Coming Soon....

The Regional WBENCPitch Pre Qualifying Round

WBEC- East Pitch Competition Series is a program that gives opportunity for certified WBEs to practice and perfect their business pitch. Participants will have access to corporate and business leaders’ expertise and insights, receive resources for successful pitching across all mediums, and generate exposure among Corporate Members and WBEC-East network. Regional finalists will win prizes to invest in their business. Those that advance to the final pitch with WBENC National, will have opportunity to win capital investments for your business.

90 second PITCH video submissions will be due on July 22nd

The announcement highlights the Agency’s commitment to creating funding opportunities that increase equity for small business owners – a priority under Administrator Guzman. Through the SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO), the WBCs will help entrepreneurs pivot, grow and navigate new opportunities created through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, such as competing in the burgeoning industries solving climate change and growing clean-energy supply chains that will help expand global exporting.

Joyce Cadesca & Steve Damweber

Joyce Cadesca- Women’s Business Center Director

Joyce is a steadfast equity advocate with a passion for leveling the playing field for women and minorities. As our Women’s Business Center Director, she is responsible for leading a team that focuses on the planning, development, execution, and quality assurance of all business training programs. Joyce comes to us with an outstanding educational background having received a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a master’s degree (MBA) from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. In her free time, she is either volunteering as a career coach and mentor to Black and Hispanic young professionals -- or spending time with her son – usually at a local park (theme park, trampoline park, state park… you get the picture)! Joyce also enjoys contact sports – she was a rugby player in college and voted “Rookie of the Year” during her freshman year!

Steve Damweber- Outreach & Engagement Manager

We now have our very own Hes for Shes on staff at WBEC-East! Steve joined our team during the pandemic and comes to us from the workforce development field with a degree in Hospitality Management from Penn State University. Steve brings a unique and creative perspective to our outreach efforts and has already increased our social media followers! He doesn’t know how to say “no” which is appreciated by all of our Partners who want us to share their events and resources on our website. Steve grew up in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania and – get this – he’s a Dallas Cowboys fan! (No… we didn’t know that before he was hired but we love him anyway!) In his free time, Steve enjoys watching football, collecting sports memorabilia, and fishing. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in New Jersey with their two cats, one who is appropriately named “Little Steve.”

June 23, 2:00 - 3:00 PM

Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact Joyce Cadesca via email at jcadesca@wbeceast.com to make arrangements.

The application window is June 1-14, and the grants will be awarded in July. This is an extension of the current RISE program, which provides these businesses the opportunity to apply for marketing and technology services from Comcast Business and Effectv. Small businesses are the backbone of our community, and it is our hope that these grants will help them not only grow but thrive.

Learn about vendor opportunities for your business at Rivers Casino!