ANGELA NITSCHKE has been named project manager of the Center for Women & Enterprise’s new COVID Business Recovery Program. CWE Rhode Island will be providing information, resources and programming as part of this new endeavor. Nitschke previously worked in program management at the international law firm Brown Rudnick LLP, where she coordinated the pro bono legal representation, employee volunteering and charitable giving. Prior to that, she worked in fundraising and business administration at the Boston Medical Center. In her role at CWE, she will provide entrepreneurs and small-business owners with educational programming and assistance in accessing pandemic-related financial relief.
What was your reaction to being named project manager at CWE for the COVID Business Recovery Program? In addition to my new role at CWE, I co-own and operate a floral design company that services weddings and special events throughout New England. As a small-business owner in an industry heavily impacted by COVID-19, I know firsthand the devastation of this pandemic on an events-based revenue stream and the challenges of pivoting and scaling back operations.
What will be your chief duties as project manager? As CWE Rhode Island’s COVID Business Recovery project manager, I am here to assist CWE clients one-on-one with their COVID-related business needs, whether it be helping them apply for pandemic-specific grant funding, connecting them with a marketing expert to help sharpen their sales strategy, or educating them about their bank’s PPP [Paycheck Protection Program] loan forgiveness process. I am also responsible for creating inclusive and empowering virtual programming that will help CWE clients get through the pandemic, such as educational webinars, interactive classes and wellness events.
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing businesses in this pandemic climate and how does CWE intend to help? The biggest challenges many businesses are facing in this climate are the obvious ones: financial struggles caused by a decrease in revenue due to business closures, event cancellations and social distancing restrictions; adapting to new and changing government regulations; figuring out how to keep employees and customers safe and healthy while remaining open for business. CWE is poised to help with these challenges through direct assistance with financial-support applications and by connecting clients with educational resources on the best COVID business practices for their industry.
What do you hope CWE’s new Business Recovery Program will accomplish? Rhode Island is only as strong as its small-business community. Small businesses make up 98.9% of Rhode Island businesses; they are responsible for 61.6% of Rhode Island’s total export revenue; and they employ 52.7% of Rhode Island employees. At CWE, we are determined to help keep small businesses afloat during this economic crisis. We are particularly focused on supporting small businesses in underserved communities and those run by women.
