Episodes

How are New York and Connecticut embracing growth, innovation, and collaboration? Join Fran Pastore as she engages in a dynamic dialogue with Alexandra Daum, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), and...

Join Fran Pastore in this episode of Courageous Conversations as she speaks with Dr. Oscar Guerra, an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker and UConn professor. Dr. Guerra shares his experience directing "Grit & Grace: The Fight for the...

Connecticut State Comptroller Sean Scanlon is on a mission to make financial literacy and saving for retirement more accessible for the state’s small businesses and their employees. He sits down with Fran in today’s episode of Courageous...

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” – Ben Franklin Mr. Franklin certainly knew what he was talking about – especially for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs! That’s why Fran is joined by WBDC Business...

Unlocking Connecticut is a blog, Instagram account and website created by Lora Karam and Bev Canepari, which explores the places and faces of Connecticut. Fran recently had the pleasure of meeting Lora and Bev and invited them...

The 2022 mid-term elections took place just over a week ago. While we don’t fully know all of the results or what they will mean for the balance of power in our country, it is clear that female voters came …

25 years ago, Fran Pastore & Dorothy Bratchell embarked on a mission to create a resource for women entrepreneurs in Connecticut. They were at the forefront of forging a path to accelerate the growth of women’s entrepreneurship and...

What does it take to reach the pinnacle of success in a male dominated arena? Of the more than two dozen banks that are licensed or headquartered in CT, six are led by women in the CEO position. Four of …

Twenty-five years ago, Fran Pastore turned a transition in her career into an opportunity for thousands of other women, their communities, and the State of Connecticut. A recent guest of the Mom Shuffle Podcast, a show which features interviews with...

WBDC CEO Fran Pastore was recently appointed Board Chairperson for the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority. In this episode of Courageous Conversations Fran sits down with Nancy Barrow, host of . Of course, they discuss WBDC's work and why...

Can supporting your local Community affect your bottom line? Amy Kenkel and Laurie Surprenant say it can! Amy and Laurie are the owners of Leaps and Bones, a pet supply store and pet bakery with locations in South Windsor, Southington …

In her inspiring and eye-opening book, The First, The Few, The Only, Deepa Purushothaman examines the challenges faced by women of color in the workplace. In this episode, Fran had the opportunity to discuss Deepa’s work at an event held …

We continue our conversation about child care – an industry in crisis – with Beth Bye, Commissioner of the CT Office of Early Childhood. Child care providers are struggling as they strive to recover from the pandemic. While much has …

The child care industry is in crisis – in Connecticut and across the country. Recognizing that access to quality child care is essential for our economic recovery, Connecticut’s leadership took action to stabilize the industry and drive growth for...

We’re kicking off the season with two recent WBDC Equity Match Grant recipients, Kevnesha Boyd, owner of Quality Counseling in Hamden, and Jona Jeffcoat, owner of Infinity Music Therapy Services in Southington. Listen to hear how these inspiring entrepreneurs plan …

Small Business Saturday, November 27, is right around the corner. Started to encourage people to bring more holiday shopping to small businesses, Small Business Saturday has become a critical component to the holiday shopping season for many of our...

Until 1988 a woman could not access capital in her own name for commercial purposes. That year, legislation was enacted that finally allowed a woman to apply for a business loan without a male co-signor. A lot has changed in …

18. Talking (and Walking) to End Alzheimer’s

17. Celebrating Small Business Week With Three of CT's Best

The pandemic hasn’t been easy on any of us, but you could argue that it’s been tougher on restaurants than almost any other industry. In this episode of Courageous Conversations, Fran sits down with Stephanie Webster, Editor-in-Chief and Founder...

Mental Illness, homelessness, food insecurity, domestic abuse, lack of childcare . . . . These are just some of the issues for which Connecticut residents can turn to 211CT for help. Offered by the State of Connecticut through the United …

In this episode of Courageous Conversations we continue the conversation about racism and your small business that began with our previous episode. Originally part of a WBDC Roundtable discussion recorded in June...

With Juneteenth just days away, and as we look back at the year since George Floyd’s murder, in this episode of Courageous Conversations and the one that will be launched on July 1, we are revisiting a conversation between Fran …

Authenticity, empathy, strength, vulnerability . . . . These are just some of the virtues Kitt Shapiro gained as she soaked in the lessons handed down by her mother, legendary performer Eartha Kitt. In this episode...