On August 26, Empowerment Group’s Women’s Business Center presents the 3rd annual Success in the City event. As a special edition of its Women Entrepreneurs’ Circle, the event celebrates women small business owners throughout Philadelphia.

Women Entrepreneurs’ Circle is a monthly opportunity for aspiring and established women entrepreneurs to network and share resources. Each month the Circle is hosted at a different local woman-owned business. The low-key, interactive sessions allow for each host to highlight her business, sometimes sharing products or giving tours.

The Success in the City panel discussion builds on the idea of developing strong support networks of women in entrepreneurship. The discussion allows several successful women business owners to share their success and challenges in business, and answer questions from attendees.

Last year’s session offered practical advice from the panelists. The women shared about the challenges of finding a business niche, handling a busy schedule, juggling work and family, and utilizing technology without letting it invade one’s life. Tanya Seaman, the former Executive Director of Philly Car Share, shared candid anecdotes about the consuming nature of running small businesses. She advised aspiring entrepreneurs, “You must only start a small business if you are passionate about your project, because you will need to pour everything you have into it.”

This year, we’re anticipating new encouragement and wisdom about Philadelphia’s shifting small business scene. From branding to brewing, this year’s panelists come from a variety of business backgrounds. The panelists, Nancy Barton, Audrey Julienne, Charnelle Hicks, and Norma Romero-Mitchell, are prepared to share their stories, challenges, and wisdom.

Nancy Barton purchased a historic brewery building in Kensington with her husband in 2001. After hard work and extensive renovations, the Philadelphia Brewing Company emerged in 2008. Audrey Julienne has worked extensively for marketing agencies, as a marketing manager, and as a consultant to large corporations. She created Raison d’Etre Marketing in 2008 to bring her marketing expertise to small businesses. Charnelle Hicks started CHPlanning, an environmentally focused urban planning firm, in 2001. Since then, the firm has been named one of Philadelphia’s fastest-growing companies, promoting awareness of green initiatives and land use issues in Philadelphia and throughout the U.S. Norma Romero-Mitchell is the CEO and President of Benefits Plus Consulting Group. Romero-Mitchell, who was named one of Pennsylvania’s Best 50  Women in Business in 2007, has tripled BPCG’s revenue since taking charge, and has made it her mission to empower women and minorities through resource management and financial planning.

Empowerment Group is delighted to bring all four of these talented women to Success in the City. In addition to providing connection opportunities for women entrepreneurs, Empowerment Group offers entrepreneurship training programs, workshops, one-on-one consulting, youth entrepreneurship programs, and other services for small businesses. Its mission is to promote entrepreneurship and cultivate small business ownership by empowering individuals to help themselves, their families, and their communities.

Empowerment Group’s Success in the City will be held at the Center for Architecture in Center City on August 26 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and include light hors d’oeuvres and beverages from Philadelphia Brewing Company. RSVP for the event and learn more about Empowerment Group by visiting www.empowerment-group.org.