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NATCHEZ — Alcorn State University’s Women’s Business Center will have a grand opening celebration Thursday, April 14, on the Natchez campus.

Director Daye Dearing said the public is invited to attend the event, which lasts from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m., and learn about the services and classes offered to help entrepreneurs achieve their goals.

The Women’s Business Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the

U.S. Small Business Administration. Founded in October 2020, its grand opening celebration has been delayed for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic but is now getting ready to be celebrated with Congressman Bennie Thompson, U.S. Representative for Mississippi’s 2nd congressional district, present along with district and regional directors of Alcorn and the U.S. Small Business Administration, Director Daye Dearing said.

“We have Natalie Cofield, the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Women’s Business Ownership at the U.S. Small Business Administration coming down from Washington D.C. and we’re also having the district directors for the State of Mississippi and Louisiana U.S. small business administration offices here and one of the regional directors with the SBA coming in from Atlanta,” she said.

The WBC aims to help small business owners in every phase of development with a mission to empower and inspire women by providing business training, individual counseling sessions and access to capital, she said.

“We help women building a business for themselves or help women who are already in small business expand and improve their existing businesses,” Dearing said.

The WBC is located at 9 Campus Drive, the first building to the left when entering the campus.

Those who would like to attend can RSVP to Shwana Green at shwana@alcorn.edu or call 601-304-4342. For more information about Alcorn State University’s Women’s Business Center, visit alcorn.edu/wbc.