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Host Sponsor
College of Lake County Foundation
Governing Body
Jan Bauer, Co-Chair
Illinois SBDC
Joanne Osmond, Co-Chair
Market Drafters, Inc.
Gail Vitols
Rockenbach Chevrolet
Chris Hill
Midwestern Regional Medical Center
Susan Oldenburg
Oldenburg Accountants & Advisors
Tracey Lundgren
Lundgren Law Offices
Cindy Juiris
CDW
Jennifer Harris
Advanced Resources LLC
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Lake County, IL, has joined other communities across the country by providing a mentoring program for women business owners.
Since 1999, the ATHENAPowerLink® Program helped women-owned businesses expand profitably through the use of professional advisory panels.
The proven mentoring process "links" a business with a volunteer panel of advisors recruited from the local community. The panel and business owner work together for one year to meet the specific objectives of the business owner.
The business owners learn to network, access capital, and implement best practices from these volunteer advisors.
The program began in 1992 in Pittsburgh, PA, when two businesswomen recognized that female entrepreneurs often lack access to valuable advisors and mentors. The premise was simple – panels of volunteers willing to advise women business owners on important issues could help them achieve greater success.
Today, as ATHENAPowerLink® expands across the country, the program continues to help women grow their businesses.
Women who applied but were not selected to receive a panel of advisors in 2010 are encouraged to use the resources at the SBDC, plus resources listed on this site, to expand and develop their business.
Application Process
Application
ATHENAPowerLink® provides women business owners with answers to their questions and the advice they need to move their business to the next level. We provide advisory panels through the ATHENAPowerLink® Program and offer a wide range of resources for all women business owners through the active exchange of information and support.
Mission of ATHENA International is...
- Supporting, developing, and honoring women leaders
Inspiring women to achieve their full potential
Creating balance in leadership worldwide
The work of ATHENA is based on the ATHENA LEADERSHIP MODEL
The ATHENA Leadership Model focuses on "personal traits of strong, successful leaders. It captures the spirit and collaborative leadership style often exemplified in women leaders, while also recognizing the importance of traits such as courageous acts and fierce advocacy in the pursuit of excellence. The ATHENA Leadership Model tenets include Authentic Self, Celebration and Joy, Collaboration, Courageous Acts, Fierce Advocacy, Giving Back, Learning, and Relationships, and provide a model for 21st Century leadership." ATHENA International
ATHENA Award
The ATHENA Award is a local, national, and international recognition of a woman or man for their professional excellence, community service, and for actively assisting women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills.
ATHENAPowerLink®
"A business mentoring program designed to increase the growth and profitability of women-owned businesses.
The premise is simple—a panel of volunteers advises a woman business owner on important issues specific to her business with the goal of increasing the development and success of her business. The program 'links' a woman business owner with an Advisory Panel, recruited from the local community, to work with her at no cost for one year. These professionals, which may include a banker, lawyer, accountant, and marketing or human resource specialist, provide guidance regarding networking skills, how to achieve access to capital, implementation of best practices, and other issues identified by the woman business owner as necessary to reach the goals she has for her business." ATHENA International
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