Mission

The Women's Business Development Center (WBDC) is the oldest, largest, most comprehensive, and successful women's business assistance center in the United States. We're nationally and internationally recognized for our responsive, innovative, and effective programs and advocacy efforts. We deliver business services and financial assistance to empower women towards entrepreneurship and economic self-sufficiency. Since our founding in 1986, we've grown from a two-person operation to a national leader in women's economic development with a budget of $2.2 million. Over the years, we've assisted more than 55,000 women in the greater Chicago area, helped establish 14 additional women's business assistance centers in six states in the U.S., and continue to be credited for programs and policies that impact women's economic development across the nation and globally.