Merry Korn, CEO of Pearl Interactive Network, completed the 2012 Tuck-WBENC Executive Program, an intensive week-long executive learning experience held at IBM’s Learning Center in Armonk, NY, along with 50 other women entrepreneurs earlier this month. The Tuck-WBENC Executive Program, which was established in 2003 and has been sponsored by IBM since then, stemmed from an idea to create a program tailored to the needs of women business owners. Today it offers step-by-step tactics designed to help women entrepreneurs grow their business with a focus on improving strategic planning, organization, resources, and systems and processes.
Tuck is the nation’s oldest graduate school of business and is renowned for its collaborative learning approach. The Tuck-WBENC program is designed to prepare business owners to think differently about how they approach and operate their businesses. To enhance the relevance of the experience, the course used Pearl’s business plan as a case study in the curriculum. Pearl Interactive Network expects to reap immediate benefits from the marketing, financial and organizational strategies taught in the class.
Pearl Interactive Network, Inc. has been WBENC certified since 2009, which is one of the prerequisites for applying to the program. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) is the leading authority and advocate for women-owned businesses as suppliers to the nation’s premier corporations and government entities. WBENC certifies women-owned businesses with a world-class, rigorous process recognized by corporations and government agencies; and is authorized by the Small Business Administration to certify Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB). The WOSB Program provides government-owned procuring agencies a tool to help meet their WOSB contracting goal of 5% of prime contracting dollars being awarded to WOSBs.
“The Tuck-WBENC Executive program is an exceptional opportunity for women business owners to examine their business plan, strategize for growth, and network with other prominent women in business,” stated President and CEO of WBENC, Pamela Prince-Eason.