[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 61 (Wednesday, May 5, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S4903]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



  (At the request of Mr. Daschle, the following statement was ordered 
to be printed in the Record.)

 ANDREA SILBERT, CEO OF THE CENTER FOR WOMEN AND ENTERPRISE AND LEADER 
                         FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS

 Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I would like to take this 
opportunity to honor Andrea C. Silbert, founder of the Center for Women 
and Enterprise, CWE, for her dedicated and tireless work on behalf of 
women in business. On Friday, after 9 years of outstanding service, 
Andrea stepped down as chief executive officer for CWE. I am pleased to 
take this moment to reflect on Andrea's achievements and her 
contribution to the growing community of women entrepreneurs.
  Andrea began her career working for Morgan Stanley in New York, but 
after only a few years, left the financial capital of the world to 
pursue her interest in community economic development. This led Andrea 
to spend several years helping the less fortunate in Costa Rica, 
Colombia and Brazil. While in Latin America, Andrea conducted research 
on nontraditional exports, taught seminars in financial planning of 
microloan programs for Women's World Banking, and in Brazil helped 
disadvantaged young girls with income-generating projects.
  In 1994, with this invaluable experience and fresh perspective on 
economic development issues in the United States, Andrea returned to 
her hometown of Boston with the hope of starting a nonprofit for women 
entrepreneurs. Her idea was to create a launching pad for all women, 
regardless of background, to start a business. She was particularly 
concerned with helping disadvantaged women break the cycle of poverty 
and become financial self-sufficient. Her efforts led to the 
establishment of a community-based resource where aspiring women 
entrepreneurs learn from those who have the experience and knowledge to 
help others succeed. On October 23, 1995, with financial backing from 
the Small Business Administration, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 
the Bank of Boston, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Andrea 
started CWE.
  Under Andrea's leadership and with a budget of $350,000, three 
employees, and donated space at Northeastern University, CWE developed 
into a $2.6 million nonprofit employing 25 full-time staff with centers 
in Boston, Worcester, MA, and Providence, RI assisting nearly 2,000 
clients a year. Although CWE has quickly become the model for 
successful women's business centers, the importance of CWE to women 
entrepreneurs cannot be summed up with numbers.
  As more women experience this dream of business ownership, there will 
continue to be a need for community leaders, like Andrea, who help 
facilitate the path from poverty to prosperity through 
enterpreneurship--leaders who can help these women start small 
businesses, lift themselves up, and give back to their communities.
  As a past president of the Association of Women's Business Centers 
and former member of the National Women's Business Council, Andrea has 
been an advocate for women in business not only in Massachusetts, but 
across the country. Her testimony before the Senate Committee on Small 
Business and Entrepreneurship in February of 1997 helped develop the 
nationwide network of Women's Business Centers and helped build a 
record of support for continued and increased funding for women who 
want to start businesses.
  When Andrea started CWE in 1995, there were only 28 centers in the 
Women's Business Center network. Today, with Andrea's support, 
assistance and outreach through the Association of Women's Business 
Centers, there are 88 centers in 47 States, the District of Columbia, 
American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands. Last year, these centers helped 
106,000 clients, but without the devotion and vision of people like 
Andrea, many of the women entrepreneurs across the country would not 
have this invaluable resource.
  Andrea Silbert has not only been a leader for women in business, but 
a resounding voice for social change. On behalf of myself and my 
colleagues on the Senate Committee on Small Business and 
Entrepreneurship, I want to express my sincere gratitude and 
appreciation for Andrea's commitment to women entrepreneurs and for her 
many years of creating new opportunities for women and their 
communities. Her work through the Center for Women and Enterprise will 
be greatly missed, but I am confident that her successor, Donna Good, 
is well suited to continue Andrea's legacy of accomplishment. I want to 
wish Andrea success and good luck in whatever the future holds.

                          ____________________