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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