SkillsRI Launches Woonsocket Small Business HUB in Woonsocket Education Center with a Community Celebration
New entrepreneur resource HUB opening inside Woonsocket Education Center
A new chapter in small business support began April 9 in Woonsocket with the official launch of the Woonsocket Small Business HUB — an initiative designed to empower local entrepreneurs and strengthen the city’s economic future.
Skills for Rhode Island’s Future, in partnership with the City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner, and the Business Empowerment Alliance of Rhode Island (BEARI), unveiled the HUB’s new office inside Woonsocket Education Center. The space will serve as a dedicated resource for entrepreneurs seeking free guidance, technical assistance, and access to tools and training to start, grow, or scale their businesses.
“We are honored to partner with Mayor Beauchamp, the City Council, and the Woonsocket community to launch the Woonsocket Small Business Hub. Together, we are building an ecosystem where small businesses can start, grow, and scale — with access to the critical resources and support they need to thrive,” said Nina Pande, Executive Director of Skills for Rhode Island’s Future. “This is more than just an initiative; it is an investment in the economic future of Woonsocket and the entrepreneurs who call it home.”
The launch celebration brought together community partners, law makers, and small business owners from around northern Rhode Island to highlight the HUB’s role in the city’s broader economic development strategy. Attendees including Woonsocket Mayor Christopher Beauchamp, and entrepreneurs from around northern Rhode Island explored the new space, connected with support organizations, and learned about upcoming programming.
“As businesses are served in this new small business hub in Woonsocket, they will have immediate access to resources that assist their talent needs through postsecondary education,” said Shannon Gilkey, Ed.D., Rhode Island Commissioner of Postsecondary Education. “Supporting small businesses, driving economic development, and bolstering postsecondary education are key goals of Governor McKee’s RI2030 plan and essential to Rhode Island’s economic health.”
In September, 2024, Woonsocket City Council voted to approve an ordinance to appropriate $75,000 of American Resource Plan Act funds for a centralized small business resource center. The hub, proposed by Skills for Rhode Island’s Future and supported by Woonsocket City Councilwoman Valerie Gonzalez and Mayor Beauchamp, was incubated among key business leaders statewide including the Rhode Island Black Business Association, Social Enterprise Greenhouse, Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Center for Women & Enterprise. The Woonsocket City Council unanimously approved the ordinance on November 4, 2024 and executed a facilities use and license agreement between the Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner and Skills for Rhode Island’s Future.
The Woonsocket Small Business HUB will serve as an ongoing resource for entrepreneurs across all industries and business stages. It represents a strategic investment in the region’s small business ecosystem and a commitment to inclusive, sustainable economic growth. For more information, visit https://www.woonsocketsbhub.com/
