The Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) will soon launch the second cohort of a 12-month leadership and entrepreneurial comprehensive training program for Latina business owners called the Latina Entrepreneurial Accelerated Development (LEAD) Program. Delivered in English and focused on four key areas – leadership, mentoring, volunteerism and strategic business planning – LEAD will open with a three-day retreat on June 22-24, at Wintrust Financial Corporation, 9700 W. Higgins Rd., Rosemont, from 9 am to 5 pm each day. Cost for the entire program, including breakfast and lunch at the retreat, is $200 per person. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.

“With this program, the WBDC is offering relevant and targeted programming in a closed group setting to established business owners who poised for growth,” says Janice Lopez, director of the WBDC’s WBC Chicago and managing director of Entrepreneurial Services. Structured in three phases – planning, activation and assessment – the program provides participants with entrepreneurial training and connections to help them select a nonprofit organization where they will volunteer. Quarterly meetings enable participants to deliver progress reports and network with each other. Graduates have the opportunity to serve as mentors to future Latina entrepreneurs. Participation in each cohort is limited to 25 Latina business owners headquartered in Illinois who have at least two employees and have been in operation for two years or more. Funding was provided by Discover Financial, NBC Universal and Wintrust. To learn more about the LEAD program, visit www.WBDC.org or contact the WBDC at 312.853.3477.