Originally published June 17, 2015
By Lisa Y. Garibay
UTEP News Service
UTEP Sophomore Brenda Simental was selected to be part of the 2015 cohort of the prestigious Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Student Entrepreneur Program (SEP), sponsored by Shell.
Simental was one of only 22 students selected for this competitive program. Her cohort represents 14 different universities from around the country.
The entrepreneur program fosters growth for the next generation of women-owned businesses through tailored curriculum, mentoring from certified women business owners and Fortune 500 corporate members.
In addition to one-on-one mentoring, Simental – who is majoring in finance – will have the opportunity to participate in a live pitch competition set at WBENC’s National Conference and Business Fair in Austin, Texas, June 23–25. She also will take part in experiential learning through off-site visits to corporate campuses and accelerators supported by Shell and WBENC’s 2015 Student Scholar Supporters.
WBENC is proud to support women-owned businesses at all levels of success. There were more than 9.1 million women-owned businesses operating in 2014, with almost 3 million of those owned by a woman of color. This surging-growth pace in women-owned businesses, which has doubled in three years, has helped generate nearly $1.5 trillion in revenues for women-owned businesses.
Since its inception in 2008, more than 120 diverse women studying business, science, technology, engineering, arts or math at universities across the United States have completed the SEP, receiving mentoring from the most successful Women’s Business Enterprises (WBEs) as well as from corporate representatives from some of America’s largest Fortune 500 companies. The WBENC Student Entrepreneur Program has helped prepare young women to meet the needs of future female entrepreneurs.