Mercy Corps Northwest Launches Online Business Education Platform
New online learning platform offers free self-paced e-courses for entrepreneurs in Oregon and SW Washington.
Portland, OR -- The Oregon Women’s Business Center at Mercy Corps Northwest recently launched RISE, an online learning platform that features free business education courses. The online offerings are designed specifically for women entrepreneurs in Oregon and Southwest Washington but open to small business owners across the United States. Entrepreneurs can sign up on mercycorpsnw.com/rise.
“Business owners need all the help they can get right now and many women can’t access education because of time, distance or affordability,” says Marisa Robertson-Textor, COVID-19 response manager at the Oregon Women’s Business Center. “RISE meets women business owners exactly where they are and offers concrete skills so they can feel confident about running their business.”
RISE aims to provide women with the skills and resources to start, grow or re-open their business through a variety of courses that are made to address setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Current courses on RISE cover a variety of topics including: how to improve remote working practices, establish and maintain digital security, enhance record-keeping skills, and navigate long-term uncertainty. New courses will be added regularly.
“RISE's Rebuilding Your Foundations was a phenomenal class. It helped me to understand that I'm not alone and gave me tools to rebuild my business with different strategies,” says Mallory Smith, owner of Sunday School and a Mercy Corps Northwest client. “I recommend RISE for any business owner struggling to get back on their feet after the pandemic.”
RISE is hosted by Oregon Women’s Business Center at Mercy Corps Northwest and is funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
About RISE
RISE is the platform that houses all of Mercy Corps Northwest’s e-learning offerings, including free COVID-related courses designed to help small business owners navigate the pandemic and emerge stronger than ever.
About Oregon Women’s Business Center
The Oregon Women’s Business Center at Mercy Corps Northwest is funded by the Small Business Administration and works to elevate women entrepreneurs by educating, financing and counseling them through the process of starting and growing a business.