Woodforest National Bank And WBDC Launch Woodforest Foundry In Chicago Area

THE WOODLANDS, Texas, April 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Woodforest National Bank recently teamed up with Women's Business Development Center (WBDC) to launch the Woodforest Foundry in Aurora, IL, a suburb of Chicago. Woodforest and WBDC held a kick-off event in Aurora this week to introduce aspiring entrepreneurs and local small businesses to the concepts of turning their passion into action by testing their ideas and ability to run a business while preserving capital.

The Woodforest Foundry is an award-winning program and recipient of the Consumer Bankers Association's 2019 Joe Belew Award, for the most innovative and impactful bank small business initiative. The Foundry is facilitated by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs as mentors to enhance local entrepreneurial ecosystems which revitalizes underserved communities and helps grow businesses. With the Woodforest Foundry, entrepreneurs find a community of mentors and trusted guidance from peers, Woodforest bankers and community partners.

"The Women's Business Center (WBC) in Aurora is very excited to partner with Woodforest to launch fresh and new tools for the business community. We are confident that this program will help spur business growth. The WBC has been in Aurora for four years, and we've worked to provide the resources that will help our businesses grow and we are very happy that The Woodforest Foundry is a part of this continued effort," said Terrie Simmons Director, WBC Aurora.

Doug Schaeffer, EVP and CRA Executive Director at Woodforest added, "We are thrilled to team up with WBDC to stimulate entrepreneurship locally. The Woodforest Foundry is a great fit for Aurora because it's a way to connect local resources to demystify entrepreneurship through candid conversations with successful entrepreneurs from the community."

During the kick-off event, participants gathered to learn more about the Woodforest Foundry' Entrepreneurship4All (E4All) and WBDC's Dreambuilder curriculums. E4All, powered by Sustainable Startups, is an interactive curriculum that teaches people the fundamentals of an entrepreneurial mindset. Dreambuilder is a unique business skills training and certification course available through a series of in-person and online classes. 12 online courses teach the basics of starting and growing a business, including topics such as marketing, pricing and management.

For more information about the Woodforest Foundry, please contact Doug Schaeffer, EVP and CRA Executive Director at [email protected] or Jodi Reeves, SVP, Director of Community Development at [email protected].

About Woodforest
Celebrating over 37 years of community banking service, Woodforest National Bank has successfully stood among the strongest community banks in the nation, proudly offering outstanding quality customer service since 1980. Woodforest currently operates over 700 branches in 17 states across the United States. For more information about Woodforest National Bank, please visit www.woodforest.com.

About the WBDC
The mission of the Women's Business Development Center (WBDC) is to support and accelerate business development and growth, targeting women and serving all diverse business owners, in order to strengthen their participation in, and impact on, the economy.

The Woodforest Foundry is an entrepreneur activation program by Woodforest National Bank®, Member FDIC

SOURCE Woodforest National Bank