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Connie Sparks
Connie Sparks is the Founder of Wadeco Business Center and Wadeco Capital, where we take great pride in assisting small to mid-sized companies redefine their business model and raise capital for growth.
Crowdfunding Small Business
I place a call out for experts who can help small business owners and entrepreneurs understand the waters of finding capital for their business. We all hear about grants, loans, and crowdfunding, but few of us know how it works. There are strategies necessary for all of us to understand in order to navigate the business’s financial landscape. Connie Spakes can shed some light on the subject.
Connie Sparks
About Connie Sparks
At 22, Connie Sparks formalized her first business, self-taught and no understanding about running a business. She grew frustrated that no one would mentor or help her. Eventually, she had to dissolve the business, crushing her dreams of providing a quality life for her children. Shortly thereafter, she went back to school, earning a degree in Business and Human Resources, while working and raising a family. She didn’t realize that experience would be the making of a meaningful purpose.
Taking what she learned in college and surrounding herself with successful women, who saw her potential. Later went on to launch a consulting and training practice to help entrepreneurs start, run, and grow their business the right way.
Connie is the CEO of Wadeco Capital and Wade Institute. Her business and financing career spans over 18 years, helping business owners and managers build transformation and financing strategies to grow their business. She consults with numerous clients across the country, which led to raising more than $44 million-shaping communities for success.
She is widely recognized as an award-winning leading expert on business development, strategic planning, business modeling, and financing. Connie has earned respect from many educational institutions, technical assistance agencies, and financial institutions, giving her the name “Moneylady”.
Over Time
As the years go by, Connie began to see differential treatment and lack of available credit made to African Americans, women, and Latinos and decided to become an advocate-voice for these groups. Today she is sought out by lending institutions, seeking to partner with her company and to refer their un-bankable clients for services. Because of her business model and ambition, she now works with 133 lenders nationwide. Building relationships with a diverse group of lenders has afforded her the opportunity to assist business owners with financing no matter their situation.
Moreover, she volunteer’s to participate in various research initiatives with the City of Los Angeles, SBA, and the Milliken Institute, designed to build best practices and training programs to support micro and small businesses. Connie is one of a few independent Technical Assistant providers to be certified by the Small Business Administration and on to be awarded the Business Champion Award for her efforts.
All Around Person
An Author, International Business Coach and National Trainer, she educates single moms and the business community with a more holistic approach to starting and running a successful business, business modeling, business plan writing and accessing capital. Her workshops and seminars are presented to educational institutions, associations, and private organizations throughout the country, reaching more than 25,000 business owners and executives nationwide. Additionally, Connie remains dedicated to her mission, launching 313 startups, retained 238 jobs and created 371 new jobs.
Furthermore, her position as Chair of Single Mothers Outreach a nonprofit in Santa Clarita afforded her the opportunity to create training courses for single moms, raise money to support the programs and services provided through the organization and most recently she launched a Workforce Development program to help the moms learn job skills and placement.
Her professional and financing career spans over 19 years, helping business owners and managers build transformation plus financing strategies to meet the demands of their market and customers.
Connie has consulted with numerous clients across the country on raising capital and business expansion, which led to raising more than $44 million through the Small Business Administration (SBA), non-conventional, and hard money lending programs-shaping communities for success; created 371 jobs, retained 223 jobs; and assisted in launching 253 startups.
Her Passion
My creative energy and passion drive me to keep pushing forward to a healthy and balanced transition toward success, which in part is credited to valuable key partnerships with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Milken Institute, Small Business Majority, City of Los Angeles, Women’s Collaborative Mentoring and others.
The efforts she has put forth to reach the small business community have been recognized by higher education institutions, associations, and corporate America. Most recently, she was honored by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal Women’s Council- Business Owner of the Year Award (2018). Other honors include Toastmasters International (President’s Distinguished Award 2002), The For You Network- National Association of Female Executives (NAFE), (Best Corporate Environment Award 2006), and (Sphere of Influence Award 2007), the Los Angeles Business Journal (Women Who Make A Difference 2007, 2009), and the U.S. Small Business Administration (Home-Based Business Champion Award 2009).
Connie Sparks
Business and Financing Specialist
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