Published 3/16/2016

Challenges to women-owned businesses, include access to capital, education and resources, child care, and consumer spending. To help us understand the struggle and what can be done to breach the many gaps, Sabrina Philson, President of Epsilon Strategy, and Maria Otero, Founder and President of the Women’s Venture Fund talk on women entrepreneurs.

6 Essential Resources for Women Entrepreneurs
September 14, 2015

Inc. LogoWomen are rising to the top of the startup scene. Here are some key resources to give you an
extra boost. WVF mentioned as one of the top resources for women entrepreneurs.

Steven Forbes and WVF Founder & President Maria Otero
September 3, 2014

34b5c1_876bfee0456545b5b949ed9c63615797.jpg_srz_p_324_415_75_22_0.50_1.20_0Women Venture Fund’s President & Founder Maria Otero and Steven Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media, as they share a few words about monetary policy and small business at an Alley NYC midtown business gathering in New York.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor and WVF Founder and President Maria Otero
July 2, 2014

34b5c1_32de970f48624e29bd12254ee3cb978e.jpg_srz_p_354_392_75_22_0.50_1.20_0The Honorable Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and Women’s Venture Fund Founder and President Maria Otero at the New York Women’s Bar Association Award Dinner. Justice Sotomayor received the NYWBA President’s Special Award.

Prominent Japanese and Korean women leaders visit Women’s Venture Fund
June 26, 2014

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Eleven visiting Japanese and Korean women leaders in business, media, and politics visited the Women’s Venture Fund. The group was in the United States under the auspices of the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program and came to New York after attending the White House Summit on Working Families. Among them was the Chair of the Japanese ruling party’s General Council; a member of the Korean National Assembly; the Editor of Korean Cosmopolitan; and the Editor in Chief of AERA, the intellectual weekly published by Asahi Shimbun.

Although both countries have relatively large and modern economies, equality in the workplace and entrepreneurial opportunities for women are issues of ongoing concern. Aware that today many new businesses in America are started by women, the group came to learn how Women’s Venture Fund supports women owned businesses and helps them to grow and flourish.

Do Female Entrepreneurs Still Need the Extra Boost?
November 11, 2013

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Maria Otero, Founder and President of the Women’s Venture Fund, discusses the state of female entrepreneurship on Fox Business Channel.

Watch the clip on Fox Business.

LatinTRENDS Interviews WVF President & Founder Maria Otero
May 6, 2013


LatinTRENDS writer Giselle Rodriguez-Forté interviews founder of Women’s Venture Fund, Maria Otero. She talks about “What’s Trending?” in business at the 6th Annual iConomy Expo.

The 2013 WVF Highest Leaf Awardees at the NASDAQ Closing Bell
April 24, 2013

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The Women’s Venture Fund, Inc. (WVF) announced the recipients of the 2013 Highest Leaf Awards honoring five women for their successful business careers and commitment to nurturing other women in business at the NASDAQ Closing Bell Ceremony.

The 2013 honorees are:

  • Dr. Sharon B. DeVito, Senior Vice President, Vaughn College
  • Laurinda Ferreira, Financial Services Representative/Financial Advisor, Five Star FinancialGroup, an office of MetLife
  • Alison B. Flynn, Senior Vice President, Operations, GNYHA Services, Inc., and Nexera, Inc.
  • Heidi Levine, Co-Managing Partner, New York Office, DLA Piper
  • Charlene Prounis, CEO & Managing Partner, Flashpoint Medica

The Women in the World Foundation Names Maria Otero as their Woman of the Week
April 13, 2012

WIWFOUNDATION_LOGOMaria Otero, President of the Women’s Venture Fund, wasnamed Woman of the Week by the Women in the World Foundation for her untiring and highly successful efforts in helping women in New York and New Jersey launch and grow their small businesses.

Interviewed by Anna Louie Sussman, a writer for the Foundation, Ms. Otero spoke about womenentrepreneurship, common mistakes made by women business owners and how the government can better support them. “It’s very important that women get comfortable with their financial data and see what it’s telling them about the state of their business. Though women are not motivated as much as men to focus on the bottom line, sound business decisions can’t be made without a strong understanding of their financial information. This discomfort with the numbers limits the growth of their companies.”

WVF Board Members in the Media

rsz_team_shotWomen Who Make Life Matter: Claudia

Although Claudia’s only worked as an advisor for seven years, her mother has been an advisor with MetLife for 31 years. From attending recognition conferences with her to visiting the office, Claudia’s mother demonstrated how this career could be emotionally and monetarily rewarding.