Women often face unique hurdles when starting or growing a business—access to capital, caregiving demands, cultural barriers, and the inner work of valuing your own expertise. In this episode of The Midwest Flourish, Rosalina Perez, Director of the Women’s Business Center at the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (NIIC), shares a practical playbook: 1:1 coaching, skill-building workshops, and warm handoffs to credible regional and national resources. She also talks about serving Spanish-speaking founders and how to test an idea with real customers.

Highlighted Topics:

- What NIIC’s Women’s Business Center actually does (coaching, workshops, connections)

- The territory it serves (Northeast Indiana) and who it serves (women—and men, too)

- Real success stories

- Why mindset and risk tolerance matter as much as money

- How to navigate permits, funding options, and a changing economy

- Update since recording: the Women’s Business Center has been invited to apply for new SBA funding and, together with other funding sources, expects to continue operating at full capacity.