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New Group Promotes Women Entrepreneurs In St. Louis

(Courtesy: Jenny Dibble)

When Jenny Dibble returned to St. Louis after five years on the West Coast, she was struck by two features of her hometown’s entrepreneurial culture: one, it was way bigger and more dynamic than she expected; and two, there were a lot of men.

“At every event I attended, I noticed a strange absence of women,” Dibble said.

She decided to investigate and found that she was not the only St. Louis businesswoman craving a community. From that, the idea for Women Entrepreneurs of St. Louis (WEST) was born.

Along with founding members Mariquita Barbieri and Sheila Burkett, Dibble joined host Don Marsh to discuss the launch of St. Louis’ newest networking group for women.

WEST is prioritizing marketing and reaching out to interested members, but they hope to spend 2013 addressing the unique obstacles women face in the business world.

“I think a lot of it is juggling,” Burkett, Founding Partner and CFO of Spry Digital, said. “There’s family. I have a 12 year old. I have a couple of other endeavors going on. Juggling all of that, and having access to capital and [believing] that I can grow this beyond myself.”

Today’s callers and Tweeters seemed to agree that problems of capital and insufficient mentorship discourage women from growing businesses capable of supporting more than a few employees.

We’d like to keep the discussion going.  Please share what you see as the challenges for women entrepreneurs in the comments section below.

With assistance from Ariana Tobin

Follow St. Louis on the Air on Twitter @STLonAir

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Alex is the executive producer of "St. Louis on the Air" at St. Louis Public Radio.
Mary Edwards is a producer for St. Louis Public Radio's broadcast program, "St. Louis Symphony."
Don Marsh served as host of St. Louis Public Radio’s “St. Louis on the Air" from 2005 to 2019, bringing discussions of significant topics to listeners' ears at noon Monday through Friday. Don has been an active journalist for 58 years in print, radio and television. He has won 12 Regional Emmy Awards for writing, reporting, and producing. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, was inducted into the St. Louis Media Hall of Fame in 2013, and named “Media Person of the Year” by the St. Louis Press Club in 2015. He has published three books: his most recent, “Coming of Age, Liver Spots and All: A Humorous Look at the Wonders of Getting Old,” “Flash Frames: Journey of a Journeyman Journalist” and “How to be Rude (Politely).” He holds an honorary Doctor of Arts and Letters degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.