Boston City Councilor At-Large Annissa Essaibi-George recently welcomed 120 women small business owners to Bella Luna Restaurant and Milky Way Lounge for an evening of networking and celebrating Boston's many thriving women-owned businesses.
Boston City Councilor At-Large Annissa Essaibi-George addresses the audience. (Photo credit Ethie Al-Mahdi)
Bella Luna, a women-owned business, is also celebrating 26 years of being in business. The event, held on May 31, was co-sponsored by the Mayor’s Office of Woman’s Advancement and Women Entrepreneurs Boston (WeBos).
“As a small business owner, I think it is so important for us women to get together, talk and collaborate," said Essaibi-George. "When I talk with other women who own small businesses, even if we’re not in the same business, the conversations about what’s working and not working for us are really, really important. I hope tonight’s gathering will activate conversations like that.”
The evening included remarks from Megan Costello, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Women’s Advancement, who noted that she was honored for the event to be her last official event with the city of Boston before pursuing a graduate degree. Bella Luna Restaurant and Milky Way co-owners Carol Downs, Kathie Mainzer and Megan Mainzer, were honored for the event to enable attendees to grasp how much they had in common with each other. There was also a resource table for the small business owners to share their marketing materials with one another.
The overwhelming response and success of the evening has inspired Essaibi-George to begin planning and hosting similar events across the city throughout the rest of the year.