LEXINGTON KY. (February 26, 2025) – The Women’s Business Center of Kentucky (WBC) has announced the addition of Louisville small business owner Yolanda Reed to the WBC team. In her role as a business coach, Reed will facilitate small business start-up and growth in the greater Lexington area, assisting new and existing business owners through coaching and mentorship.
“We are thrilled to welcome Yolanda as a Business Coach with the Women’s Business Center of Kentucky,” said Devanny King, Executive Director of the WBC. “Yolanda brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion for empowering entrepreneurs to succeed. Her expertise will be invaluable in guiding businesses toward growth, sustainability, and long-term success. We look forward to the impact she will make in supporting and strengthening Kentucky’s small business community.”
Born the youngest of eight kids in Glasgow, Kentucky, Reed grew up in Louisville where she graduated from Moore High School before attending the University of Louisville and Ottawa University to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Human Resource Management. Following a successful 27-year career as a Human Resource Executive, Reed left the corporate world to blaze her own entrepreneurial path.
In addition to offering her Human Resource expertise on a freelance basis, Reed assisted her husband in launching KREED, a commercial painting business. It wasn’t long until KREED’s clients noticed Reed’s eye for color and talent for decorating. Seeing a market for her consultation, design and staging talents, Reed united them all under the banner of Yokie, LLC. ‘Yokie,’ Reed explained, was a nickname bestowed upon her in childhood, and it seemed a good fit for her business name. Last year, in a coefficient strategic move, Yokie, LLC facilitated the expansion of KREED into full-service residential painting.
“I have always been a creative thinker, and I love coaching. In college, I helped others come up with logos and marketing strategies,” explained Reed. “My corporate career, coupled with building my own business has provided me valuable insight and experience. I am passionate about small business creation, and through the WBC I have access to so many tools and resources. I look forward to putting all of that to use helping aspiring entrepreneurs build their businesses from A to Z.”
Entrepreneurs and small business owners interested in reaching Yolanda Reed, or seeking assistance from the WBC, can visit https://www.wbckentucky.org/.
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About Women’s Business Center of Kentucky: Founded in 2011, the Women’s Business Center of Kentucky helps entrepreneurs 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, Fulton, Millersburg, and Owensboro. For 21 consecutive years, CV has been named Microlender of the Year by the Kentucky Small Business Administration.