Transformation Gems Entrepreneur Program: A Faith-Based, Non-Profit Organization Supporting the Development of Women Entrepreneurs

This project shows how empowering, developing, and providing support to women, especially those who are financially challenged, can start and accelerate businesses that not only provide self-sufficiency within their homes and communities but also creates legacies, systems and become recession proof for Lansing, Michigan. The focus of the project is to help women identify their gifts and talents to implement a sustainable business. The key stakeholders were women connected to faith-based and community development organizations who had lucrative gifts of which they were aware at the time of the project or gifts that had not yet been identified as possible resources to provide a financial increase in their homes.
The research showed that many women did not understand the process of creating a business. The project also uncovered several barriers for women entrepreneurs starting businesses in the Greater Lansing Community, including difficult access to capital for starting a business, lack of mentoring and educational programs for women, and no affordable office space in the community. A Transformation GEMS program was established to provide start-up funds and resources for women desiring to start and accelerate businesses in their local communities.