2018 Grant Program

Beacon
BEACON is a community-led
campaign to make Washington, DC
the most influential and supportive
city for women entrepreneurs in the
United States.

Donate to support our business directory and flagship programs

Resource Providers, see what you can do to support DC's women founders:
Building Inclusive Ecosystems with Intentionality: A Strategy to Enhance Support for DC's Women Founders

What is BEACON?

 

BEACON is a community-led initiative to make D.C. the most influential and supportive city in the nation for women entrepreneurs. With partners across the public and private sectors, BEACON amplifies opportunities and connects women entrepreneurs to each other, and to the resources they need.

 

Entrepreneurs can:

Sign-up for the BEACON Newsletter.

Register for the BEACON Directory as a woman-identifying business owner (it's free!).

Submit an event that supports women entrepreneurs.

Find a resource to support your needs

Identify and connect with women entrepreneurs

 

Ecosystem Builders can:

Sign-up for the BEACON Newsletter.

Add a resource to the BEACON Resource Index.

Submit an event that supports women entrepreneurs.

Help Us Build DC's Most Complete Directory of

Women-Owned Businesses

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Sarah Bayot
Founder, Owner, Designer
Kicheko Goods
Meaning “smile/laughter” in Swahili, Kicheko Goods is a socially conscious company that designs distinctive pieces which invest in education. Founded in 2014, Kicheko is an emerging brand made in DC. Concepts for the brand’s small batch collections are inspired by geometry, nature, and travel. Kicheko's aesthetic shares an unrefined boldness, sophisticated earthiness and playful simplicity..
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Krystin Hargrove
Founder
Empowomant
Empowomant is a for-profit social impact organization, empowering women to live with intention. We explore 3 core areas: self, family, and career applying our 3 step method of vision, work, and follow through to support women seeking personal and professional alignment. Through collaboration, we work to empower women around the world.
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Vanessa Ferragut
Founder & CEO
Greenease
Greenease is a mobile app that connects consumers with restaurants, cafes and grocers that buy from local and/or sustainable farms.
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Find the support for your women-owned business

Resources

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Elaine Pinson
Advancement Strategist
Halycon
Halcyon is a creativity incubator for both social entrepreneurs and socially-conscious artists. Halcyon Incubator, our flagship program, is a competitive, 13-month fellowship program, which includes a 5-month residency, to support the most promising early-stage social entrepreneurs in the world. Incubator accepts 2 cohorts of 8 social enterprises each year and has worked more than 60 ventures.
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Aisha Saaka
Co-Founder
Young African Professionals Network (YAP)
The Young African Professionals (YAP DC) Network is the premier conveners of events and opportunities for young African diaspora professionals ages 21-40. We provide timely and relevant resources, we facilitate innovative professional development experiences, we foster inspirational networking, and we encourage impactful community building.
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Anna Mason
Co-Director
The Vinetta Project DC
The Vinetta Project DC supports high growth female entrepreneurs as they take their tech businesses to scale. Since 2015, over 700 people have attended our DC events and over 150 female founders have applied to our annual $20K Pitch Competition.
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Events

For Women, By Women, We All Belong Here

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Thru
13
Sep 2019
Step It Up! -- A Business Accelerator
online and remove

Step It Up! is a 4-month business coaching program for women entrepreneurs who want to grow their revenue and clients. Participants will work with two coaches to design a customized action plan. This program is a perfect mix of both personalized one-to-one coaching, and group coaching. Only a few spots left!

Sat
13
Jul
DC Bar Pro Bono Center Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic
DCRA Small Business Resource Center

If you're an existing or aspiring small business owner, meet one-on-one with attorneys at this brief advice clinic. Get information on business formation, contracts, leases, taxes, or other small business legal issues. Or, if you don't have specific questions, tell the attorneys about your business—they can help you spot legal issues or give you general advice.

Community