Program

Thirteen women from Enfield and surrounding areas recently completed The Ice House Entrepreneurship Program.

 Submitted

Special to The Herald

ENFIELD — A woman-operated nonprofit organization, She Empowers, joined forces with Innovative Networking Group and St. Paul Baptist Church to bring NC IDEA’s Ice House Entrepreneurship Program to Halifax County, specifically Enfield and surrounding areas.

According to a press release, this collaboration encourages and empowers women entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, nonprofit organizers, and high achievers in the workplace to further their education, develop creative and communication skills, and increase their ability to problem solve and critically think.

The vision for this powerful partnership was to help cultivate the entrepreneurial spirit within this area of eastern North Carolina whether through business creation, higher education attainment, workforce preparation, or spiritual, emotional, and physical development, particularly among minority women. In an economic development study done by NCGrowth, 79% of the residents of Enfield, a predominantly African American community, are female, the release reads.

Also, the top desire voiced of all surveyors were workforce development and job training. Planting The Ice House Entrepreneurship Program in one of the most underserved, yet promising communities, was dear to the heart of She Empowers CEO, Trishonda Roberson, who grew up in Enfield.

Her desire was to help develop individuals who would in turn, help develop their community.

“Sometimes the greatest hindrance to us achieving our goals, is our mindset,” Roberson said in the release. “I am grateful to NC IDEA for helping us shift the mindsets of women in Halifax County and pushing them in pursuing their dreams.

“Our vision is to transform the world, one woman at a time and efforts like this help us to do just that.”

Christina Williams-DeBrew and Tasha Williams of Innovative Networking Group said, “ING is grateful to be a part of NC IDEA’s quest to offer the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative Mindset cohort to 100,000 North Carolinians across this great state, with the first ever five-night series in Enfield.

We thank She Empowers for her vision and mission to support the women in this great community, and the surrounding areas,”

Hosted in the Family Life Center of St. Paul Baptist Church, located at 421 S. Mc Daniel St., this five-week intensive program was conducted on Monday evenings. Each session included dinner, discussion, instruction, and interactive activities.

“We are thankful to be a partner and have the space to host such an amazing effort for our Enfield community,” Pastor Felix O. Petteway of St. Paul said. “It is our desire to continue to provide spaces for people to grow and live out their purpose.”

The program also had support from The REACH Center, Word Tabernacle Church, Awaken Church, and Radiant Delights.

Thirteen women from Enfield and surrounding areas completed program, which concluded with a panel discussion including a special guest entrepreneur, Latasha Roberson Manley, owner of Hair is LIFE, and graduation celebration.

This program was available at no cost to participants due to the generous support from NC IDEA.

According to Forbes.com, “women-owned businesses have grown at double the overall population rate [of the U.S.] … no demographic has grown faster than African American women.

“Black female entrepreneurs have started companies at over four times the overall population rate.”