Why Support the WE-DO Awards?
Entrepreneurs should have an equitable opportunity to develop, launch, and grow a business that creates wealth for themselves, their families, and their community. In 2021, Toledo's entrepreneurial services community partnered with Forward Cities to create an equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem scorecard for our community.
The scorecard measured four essential categories for a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem: people, programs, networks, and narratives.
The area with the greatest need for improvement was creating narratives pertaining to the ecosystem's authentic storytelling that highlights its personality and diversity.
One of the ways for improvement is to develop an award and/or recognition of excellence for diverse entrepreneurs and ecosystem leaders.
We believe that investing in gender equality, women’s economic development, and empowerment can help eradicate extreme poverty, build vibrant economies, and unlock human potential on a transformational scale. We aim to support these efforts, as we continue to advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusivity to bridge the equity and network gap in all areas of the marketplace and workplace in our community.