Portland observer., October 04, 2000, Page 16, Image 16

Çnrtlanb ©baeruer = = = = = N ational Minority Business W eek —
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_octob«r ^
2000
T oran B u ild s S u p p o r t fo r W o m en , M in o r itie s
Communities Benefit When Women and Minority Entrepreneurs Have Access to Business
Related-Resources, Specialized Training and Finances
M ichael L eichton
P ortland O bserver
E m b ra c in g d iv e rs ity in b u s i­
n e ss is a w in -w in p r o p o s itio n ,
a c c o rd in g to O re g o n b u s in e s s
an d c iv ic le a d e r K a y T o ra n .
A s p r e s id e n t a n d c h ie f e x e c u ­
tiv e o f f ic e r o f V o lu n te e r s o f
A m e ric a o f O re g o n an d a lo n g ­
tim e p u b lic s e rv a n t, T o ra n se e s
how c o m m u n itie s b e n e fit w h en
w o m en an d m in o rity e n tr e p r e ­
n e u rs h a v e a c c e s s to b u s in e s s
r e la te d - r e s o u r c e s , s p e c ia liz e d
tra in in g a n d fin a n c e s.
In th e la s t 2 0 y e a r s , m a n y
w om en a n d m in o rity -o w n e d b u s i­
n e s se s h a v e a c h ie v e d su c c e s s ,
b u t i t ’s a s tr u g g le th a t m u st be
p u rsu ed .
“ P o licy m a tte rs, o u r e le c te d o f­
fic e s m a tte r,” T o ra n said .
T o ran s a id o u r co m m u n ity b e n ­
e fits w h en th e r e ’s s u p p o rt fo r a d ­
v e n tu ro u s, c r e a tiv e p e o p le w ho
tr a d itio n a lly h a v e n o t h ad a c c e ss
to e c o n o m ic p o w er.
"N e w m in o rity e n tre p re n e u rs ,
for e x a m p le , a n a ly z e m a rk e ts d if­
fe re n tly a n d c a n b e tte r m e e t c o n ­
su m e r d e m a n d s " , T o ra n sa id .
Kay Toran at the administrative building lalunteers o f America of Oregon
Outstanding
Women
Executives
Honored
And the
Astra Award
Winner is...
F iv e o u ts ta n d in g O re g o n
w om en executives will be honored
for their business acum en and ac­
com plishm ents at the Fifth A n­
nual A stra aw ards, taking place at
the O regon Convention C enter at
noon on Friday, O ctober 6 ,2 000.
The awards cerem ony is the cen­
terpiece o f E m pow erm ent 2000,
A stra Society International’s first-
ever B usiness Expo and C onfer­
ence for W omen.
The day-long conference is tar­
geted to w om en business ow ners,
executives and m iddle managers.
It features a full floor o f exhibitors
and 13 national speakers, provid­
ing w om en the opportunity to pick
up the latest professional tips,
tools and techniques w hile m ak­
S he e x p la in e d th a t th e in f u ­
sio n o f b u s in e s s m e n a n d w o m e n
w ith d if fe r e n t p e r s p e c tiv e s n o t
o n ly b u ild s a s tro n g e r e c o n o m y
b u t, “ i t ’s an e c o n o m y th a t e m ­
b ra c e s e v e r y o n e .”
T o ra n c o m m e n te d a b o u t th e
p r o s p e r o u s e c o n o m y w e ’re in
r ig h t n o w m a k e s it b e tte r fo r th e
risk ta k e rs w h o s ta rt n ew b u s i­
n e s se s. T h a t g iv e s w o m e n an d
m in o ritie s a stro n g m a rk e t to te st
th e ir id e as.
"T h e e c o n o m y a lso p u ts m o re
v e n tu re c a p ita lis ts in th e m a rk e t
as p o te n tia l p a rtn e rs fo r w o m e n
a n d m in o rity o w n e d b u s in e s s e s ,"
T o ra n sa id .
T o ra n is an a d v o c a te fo r e m ­
p o w e rin g th e in d iv id u a l th ro u g h
c o lla b o r a tio n an d c o o p e ra tio n .
H e r in itia tiv e s in s u p p o r t o f
w o m e n in th e b u s in e s s w o rld in ­
clu d e the V olunteers o f A m erica’s
Standing forChildren program, which
taps co m m u n ity sp o n so rsh ip s to
provide day care to children from
low-income families.
S h e has w o rk e d to im p ro v e
h e a lth -c a re b e n e fits fo r e m p lo y ­
e e s an d fo rm e d a m u lti-a g e n c y
p a r tn e rs h ip to k ee p k id s from
d ro p p in g o u t o f sc h o o l.
T o ra n is p r e s id e n t o f th e n a ­
tio n a l M ad am C .J. W a lk e r I n s ti­
tu te , n a m e d a f te r the firs t A f r i­
c a n -A m e ric a n m illio n a ire . T h e
o rg a n iz a tio n c o n c e n tra te s on
p r o fe s s io n a l le a d e rs h ip tra in in g
a n d n e tw o rk in g .
T o ra n h as a lw a y s h ad an in te r ­
e s t in b u s in e s s an d p u b lic s e r ­
v ic e .
H e r p a re n ts fo u n d e d p e a n ’s
B e a u ty S h o p in n o r th e a s t P o r t­
la n d , th e o ld e s t b la c k - o w n e d
b u s in e s s in th e s ta te o f O re g o n .
S h e c re d its h e r p a re n ts fo r g iv ­
in g h e r b u s in e s s sa v v y , b u t a lso
th e ir m is s io n a ry v a lu e s in p u r s u ­
in g a c a re e r in p u b lic s e rv ic e .
A s th e fo rm e r d ir e c to r o f th e
s ta te o f O r e g o n ’s S e r v ic e s to
C h ild r e n a n d F a m ilie s , T o ra n
p u s h e d th ro u g h th e la rg e s t b u d ­
g e t in c re a s e in th e d e p a r tm e n t’s
h is to ry , a d d in g 160 w o rk e rs .
At Volunteers o f America, her goal
is to make a $ 16 million dollar agency
sound fiscally, so that it can continue
to deliver quality services from the
youngest child to the oldest adult.
ing connections with other suc­
cessful women in a supportive com ­
m unity o f peers.
A stra S o cie ty In tern atio n al,
based in Portland, Oregon, is a non­
profit organization ofw om en busi­
ness ow ners,a nd executives w ork­
ing to increase econom ic and pro­
fessional opportunities for women.
M em bership is open to w om en in­
terested in expanding their sphere
o f in f lu e n c e a n d w a n tin g
m entorship and support in their
business or career.
The organization takes its name
from the Latin A d Astra perAspera,
w hich m eans, “ R ising to the Stars
T hrough D ifficulties.”
The A stra A w ards w ere cre­
ated in 1996 to turn a public spot­
light on the accom plishm ents o f
w om en in business.
O ver the last four years, 40
w om en have received the award,
for their business acum en in such
arenas as international trade, stra­
tegic alliance developm ent, and
em ployee em powerment.
We support
Minority Business
Enterprise Week.
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M ore a n d m o re o f t o d a y 's b u s i n e s s e s a r e o w n e d a n d
o p e r a t e d b y m i n o r i t i e s a n d w om en. B an k o f
A m e ric a h a s e x p e r i e n c e d p r o f e s s i o n a l s w ith t h e
r e s o u r c e s a n d u n d e r s t a n d i n g i t t a k e s t o m ake
t h o s e b u s i n e s s e s w o rk . From b u s i n e s s l o a n s a n d
p a y r o l l s e r v i c e s t o c r e d i t c a r d p r o c e s s i n g , w e 'r e
th e r e fo r you.
c:
put your business in motion
Bankof America
w w w .bankam erica.com
2000 Bank o f America Member FOIC.
An equal opportunity lender
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