We Give Grants to Women-Owned Businesses

WomensNet founded the Amber Grant Foundation in 1998. The Foundation was set up with one goal in mind:

To honor the memory of a very special young woman, Amber Wigdahl, who died at just 19 years old — before realizing her business dreams.

Today, WomensNet carries on that tradition, giving away at least $10,000 every month in Amber Grant money. We’ve also expanded our grant-giving to include a year-end grant of $25,000.

Besides awarding grants, we are an entrepreneurial community of women who create unique content and special reports to help women business owners. On occasion, we even consult or give personalized business advice to our community members.

Be sure to check out our Facebook page; our FAQ page; or send us an email.

Meet Our Advisory Board

Marcia Layton Turner

Marcia is a bestselling author and freelance writer who also founded the Association of Ghostwriters. She is the author, co-author, or ghostwriter of more than 55 business books, including the Unofficial Guide to Starting a Small Business, which was named a “Business Book of the Year” when it was published.

Her book Kmart’s Ten Deadly Sins is used in business school courses and the Unofficial Guide to Marketing Your Small Business won an APEX Award for content. Her award-winning work has appeared in Inc., Fast Company, Businessweek, Entrepreneur, Woman’s Day, and Black Enterprise, among many others. Online you can find her work at US News & World Report, CNNMoney, and Forbes, where she is a regular contributor. She earned her MBA from the University of Michigan.

Yamalis Hernandez

Yama’s career experiences includes a dual role at the United Way. She was both a Program Officer for disability funded programs, as well as Coordinator of the Latino Leadership Development Program. In this capacity, Yama had the opportunity to understand resource development and program funding.

She also served as Curriculum Development Specialist for Rural Opportunities, a role in which she partnered with the CDC to research and make recommendations for the adaptation and tailoring of several evidenced based behavioral interventions for rural migrant populations. Her interest in supporting women’s initiatives has also taken her internationally, working with HIV positive women in a shelter in Lima, Peru, and in an agricultural community in Costa Rica. She holds a Master’s of Science in Counseling Education from SUNY Brockport.

Cindy Krautwurst

Cindy is a “first generation” American who was born to two immigrant parents who left Europe after WW2 (one from Italy and one from Yugoslavia). She retired after 30-plus years in the workforce, 23 of which were in higher education as an Executive Assistant.

She describes that as “making things happen, building and sustaining relationships” noting that “attitude is everything.” Her credentials include Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) credential from IAAP (International Association of Administrative Professionals). Cindy serves as our part-time multitasker extraordinaire.

Peninah Wise

Peninah was born in beautiful Kenya. Professionally, she has a background in both business and banking. She serves WomensNet in an advisory capacity, reviewing applications to help us determine the Amber Grant monthly recipients (as well as the year end $25,000 winner).

What people are saying about WomensNet

“You have to be in it to win it...seize the opportunity and apply.”

“The Foundation awards $10,000 to a different women-owned business every month. At the end of each year, one of the 12 grant winners is awarded an additional $25,000.”

“Launched 20 years ago this grant honors the memory of a young woman who wanted to be an entrepreneur but died at age 19 before she could achieve her goal.”

“The Amber Grant Foundation was launched in 1998 to honor the memory of a young woman. The grant was formed to help women entrepreneurs reach their goals when Amber could not.”