
SHOP SMALL. SHOP WOMAN-OWNED. SHOP LOCAL.
The Maryland Women’s Business Center (MWBC) began MWBC Shop Local in 2019 with the aim of lowering barriers of opportunity for entrepreneurs and creating a launch pad for startup and early-stage small scale manufacturers.
MWBC Shop Local is a combination of both a program-based and space-based retail incubator, combining the strengths of each model with the goal of bringing locally grown businesses into the shopping experience of a customer.
With a program-based model, incubators provide technical assistance, mentorship, and access to capital. The focus of this model is nurturing and sustaining small retail businesses to help promote the economic vitality of an area. Whereas the space-based model minimizes the financial risk through shared space.