Photography by Danny Fulgencio

Many businesses have had to scale back operations or close amid the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. But over the past few months, East Dallas neighbor VR Small has experienced unprecedented growth at her nonprofit helping female veterans succeed in business.

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The Veteran Women’s Enterprise Center received funding from North Texas Cares, Texas Capital and BBVA to provide grants and technical support to female veteran entrepreneurs. The center helped nearly 500 women in the second quarter and plans to launch more coronavirus-specific programs this summer.

New internet service provided by a grant from the Boone Family Foundation has also enabled the center to partner with companies across the country to provide clients with virtual workshops.

“Though it was unexpected, my team and I are thankful for the opportunity to grow during this period of COVID,” Small said. “We’ve grown literally leaps and bounds building out our connectivity and strengthening our internal capacity to automate our systems and keep our clients informed and connected.”

Small founded the Veteran Women’s Enterprise Center in 2015 to help veteran women business owners succeed by providing a co-working space with on-site mentors, enrichment activities and opportunities for advancement.

The Veteran Women’s Enterprise Center is expected to reopen this fall.