspiring women entrepreneurs launch and grow their business by providing greater access to the resources, tools and support they need.

Support Our Mission

What we do:

  • Education
  • Training
  • Technical assistance
  • Women’s business enterprise certification

Client Demographics

93%
Women		 42%
People of Color
68%
Low-Income		  7%
Disabled

Who We Do It For

Our clients represent a variety of racial, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.

We’ve worked with everyone from women starting a home-based business in public housing to women running multi-million dollar technology firms.

Our History

The Idea

When Andrea Silbert returned to her hometown of Boston in 1994 after a two-year stint in South America, she brought with her an idea for a non-profit micro-lending institution for women entrepreneurs. Read more about CWE's history

Our Strategic Plan

In 2020 CWE worked together with stakeholders from across our Centers to create our 2021-2023 Strategic Plan.  Please click here to view our plan.

Work With Us

We'd like to work with you to start your business or grow your business.