About Us
Our mission is to empower women entrepreneurs to build resilient and successful businesses, strengthen their community’s economy, and create wealth for their families.
We achieve this by providing a wide-range of services, including one-on-one business counseling, group training events, and peer-to-peer exchanges to help entrepreneurs start, expand, and successfully manage their businesses.
The DCWBC delivers business development services to women entrepreneurs in the Washington, DC Metro region. The Center provides one-on-one free counseling and training workshops designed to help women start and grow businesses. We target women entrepreneurs who are economically or socially disadvantaged and whose businesses are located in underserved communities.
The Center is funded in part by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and is a program of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC). NCRC launched the DCWBC in March 2010. In May 2015, the DCWBC was honored by the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Washington Metropolitan Area District Office (WMADO) with the Women’s Business Center Excellence Award for our excellence and innovation in assisting women entrepreneurs by providing a wide variety of training and coaching services.
Small businesses are the heart of every community and the DCWBC works to secure their ongoing success for those in the DC Metro region.
Daniella Djiogan
Project Director
Daniella Djiogan serves as the Project Director for the DC Women’s Business Center. She previously managed the small business and entrepreneurship program at the Washington DC Economic Partnership where she cultivated strategic partnerships, provided program leadership, developed resources, and assisted hundreds of entrepreneurs and businesses looking to start and grow in the district. Daniella has also worked for the Charles County Economic Development Department in Southern Maryland, where she contributed in planning, developing, and implementing strategic economic development projects in target industry sectors. She holds a master’s degree in International Development and a bachelor’s degree in Economics. Originally from Cameroon, Daniella is a polyglot with fluency in English, French and her native dialect.
LaToria Brent
Small Business Specialist
LaToria Brent is the Small Business Specialist for the DC Women’s Business Center. With over 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, human resource (recruitment and selection), LaToria’s mission has always been to strategize, implement, and execute different methods to positively impact her community. A serial entrepreneur, LaToria has owned multiple businesses and has served as an adjunct instructor transferring her institutional knowledge down to young adult business students. LaToria holds a bachelor’s degree in international business, MBA, and a certification in human resource management.
Our Board of Advisors
Kim Alfonso
President, Greater Washington Black Chamber of Commerce
Ortiz Morales
Director of Marketing and Communications at Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Aisha Bond
Executive Director of North Capitol Main Street
MBAllou Conde-Kouyate
Vice President – Business Banking Relationship Manager, M&T Bank
Beatrice Key
Key & Associates, CPA
Stella Adams
SJAdams Consulting
Julia Westfall
CEO, Hera Hub DC
Marisa Calderon
Executive Director, CDFI, National Community Reinvestment Coalition
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfortunately, no. To book your appointment with a counselor or specialist please click here.
All counseling sessions are free. Most training sessions and workshops are free as well but some may charge a nominal fee.
Yes, our counselors work with you one-on-one, using an online business plan tool that results in a completed business plan.
We also hold workshops that focus on all aspects of writing a business plan.
Yes, we can help you access loans and grants, however, we do not offer direct funding. Please schedule a counseling session to help you find the financing resources that are best suited to your business.
Visit our resources page for an updated list of COVID-19 funding and relief options.
Yes, please schedule an appointment with our business counselor by clicking here. See the resources listed below.
DCWBC Partners
DC Business Licensing and Registration
Looking for information on how to start and register your business in DC?
Get Certified as a Woman-Owned Business
The Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract Program limits competition for small businesses in industries where women are underrepresented.
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Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with:
