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A Jeffersonville native hopes a newly opened workspace in the city’s downtown will be a catalyst for the growth of female entrepreneurs and business owners.
Deidre Collins this week opened the doors to Wall Street Sweets, a business incubator designed to support women at any stage in their entrepreneurial journey.
“This is a place where they can get coaching, mentorship, networking opportunities and collaboration,” Collins says. “We don’t want this to be their forever home, we want it to be a starting point, and we want to create a space for the next woman who wants to start her own business.”
Collins told Inside INdiana Business the space is part of her goal of giving back to the community where she grew up.
“I work a full-time job in the oil and gas industry and have mentored and been mentored a lot,” she says. “Growing up here in Jeffersonville, I saw women running businesses, but there wasn’t a lot of collaboration, visibility or networking. I had connections in Louisville, Kentucky, and access to a lot of great resources, but I really wanted to give back to my community and have that space here in southern Indiana.”
Located at 424 Wall Street in downtown Jeffersonville, Wall Street Suites leases seven individual suites at below-market rates to make them available to entrepreneurs with limited capital.
The space also offers special discounts for first-time business owners, veterans, nonprofits and women age 55 and older.
“Our mission is to empower women by providing them with the tools, resources and community they need to succeed in business,” Collins said. “When I started building my own business, I realized there was a lack of resources and understanding for women when it came to finances, so I wanted women to know about my experience and that we have the resources to help them.”
Collins said he received immediate support from neighbors after purchasing the building, as it was an eyesore in the city center.
“The building had been vacant for a long time,” she says, “and there are two businesses on either side of us that are based there, so they were very happy to have us move in. They helped us pave the back driveway and shared the cost, and they helped with the landscaping.”
Following Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting, Collins said she’s already heard interest from women in the area who want to come and see the space.
Among the entrepreneurs who have contacted us are a florist, a photographer and someone who wants to sell bath and body care products.
“The response has been really amazing,” she said. “I love the diversity and the different entrepreneurial spaces that can come into this space.”
Collins said he is also considering using Wall Street Suites as an open, co-working space, which would be especially appealing to people who can’t afford to sign a full lease. In the long term, Collins hopes to fill the space so entrepreneurs can move into bigger locations and new entrepreneurs can come.
“This place is open to the community. It really is. My vision is for this to be a community space. Yes, we’re focused on women, but we’re happy to work with anyone doing anything.”
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