Susan Rittscher has been named president and CEO of The Center for Women & Enterprise. Prior to joining CWE, Rittscher was director of executive and volunteer development for the YMCA of the USA, overseeing leaders of the nation’s 975 YMCAs. She has a B.A. in social welfare from California State University and an M.A. in human-service leadership and management from Springfield College in Massachusetts.
PBN: What responsibilities will you undertake at CWE?
RITTSCHER: As president and CEO, it will be my responsibility to lead and manage the organization. With the board, I will continue to set the vision and strategy for the organization, determine community needs, develop programs and service strategies, cultivate a balanced funding stream, build relationships and manage teams to ensure the mission is fulfilled.
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PBN: You led the first successful capital campaign at the YMCA in two decades, with a 200 percent growth during your tenure. In what ways are you looking to grow CWE?
RITTSCHER: Women-owned businesses are an uptrend and the forecast is for continued escalation. Some women come to us from the corporate world and want to try something different; some come from working inside the home with an idea for a business; and some come later in life for the “second dance” so to speak. Although I have not yet conducted a formal evaluation, I envision an expansion of programs designed to help women find and realize success.
PBN: What kind of role does CWE play in the corporate, business and philanthropic environment?
RITTSCHER: CWE has a very important role that is unique in the three environments.
In the corporate and business environment we help women at every stage of business development and at all points of the economic spectrum. We are the sole provider of certification for women-owned businesses, a very important designation from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council that is the “good housekeeping” seal major corporations look for when determining relationships.
In the philanthropic area, we are a not-for-profit organization that raises funds to make sure that all can participate. We have great relationships with foundations and donors and more than 75 percent of our budget comes from contributions. Half of our participants are low income and a third are single mothers; 25 percent of our clients are minorities, with the number of Latino women participating tripling. •
The Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE), established in 1995, has Massachusetts offices in Boston and Worcester, as well as the CWE-Rhode Island office in Providence. A nonprofit organization dedicated to helping women start and grow their own businesses, CWE is a national leader among women’s business development agencies. Additional information is available at www.cweonline.org.
