Events

From Insight to Impact: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in the U.S.
On June 3, 2025, the Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE) and the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW) co-hosted an inspiring convening that drew over 60 individuals from varied backgrounds, including researchers, policymakers, practitioners, funders, and women entrepreneurs. This event was not just another meeting; it was a day filled with meaningful conversations and collaborative efforts aimed at advancing women’s entrepreneurship in the U.S.
The thoughtfully curated agenda, led by Lucia Sanchez, the VP of Impact & Learning at CWE, set the tone for an engaging exchange of ideas and experiences. Participants had the opportunity to bridge the gap between research and practice, sharing valuable insights from their unique perspectives.
Program Overview

Welcome Remarks
The day was kicked off with inspiring welcome remarks from Mary-dith Tuitt, Chair, MCSW, and Gaby King Morse, President & CEO, CWE, who set the tone by emphasizing the critical importance of cross-sector collaboration and the need to center women entrepreneurs in all aspects of research, policy, and programming.
Using Data and Evidence to Support Women’s Entrepreneurship (Session 1)
In the first session, attendees delved deep into the power of data and evidence with presentations that illuminated the current landscape and challenges faced by women entrepreneurs.
- Lucia Sanchez, Vice President of Impact & Learning, CWE, provided valuable insights from CWE’s Client Needs Assessment
- Ying Gao, Senior Policy Manager, J-PAL Global at MIT, shared global research highlighting effective support strategies for women entrepreneurs.
- Nina Teng, Director of Global Entrepreneurship & Ecosystems, Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, discussed the significance of evidence-based entrepreneurship education in fostering entrepreneurial success.
Moderated by Gaby King Morse (CWE)
Policy and Practice Panel (Session 2)

The second session featured a panel discussion, where panelists reflected on the earlier research findings and offered their real-world insights into the support ecosystem for women entrepreneurs.
- Shonte Davidson, CEO Better Together Brain Trust (BT2)
- Madeline Cabrera, Co-founder & President, Emmaty, Inc.
- Michelle Miller, Vice President of Program Operations, CWE
- Anuradha Yadav, Executive Director, Women of Color Entrepreneurs (WOCE)
- Katie Bouton, Founder & Managing Partner, TAVO
Moderated by Priya Iyer, Adjunct Professor, Carroll School of Management, Boston College
Building the Future Together (Session 3)
During a collaborative lunch, participants joined small breakout discussions facilitated by Carol Campbell, Commissioner, MCSW, Entrepreneur. These intimate groups explored ideas and strategies for future collaboration, allowing attendees to reflect on the morning sessions and identify actionable steps toward building a stronger support network for women entrepreneurs. Attendees shared insights, identified missing elements in the current support ecosystem, and discussed how cross-sector collaboration could help fill those gaps.
Closing reflections
As the event drew to a close, Lucia Sanchez returned to emphasize the importance of maintaining momentum in connecting research, policy, and practice to advance women’s economic empowerment. Participants left not just with knowledge but with a renewed sense of purpose and a commitment to advocate for women entrepreneurs.
Key Outcomes

The event represented an important step toward building a shared agenda for change. Throughout the day, speakers and panelists emphasized that bridging research and practice is essential to designing systems that truly work for women entrepreneurs. Participants expressed appreciation for the rare opportunity to engage across silos and to elevate the voices of women business owners themselves in these conversations. Some important outcomes that resulted from this event:
- Stronger alignment across sectors on the most pressing barriers and promising solutions
- Interest in cross-sector collaboration, particularly to produce and apply new data and evidence
- Concrete ideas for policy and systems change, informed by both research and real-world experience
- A renewed commitment to learning and centering the voices of women entrepreneurs in decision-making
- Emerging partnerships to strengthen programming and inform advocacy at the local, state, and national levels
Stay connected with CWE as we build on this momentum and strive to elevate women’s entrepreneurship across the nation!
For more information, please email Lucia Sanchez, VP of Impact and Learning.