Platform creates access to new markets for women-owned businesses

Bank of America, in partnership with Seneca Women, has launched a new online marketplace for women entrepreneurs, providing them access to new markets and opportunities for consumers to shop and support their businesses.

The Bank of America Marketplace by Seneca Women features a wide range of women-owned businesses, searchable by category and geography. It currently spotlights approximately 100 women from around the world including the U.S., Germany, India and Mexico, with various sectors represented such as apparel, items, home goods, fitness and beauty products.

“The Marketplace allows us to leverage our resources, partnerships and scale to create greater opportunities for women business owners to reach new markets for their products and services,” said Cynthia Bowman, Chief Diversity, Inclusion and Corporate Social Responsibility Officer at Bank of America. “At Bank of America, we know that when women thrive, whole families, whole communities and whole economies thrive.”

“We at Seneca Women are thrilled to be partnering with Bank of America on a marketplace to showcase women-owned businesses,” said Sharon Bowen, Partner, Seneca Women and Chair of the New York Stock Exchange. “Women business owners have shown remarkable resilience and ingenuity during these challenging times, starting businesses at historic rates. The Bank of America Marketplace by Seneca Women will enable us to support them by shopping from incredible women-owned businesses.”

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Bank of America has leveraged key partners including the Tory Burch Foundation, Cherie Blair Foundation, the Bank of America Institute for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Cornell and Vital Voices to help identify women who are taking part in the Marketplace.

“Access to markets is critically important to any business, whether mission-based or for-profit,” said Ariela Suster, CEO of Sequence Collection, an El-Salvador based social enterprise, whose products are available on the Marketplace. “At Sequence, increasing our visibility and market opportunities will help us fulfill our mission of disrupting the cycle of violence that limits at-risk youth, and provide employment and training opportunities for young men and women who live in gang and violence-ridden communities.”

Investing in women

Bank of America is committed to investing in women through programs that support women entrepreneurs by providing access to training, mentorship, capital, markets, and philanthropic support, helping to empower women in communities around the globe. For example:

• Through the Tory Burch Foundation and Bank of America Capital Program we have provide more than $95 million in affordable capital to over 5,000 U.S. women entrepreneurs to help grow their businesses.
• Through Bank of America’s partnership with Cornell University, 100,000 women will have the ability to pursue a business education through the only online Ivy League program offering a certificate in women’s entrepreneurship at no cost.
• Since its inception in 2011, the Global Ambassadors Program, a partnership between Bank of America and Vital Voices, has supported more than 350 women from 85 countries—by helping women grow their business and organizations. 
• We partner with the Cherie Blair Foundation in their Mentoring Women in Business program to connect women small business to mentoring expertise.
• In partnership with Seneca Women, the Bank of America Access to Capital Directory features hundreds of organizations providing funding for women-owned businesses across the U.S.