Two woman-owned businesses in Centre and Clearfield counties have been selected to participate in a year-long program designed to increase growth and profitability through the national ATHENAPowerLink program.
Judy L. Loy, CEO of Nestlerode & Loy Inc. who’s also a StateCollege.com columnist, and Jessica Dolan, owner of Room to Breathe Home Organizing, Staging and Redesign, were selected for the program.
The program will pair Loy and Dolan with a customized board of advisers who provide financial advice, business best practices, networking and the services and technical assistance necessary to help them reach their business goals.
For the program’s first year, the two woman-owned business were selected based on need and potential for growth. E-Magnify, working together with the local governing body, will convene a team of experts in such fields as banking, human resources, entrepreneurship, sales, public accounting, law and others to advise the women business owners on how they can access capital, implement best practices and reach their operational and strategic goals.
Amy Marshall, attorney at Babst Calland and a member of the APL Centre/Clearfield governing body, made the announcement during the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Lunch on Nov. 19 at the State College Municipal Building. The luncheon was held as part of Penn State University’s Global Entrepreneurship Week celebration.
“Seton Hill University E-Magnify women’s business center is pleased to partner with PNC Bank and Babst Calland and other dynamic leaders interested in advancing women’s entrepreneurship in Centre and Clearfield counties,” said Jayne Huston, E-Magnify director. “We recognize the influence and potential of women-owned businesses in this area and believe the ATHENAPowerLink program provides a compliment to existing support for women owned companies to fuel their business growth even more.”
Nestlerode & Loy Inc. is an investment advisory firm located in central Pennsylvania, and has helped individuals, small businesses and nonprofits with their financial goals since 1937. Loy has been with the firm since 1992 and is excited for the opportunities and expertise that the program will provide her and her firm.
In addition to owning Room to Breathe Home Organizing, Dolan is also the creator of the Entrepreneurial Women’s Expo, which takes place annually in October. She supports the goals of all women entrepreneurs by hosting the expo and leading several women in business groups.
The ATHENAPowerLink program has been successfully implemented in more than 30 cities across the United States resulting in significant economic impact for participating woman business owners. APL is a trademarked program of ATHENA International and is locally administered by Seton Hill University’s E-Magnify. The Women’s Business Center, home to the original PowerLink Advisory Board program founded more than 20 years ago in Pittsburgh, provides business counseling, training and mentoring programs to start-up and growing women entrepreneurs throughout Western Pennsylvania. PNC Bank and the law firm of Babst Calland sponsored the local program license.
According to ATHENA International, participants achieve an average 88 percent increase in sales, a 37 percent increase in business income and 56 percent increase in personal income after one year with the program.
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