S3E9: Exploring Entrepreneurship

From side hustles to those who desire to trade their 9-to-5 in for the CEO title, our community has shown increased interest in learning more about entrepreneurship. In this episode, our special guest, Dr. Shakenna Williams, Executive Director of the Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson College and Founder of Babson’s Black Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, comes to share her insights on why Black women are increasingly pursuing entrepreneurship and how they can do it successfully.

Dr. Williams shares about Babson’s unique approach to supporting Black women entrepreneurs, shares advice on navigating entrepreneurship while working a full-time job, and outlines practical first steps for those just getting started.

Further, Dr. Williams shares a bit of her journey as a Black Woman Leading, and vulnerably shares how she overcame professional challenges with her four-part system for effective self-advocacy and negotiation skills. Tune in and be inspired as we explore entrepreneurship as one an option for further economic and personal empowerment.

Guest Bio

Dr. Shakenna K. Williams is the Executive Director of the Center of Women Entrepreneurial Leadership (CWEL) and founder of the Black Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (BWEL) at Babson College. She is an adjunct faculty member in Babson’s MBA Program, owns Kenna Business Solutions, and previously served as Deputy Academic Director and Lead Faculty Director of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program.

With her passion to propel women entrepreneurs to new levels of success, Dr. Williams is the proud recipient of the Babson Entrepreneurial Thought and Action Award, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Changemaker Award, and the African American Female Professor of the Year Award. She authored The Mark (excerpt) and is writing her first book, Hooked: Entrepreneurial Leadership Skills Learned While Fishing with My Dad.

Dr. Williams received her doctorate from Capella University (dissertation, Talent Management and Retention in Small Family-Owned Businesses: A Multiple-Case Qualitative Study), her MBA from Oklahoma City University, and her B.S. (Finance; Investments) from Babson. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., The Links, Incorporated, and the Academy of Management. Dr. Williams cherishes being a foster mom, and loves to travel, spend time with family, cook, and paint.

Learn more about Babson’s Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership: