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Pasadena City College’s Women’s Business Center offers free advising, revives Paris Hilton-backed fire‑relief grants
Summary
Lizzie Okoro Davidson, director of the Pasadena Women’s Business Center at Pasadena City College, described no‑cost advising, workshops and mentorship for entrepreneurs across Los Angeles County and announced the return of a grant program that previously awarded $10,000–$25,000 to 50 businesses affected by January 2025 fires.
Lizzie Okoro Davidson, director of the Pasadena Women’s Business Center at Pasadena City College, said the center provides no‑cost one‑to‑one advising, accelerators, workshops and mentoring to women entrepreneurs and other small‑business owners across Los Angeles County.
Davidson, who said she started in July 2024 and opened the center in October 2024, described services that range from business planning and marketing help to capital‑readiness coaching. “Everyone who comes to the door says, ‘I need money,’” Davidson said, adding that advisers work to identify whether a client needs planning, marketing or financing.
The center directs prospective clients to register via Pasadena City College’s website and pairs them with volunteer or staff advisers. Davidson said the center also maintains a private Slack channel, a newsletter and recurring events to connect entrepreneurs with peers and mentors.
Davidson announced that the center will revive a fire‑relief grant program — run in partnership with Paris Hilton, 11:11 Media Impact and GoFundMe — that previously provided grants in the range of $10,000 to $25,000 to 50 small business owners affected by the January 2025 fires. She said the program will be limited to businesses affected by those fires and that the center is planning a separate microgrant program open to all small businesses if funding allows.
Why it matters: Small businesses employ roughly half of American workers, Davidson said, and targeted advising and capital support can help firms survive and scale. The center’s services aim to reduce early failures by offering help before a business launches and by supporting established firms looking to grow.
Davidson gave practical details for access: prospective clients should complete the short intake form on pasadena.edu and may follow Pasadena WBC on Instagram for announcements and application information. “We want to know when you win,” she said, explaining that funder reporting requires tracking client outcomes.
The center also partners with the Pasadena Small Business Development Center for additional referral services and offers programming on childcare, government contracting and other sector‑specific topics.
Next step: Davidson said the center will announce application dates for the fire‑relief grants and any forthcoming microgrant program on its website and social channels.
