Организация WBDC торжественно открыла новое здание штаб-квартиры в Стэмфорде спустя 18 месяцев после пожара

STAMFORD — The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) officially “rose from the ashes” on Tuesday, Sept. 1, as it celebrated the opening of its new headquarters at 422 Summer St. The women’s business organization moved into its new offices about two months ago nearly 18 months after a fire destroyed their former Bedford Street office. “I have an incredible team that I work with,” said Fran Pastore, CEO of WBDC. “Our CFO, COO, our marketing director, our program director and the rest of the amazing WBDC team are the resilient ones. They were the ones the day after the fire that helped me cope for weeks after that.” The March 7, 2025, fire, which needed eight engines and three ladder trucks, was extinguished by the Stamford Fire Department with help from Greenwich and Norwalk fire departments. It also destroyed Chez Vous Bistro restaurant at 188 Bedford St. and caused major damage to Whim Women’s Clothing, Atelier Valoar Couture clothing, and Deco Fine Arts and Framing. The new 5,000-square-foot space is located in the rear of the former YMCA building with its entrance at 17 Franklin St. WBDC clients, supporters, community partners, business leaders, and elected officials gathered for the grand opening, which included remarks, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and tours of the new space. “Stamford has always been our home,” Pastore said. “A fire displaced us, but it did not stop our work or our commitment to Connecticut’s women entrepreneurs. This new office gives our team, clients, and partners a place to come together, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who stood with us and helped us reach this day.” Pastore described how the new space allows for more collaboration between WBDC employees and clients. “It’s a different kind of space because we all didn’t have an open working concept like this,” she said. “We had individual offices. Now there’s a lot more camaraderie and a lot more collaboration happening. It’s like that saying, ‘necessity breeds innovation.’” Attendees at the office opening included U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, state Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons, and State Rep. Eilish Collins Main. WBDC clients Louise Joseph (Dough Girls Pizza Truck) and Jamie Torns (Growing Minds Collective) also spoke about their work with the organization and its impact on their businesses. The opening represents a major milestone in WBDC’s recovery from the four-alarm fire that damaged its former second-floor office at 184 Bedford St. While working without a permanent Stamford location, WBDC continued to provide advice, education, funding opportunities, and other resources to women entrepreneurs and small-business owners across Connecticut. “When WBDC started, you had a little room there over at Government Center,” Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz said. “It was just you, Fran. Now you have this fabulous team, mainly made up of women. It has been such a pleasure to watch WBDC grow to a point where now you have reached business owners in 163 of our 169 municipalities and have helped create tens of thousands of jobs in our state.” Sen. Blumenthal paid homage to the resilience of the WBDC team in Stamford. “Our being here is a testament to her perseverance and bravery,” he said. “A fire can destroy not only a building but also the determination or will to go on with whatever is in involved in the destruction. A lot of people never recover.” He added that there was never a doubt in his mind that Pastore and the WBDC would come back. Since 1997, WBDC has educated and trained over 26,000 clients across all 169 towns in Connecticut — helping women launch, sustain, and scale over 17,700 businesses, create and maintain more than 46,100 jobs, and access over $97 million in capital. Since 2020, WBDC has provided more than $26 million in grants to help fuel growth in small businesses throughout Connecticut.