Startup Mentors Unveils New Name and New Logo as part of rebranding initiative to better embody, and align with, the amazing women it supports.
Boston, MA (July 27, 2021) – Startup Mentors has rebranded in order to highlight the women of color entrepreneurs served by the organization. At the heart of this rebranding is a change of the company name from Startup Mentors to Women of Color Entrepreneurs (WOCE; pronounced wōk) and a new logo.
WOCE launched its pilot cohort of six entrepreneurs in May 2019 and has been helping those companies since then through programming, peer support, mentorship and introductions to customers and funding sources. Seven women of color entrepreneurs were selected to be part of the 2020 cohort which started in Fall 2020.
“It’s a major milestone for us as we are expanding with recruitment of our third cohort in September 2021, launching a speaker series highlighting women of color entrepreneurs and leaders, and continuing to support the women in our 2019 and 2020 cohorts to grow their businesses,” said Anuradha Yadav, Executive Director and Co-Founder of WOCE.
Establishing a series of fundraising initiatives will also be a focal point of the rebranding as WOCE plans on providing more resources to help the women participating in the program, including legal, accounting and marketing relationships that are critical to business growth.
Jess Pang, UX Designer and a member of the 2019 pilot cohort, said, “The inspiration for the logo I designed is community, growth and diversity. The logo captures the images of women in a circle reflecting the connectedness and community so important to these women as they grow their businesses.”
About Women Of Color Entrepreneurs (WOCE)
Women of Color Entrepreneurs (“WOCE”) widens the circle of entrepreneurship by supporting women of color entrepreneurs who are building great businesses and want help to scale. Founded in 2019, WOCE is a Massachusetts nonprofit providing long-term mentorship combined with tailored programming, peer support, 1:1 technical assistance and curated access to potential customers, lenders and investors. WOCE uses a cohort model to create peer relationships for support, with an annual cohort of 7-10 entrepreneurs. Participants exit the program once they have met their goals, typically after several years.