WISE Women’s Business Center

What WISE Women’s Business Center does

WISE Women's Business Center is a private nonprofit organization founded in 2006 and headquartered at 100 Madison St in Syracuse, New York, where it is institutionally hosted by Syracuse University's Martin J. Whitman School of Management. It is a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)–designated Women's Business Center and a New York State Entrepreneurship Assistance Center (EAC), operating as one of more than 150 WBCs in the SBA's national network. The center serves women entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners across seven Central New York counties (Onondaga, Oneida, Madison, Oswego, Jefferson, Cortland, and Cayuga), with a three-counselor staff plus Program Manager delivering services in person in Syracuse and remotely via Zoom and phone.

WISE's core product is a portfolio of no-cost-to-client business counseling and structured training programs. Free 1:1 counseling is the flagship service, augmented by short WISE Connect Sessions (15–30 minutes) bookable through Calendly, a 10-session Accelerate: Business Plan Intensive ($150) that bundles LivePlan software access, a five-part Accelerate: Financial Management Series ($50), a four-part Loan Ready Series ($25), and Building Blocks workshops plus digital marketing workshops delivered by external expert instructors. Annual flagship programs include the State of CNY Women Entrepreneurs Report and the WISE Economic Impact Forum.

WISE has no proprietary technology and no AI product; its stack is built on third-party tools—Zoom for delivery, Eventbrite for registration, Calendly for scheduling, DreamBuilder and Kauffman FastTrac for coursework, and LivePlan (with AI features) for business plan drafting. Revenue mechanics are grant-funded rather than transactional: the SBA Cooperative Agreement covers ~37.5% of the disclosed $470,270.83 total program cost, with the remaining non-federal share (62.5%) sourced from Empire State Development and other grants and donations processed through Syracuse University's tax-deductible giving system. Pricing on paid programs is set to recover costs rather than generate margin, with need-based scholarships available.

Name

WISE Women’s Business Center

Legal name

WISE Women's Business Center

Website

https://wisecenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WISE Women's Business Center is a Syracuse-based nonprofit, founded in 2006 and hosted by Syracuse University, that provides no-cost business counseling, training programs, and lending-readiness support to women entrepreneurs across seven Central New York counties under SBA and NYS designations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Development Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG), Technical & Digital Skills Training (BPACANAB)

Keywords

• Business counseling services
• Entrepreneurship training programs
• Small business development
• Women business center
• Business plan intensive

Headquarters

HQ city

Syracuse

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: WISE operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through federal grants from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and state funding from Empire State Development and other federal sources. Total program cost documented at $470,270.83, with Federal Share of $176,270.83 (37.49%) and Non-Federal Share of $294,000.00 (62.51%).
2. Donations: The organization accepts tax-deductible donations processed through Syracuse University's donation system. Donations support no-cost counseling and training programs for women entrepreneurs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WISE Women's Business Center delivers no-cost 1:1 small business counseling and structured cohort training programs to women entrepreneurs in Central New York. Core services include personalized business counseling, short-form WISE Connect Sessions for quick questions, a 10-session Accelerate Business Plan Intensive, a 5-part Financial Management Series, a Loan Ready Series, and Building Blocks startup workshops. Programs are funded primarily by SBA and NYS grants and are offered with nominal fees or full scholarships to remove cost barriers for women business owners.

Product overview

WISE Women's Business Center operates as a nonprofit support organization offering a portfolio of consulting and training services for women entrepreneurs in Central New York. The core offerings include free 1:1 Business Counseling for personalized strategic advice, WISE Connect Sessions for quick guidance, and structured programs such as the Accelerate: Business Plan Intensive (10-week intensive with LivePlan software) and Accelerate: Financial Management Series (5-part cohort on financial fundamentals). Supporting programs include Building Blocks workshops for aspiring entrepreneurs, the Loan Ready Series for financing preparation, and digital marketing workshops. The center also publishes the annual State of CNY Women Entrepreneurs Report and hosts the WISE Economic Impact Forum. Services are delivered via a mix of virtual sessions (Zoom) and in-person counseling, with programs often using Eventbrite for registration and Calendly for scheduling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Counseling Free, personalized 1:1 business counseling for women entrepreneurs at every stage, from idea exploration through growth. Clients are matched with a dedicated counselor following an intake process and receive strategic advice on business planning, funding options, financial projections, and operational challenges.
• WISE Connect Sessions Free 15–30 minute one-on-one sessions with a WISE Connector for quick answers to business-related questions, recommendations, or help identifying next steps. Self-scheduled through Calendly and available almost every day including some before/after work hours.
• Accelerate: Business Plan Intensive (ABPI) 10-week hands-on intensive guiding entrepreneurs through developing a comprehensive business plan. Includes weekly 1:1 counseling, LivePlan software access (90 days, with built-in AI tools), and 10 interactive sessions on business model canvas, market analysis, financial forecasting, and pitch development. Cost is $150 with need-based partial scholarships available.
• Accelerate: Financial Management Series Five-part online cohort series covering budgeting, bookkeeping, financial statements, cash flow projections, and credit. Designed for existing business owners currently generating revenue (ideally 6+ months in business). Includes 1:1 technical assistance with a financial expert. Cost is $50.
• Building Blocks for Starting Your Business Introductory Zoom workshop covering essentials of starting a business, including market research, target marketing, unique selling points, and building a support team. Offered twice monthly via Zoom.
• Loan Ready Series Four-session series guiding women business owners through loan readiness, financing options, building loan packages, and preparing to meet with lenders. Includes a free 30-minute one-on-one consultation with finance expert Maria Randall. Cost is $25.
• Digital Marketing Workshops Workshops covering digital marketing topics including SEO basics, website building for service businesses, online store setup, and email marketing strategy. Conducted by external expert Maisha Walker of Message Medium.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 195 women entrepreneurs helped write business plans since 2021 through Accelerate program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Whitman School of Management (Syracuse University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWISE is hosted by Syracuse University's Martin J. Whitman School of Management, providing institutional backing, academic credibility, and access to university resources and student talent.
• NYS Entrepreneurship Assistance Center (EAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWISE is a designated NYS Entrepreneurship Assistance Center, allowing expanded services beyond standard Women's Business Center programming.
• Message Medium (Maisha Walker)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDigital marketing agency whose founder Maisha Walker serves as instructor for multiple WISE training programs including digital marketing, website building, and online store development workshops.
• A La Carte Business Services (Chris Belna)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVirtual accounting and financial services company whose CEO Chris Belna serves as instructor for the Accelerate Financial Management program and panelist for financial management events.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC): WBENC is the largest certifier of women-owned businesses in the U.S. and provides education, networking, and supplier connection resources. It overlaps with WISE in serving women entrepreneurs but focuses on certification and corporate supplier diversity rather than startup counseling.
• NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners): NAWBO is a national membership organization supporting women business owners through advocacy, networking, and education. While it overlaps with WISE in serving women entrepreneurs, its model is dues-based membership rather than free grant-funded counseling.
• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses: Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is a national program providing business education, mentorship, and access to capital to growth-oriented entrepreneurs. It is comparable to WISE in providing structured training, though it targets higher-revenue businesses and is not free.

Direct peers

• SCORE: SCORE is a nonprofit network providing free 1:1 mentoring, workshops, and resources to small business owners across the U.S. It directly overlaps with WISE's no-cost counseling and training model for entrepreneurs, though SCORE serves all demographics rather than focusing exclusively on women.
• AARP Foundation / SCORE Women Entrepreneurs Program: The AARP-SCORE partnership offers free mentoring and educational resources specifically targeted at older entrepreneurs (50+), providing a comparable niche-focused free counseling model similar to WISE's women-focused services.
• Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) Network: SBDCs are SBA-funded resource partners offering free business consulting and low-cost training to small businesses nationwide. They are direct comparables to WISE in service model (free counseling, training programs, capital access guidance) but typically serve all entrepreneurs rather than women only.
• Empire State Development - Entrepreneurship Assistance Centers (NYS EAC): The NYS EAC network of which WISE is a designated member provides parallel business counseling and training services to entrepreneurs across New York State, sharing funding sources and program structure with WISE.
• Women's Business Centers National Network: WISE itself is one of 150+ SBA Women's Business Centers; sister centers such as Brooklyn Women's Business Center, NY Women's Chamber of Commerce, and equivalent regional WBCs offer identical SBA-funded services targeting women entrepreneurs and are the most direct peers.

Regional players

• Start Small Think Big: Start Small Think Big is a nonprofit providing free business services to low-income entrepreneurs in select U.S. cities. It mirrors WISE's mission of serving under-resourced entrepreneurs with no-cost counseling, but operates in different metros (not Central NY).

Others

• Kauffman Foundation (FastTrac): The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation provides the FastTrac entrepreneurship curriculum that WISE delivers to clients. It is an enabling partner/supplier in the same small-business education ecosystem rather than a competitor, but represents the larger foundation-backed player in entrepreneur training.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WiseWBC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wise-womens-business-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/wise_wbc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WISE Women’s Business Center