FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Krista Buckel
859-231-0054 x1034
LEXINGTON, KY. (Nov. 26, 2024) – The PNC Foundation has awarded a grant to Community Ventures (CV) to help the Women’s Business Center of Kentucky (WBC) deliver technical assistance for women- and minority-owned small businesses in Lexington and Fayette County.
These funds will allow the WBC to nurture entrepreneurial talent; support the establishment and growth of small businesses; foster collaboration and networking among entrepreneurs, industry experts and local stakeholders; and promote sustainable business practices and innovation.
“Support from the PNC Foundation empowers us to further assist women entrepreneurs across the region, giving them the resources and guidance to turn ideas into thriving businesses,” said Devanny King, executive director of the Women’s Business Center of Kentucky. “We’re incredibly grateful for PNC’s collaboration and commitment to advancing women-led ventures.”
This $20,000 award builds on PNC’s longstanding support for Community Ventures, which has included charitable sponsorships from PNC Bank and employee volunteerism, in addition to grant funding from the PNC Foundation.
“PNC shares with Community Ventures a commitment to strengthen our communities’ economic vitality and quality of life by helping to bolster small business ownership,” said Kristen Byrd, PNC regional president for Kentucky. “Building networks and providing technical resources are foundational to this important work, and we look forward to helping the Women’s Business Center of Kentucky bring these entrepreneurship pathways to life.”
Fayette County entrepreneurs interested in launching or growing a business can learn more about WBC by visiting https://www.wbckentucky.org/.
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About the PNC Foundation: The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The Foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through PNC Grow Up Great®, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life. For more information, visit PNC Foundation.
About Women’s Business Center of Kentucky: Founded in 2011, the Women’s Business Center of Kentucky helps women entrepreneurs, especially those economically or socially disadvantaged, start and grow businesses in Kentucky. The WBC is partly funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and hosted by Community Ventures Corporation, a private, non-profit community development organization.
About Community Ventures: Founded in 1982 as a community-based, non-profit organization, Community Ventures (CV) strengthens communities and improves the overall quality of life for Kentuckians by supporting job creation, small business ownership, and home ownership. CV is headquartered in Lexington with branch locations in Bowling Green, Campbellsville, Louisville, Mayfield, Millersburg, and Owensboro. For 21 consecutive years, CV has been named Microlender of the Year by the Kentucky Small Business Administration.