New BGV Graduates
Ten local female entrepreneurs graduate as the newest group of "Bad Girls." Learn about the loan winners, why to keep them on your radar, and how to take advantage of the next BGV courses and loans.

BGV Fall 2012 winner Taren Kinebrew, founder of Sweet Petit Desserts

There are more and more bad girls in the world, and that's a good thing.

In 2013, Candace Klein launched Bad Girl Ventures, Inc. (BVG) as an educational and leadership-building program to serve female entrepreneurs in Cincinnati. In June 2011, BGV achieved the status of as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit charitable organization. Since then, BGV has expanded into Cleveland and Columbus.

"BGV is dedicated to its mission of building and sustaining well-managed, profitable women owned businesses by providing female entrepreneurs with guidance, education, and access to capital," says Corey Drushal, BGV director. "Perhaps most importantly, BGV provides these services in a unique woman focused environment that facilitates collaboration."

BGV programs and projects serve three primary objectives: 1) helping female entrepreneurs access the capital needed to start their businesses; 2) provide female entrepreneurs with the education needed to manage their business successfully; and 3) surrounding female entrepreneurs with the support networks needed to sustain their business.

The Cincinnati program is a nine-week start-up series that has multiple components. Each class is three hours long, consisting of two-hour interactive lectures on a variety of topics, which are taught by experts with years of industry experience. Experts include: The Entrepreneurship Organization, Bare Knuckle Marketing, Project Socialize, Leap Frog Interactive, Burke and Schindler, Chase College of Law, and the University of Cincinnati. The sessions are followed by hour-long individual coaching sessions.
 

On December 13 2012, BGV graduated its most recent group of 10 graduates. Taren Kinebrew, founder of Sweet Petit Desserts, was named the BGV Fall 2012 winner and was awarded a $25,000 loan, sponsored by First Financial. In addition, thanks to a grant from the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund, two $10,000 loans were awarded to Renee LaFaive of The Mary Jane Brownie Company as well as Ellen Cavanaugh and Angela Parker of Your Event Sitters. One $5,000 loan was awarded to Fielden Willmott of Fielden Willmott Millinery.

"We are so impressed with the group of talented entrepreneurs, finalists and students that participated in our Fall 2012 course," Drushal says. "Taren is an amazing woman and business owner that will immediately contribute to Cincinnati’s small business economy. Thanks to First Financial's contribution to BGV, Taren will be able to open her storefront."
 

BGV is now welcoming men and women to participate as students in the Spring 2013 class. Those interested can register online at www.badgirlventures.com. Please contact the Corey Drushal with any questions at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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