A day-long research forum will be held in Chicago on January 23 as part of a national project to identify the barriers and challenges women of color face in the pursuit of business growth. The core of the project is research forums in five cities bringing women of color entrepreneurs together to identify key issues. 

The research will culminate in a 2008 national conference where recommendations generated by the research will be announced.

The research is being conducted by the Center for Women's Business Research and Babson College's Center for Women's Leadership. The goal is to identify actions and strategies to meet and overcome the identified obstacles. The first four forums were held in Atlanta, Dallas, Philadelphia and San Francisco. 

"As of 2006, there are 2.4 million businesses owned by women of color. They are starting businesses at a faster rate than all businesses, but their firms are not achieving the same level of success when measured by revenues and employment," said Sheila Brooks, national spokesperson for the initiative and president and CEO of SRB Productions Inc.

Women entrepreneurs who are African-American, Asian, Latina or another ethnicity must apply to participate. Selection criteria include owning a business that is at least 50 percent woman-owned, with annual revenue from $250,000 to $5 million. All types of industries are welcome. Contact the Center for Women’s Business Research.--Eve Gumpel