WESST BLOG
Congratulations, Agnes! December 5, 2024 Agnes Noonan Retirement Celebration
On December 5, 2024, we gathered with friends from far and wide to celebrate the retirement of WESST’s President of 33 years, Agnes Noonan. Agnes is a visionary nonprofit leader in our community and a trailblazer for women and all New Mexicans who want to start and grow a small business. The WESST Enterprise Center was filled with people who have been inspired and impacted by Agnes’s leadership. We were thrilled to welcome many community leaders and friends of WESST and Agnes who shared stories and well wishes at the retirement celebration, including the…
Staff Spotlight: Tom Ragan
Tom joined the WESST team in October 2021 as the Studio Manager for the Comcast Digital Media Studio. We are happy to have him as part of the WESST family and hope you enjoy learning…
Are Your Employees Truly Engaged?
Global surveys indicate that many people are unhappy at work. In fact, it’s been estimated that over 70% of the workforce consists of passive job seekers. These people are not actively looking to leave their…
Ways to Support a Woman Owned Business
Go out of your way to shop at women owned businesses What is the best way to support women owned businesses? With your dollars. Businesses need customers to thrive and being intentional about where you…
The Trend Toward Solopreneurship
As home-based business ownership continues to trend upward in the U.S., Rio Rancho is certainly keeping pace. In fact, over 70 percent of the business registrations in Rio Rancho are for home-based businesses. This trend…
Money Matters: Financial Empowerment Through Knowledge & Tools
Why does financial empowerment matter? For some, finances can be a thrilling and exciting part of owning a business and/or living everyday life. But let’s be honest, only a few feel that way. For most,…
Thank You for Supporting WESST, Sunny505!
If you’ve ever received an annual report from WESST or visited our website, you’ve probably noticed the beautiful, compelling designs that characterize WESST’s brand. More recently, you might have seen WESST on television! Across the…
Funding Challenges for Female Entrepreneurs
Four out of every ten businesses – totaling over 12 million in the U.S. – are owned by women, and the number of women-owned businesses has increased 114% over the past two decades. In fact,…
What is an Entrepreneur?
What makes someone an entrepreneur? Am I an entrepreneur? Are you an entrepreneur? Do I know any entrepreneurs? The word “entrepreneur” seems to be thrown around everywhere, describing everyone, doing anything. It’s used to describe…
Wells Fargo “La Escalera” Grant Supports Spanish-speaking Entrepreneurs
It is well-documented that COVID-19 and the resulting economic fallout have disproportionately harmed Latino and Black-owned businesses. WESST’s focus on supporting historically underserved entrepreneurs, including women, people of color and people who earn low incomes,…
Staff Spotlight: Adriana Martinez Guzman
Adriana joined the WESST team in September 2021. We are happy to have her as part of the WESST family and hope you enjoy learning a little more about her. What made you want to…
“Kentuckian by birth, New Mexican by the Grace of God” A Conversation with Kathie Winograd
WESST’s work is made possible thanks to the support from our generous donors and community leaders. Kathie Winograd, CNM President of 13 years, new Executive Director of Albuquerque Economic Forum, and WESST Visionary, is both!…
Staff Spotlight: Katie Knipe
For this month’s blog, we decided to switch things up a little and do another staff spotlight in order to introduce you to Katie Knipe, our VP of Development. Prior to joining WESST, Katie was…