STATISTICS SHOW THAT 252 MILLION ENTREPRENEURS OUT OF APPROXIMATELY 582 MILLION IN THE WORLD ARE FEMALE. ADDED TO 153 MILLION WOMEN WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN RUNNING BUSINESSES, WE CAN SEE THE IMPACT OF WOMEN ON BUSINESS. THE GREAT DISCOVERY IS THAT 70% OF THESE WOMEN ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN. THAT’S RIGHT: HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW RELEASED A NEW REPORT SHARING THAT IN THE U.S., “17% OF BLACK WOMEN ARE IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING OR RUNNING NEW BUSINESSES, COMPARED TO JUST 10% OF WHITE WOMEN, AND 15% OF WHITE MEN.” FPI-NETWORK IS DETERMINED TO INCREASE THOSE NUMBERS. THE MODERATE RATE OF 17% CAN ONLY INDICATE THAT MORE WOMEN OF COLOR ARE INTERESTED IN STARTING BUSINESSES. OUT OF THIS MODERATE PERCENTAGE “, ONLY 3% CONTINUE TO RUN MATURE BUSINESSES. REASONS FOR THE DROPOFF POINT TO OBSTACLES IN ACCESSING CAPITAL AND THE TYPES OF BUSINESSES LAUNCHED TEND TO BE IN CROWDED MARKETPLACES WITH LOWER MARGINS.” THE FPI-NETWORK HAS RECOGNIZED THAT ASSETS, FUNDING, AND INFORMATION SHARING ARE MARGINAL IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THE NETWORK WILL FUND INCUBATOR PROGRAMS TO HELP TALENTED AND THRIVING WOMEN LAUNCH THEIR BUSINESSES FROM CONCEPTION TO LAUNCH.