Earlier this year, I applied for and was accepted into Bank of America's Women's Entrepreneurship certification program through Cornell. The next three months will be filled with a lot of learning and rigorous work, but I'm ready to soak up all the knowledge. In this post, I'll share more about the program and what I'll learn.

About the Program

Providing women entrepreneurs with the skills, knowledge, and resources to build, manage, and scale a successful business.

The Bank of America Institute for Women's Entrepreneurship at Cornell is a collaboration between Bank of America and Cornell University to provide 100,000 entrepreneurs with access to an online certificate program that provides the knowledge and resources to build and scale successful businesses.

The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of emerging entrepreneurs who are developing their own leadership skills and approaching their business decisions to maximize the chance for success. The six courses include topics such as assessing readiness for entrepreneurship, performing customer discovery, creating a business model, executing product development and digital marketing, building a legal framework for success, assessing and obtaining financial resources, developing leadership capacity, and enhancing communication, negotiation, and persuasiveness skills. In each course, participants will hear about specific aspects that impact women entrepreneurs, and each entrepreneur will be given the opportunity to adapt the learning to her specific context.

Visit the website to learn more about the program.

How I Discovered the Program

For a few years, I've seen several posts cycling around Facebook sharing the open enrollment for a FREE 12-week online Women's Entrepreneurship Certification program offered online via Cornell University and funded by Bank of America. All over the internet, women entrepreneurs and professionals were sharing their experiences and encouraging others to apply. Every time it came across my profile, I saved it, intending to apply. Once or twice, I've tried to apply, but the program was expectedly full each time. Still, with the unpredictable nature of life in recent years, the posts were forever lost in my unchecked list of Facebook saves.

Earlier this year, the post made its regular appearance in my newsfeed as I was scrolling on Facebook. I remembered having seen it multiple times before and immediately decided to apply instead of saving it for later. I was finally able to submit an application to the program, and it was approved!

Admittedly, I forgot about being enrolled in the program because my classes didn't start for four months. Luckily, I saw the post cycling around Facebook again, and when I tried to apply, I saw that I was already enrolled and my classes would be starting in May.

What I Hope to Learn

This month, my first courses in the program are starting. I can't wait to see what the program will teach me to enhance my credibility as a business professional and entrepreneur.

What excites me most about this program is the opportunity to gain practical skills that I can directly apply to my business endeavors. From mastering the art of customer discovery to crafting a robust business model, I hope to learn how to strategically position my business for long-term success. The financial planning and budgeting courses are particularly appealing, as they will equip me with the tools to manage my business finances more effectively and seek out the best funding opportunities.

Additionally, I am eager to enhance my leadership and negotiation skills. Being a woman in the entrepreneurial world comes with its own challenges, and I look forward to learning how to navigate them confidently. The program's focus on communication and persuasion will be invaluable, helping me to pitch my ideas more effectively and build stronger relationships with partners, clients, and investors.

Final Thoughts

As I embark on this educational journey, I'm filled with anticipation and enthusiasm. My immediate goal is to absorb as much knowledge as possible and apply it to my current business projects. In the long term, I aim to leverage the insights and skills gained from this program to expand my business and explore new entrepreneurial ventures. Being accepted into the Bank of America's Women's Entrepreneurship certification program at Cornell represents a significant step towards achieving my professional goals and establishing myself as a credible business leader.

It's a tremendous opportunity to learn from industry experts, connect with like-minded women, and gain knowledge that will undoubtedly shape my future endeavors. I'm excited to share my experiences and insights with you all as I progress through the program. Stay tuned for updates and insights I'll share along the way!