Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates and Resources
General Announcements
Families First Coronavirus Response Act
On April 1, the U.S. Department of Labor announced new action regarding how American workers and employers will benefit from the protections and relief offered by the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act.

FFCRA will help the United States combat and defeat COVID-19 by reimbursing American private employers that have fewer than 500 employees with tax credits for the cost of providing employees with paid leave taken for specified reasons related to COVID-19.
WBENC COVID-19 Suppliers List
Are you a WBENC-Certified WBE with COVID-19 related supplies or services?

WBENC is gathering supplier information in order to quickly respond to requests from WBENC Corporate & Government Member.
If you are a WBE with solutions that are COVID-19 related and you have a video or capability statement that you would like shared, please complete form at the below link:
In light of the COVID-19, WBENC has cancelled the 2020 National Conference & Business Fair.
Regional News
Pennsylvania Updates
City of Philadelphia Extends Real Estate & Business Tax Deadlines
Pittsburgh COVID-19 Small Business Loan Programs Quick Guide
WBEC-East Webinars
Doing Business with Vistra Energy
April 21, 1-2 pm

Please join us for an informative webinar to learn about Vistra Energy's supplier diversity and procurement initiatives. There are several business opportunities still available despite today’s economic landscape. More Information.
Women 2 Women Webinar: Data & Analytics
April 22, 2-3 pm

Your company’s data is tremendously valuable. But, most organizations aren’t sure how to turn these data into actionable insights. In this live, interactive Zoom webinar we’ll talk about the “low hanging fruit” for business data analytics.   More Information.
Partner Webinars
Standing Together
April 20, 2 pm

Featuring WBENC's very own President & CEO, Pamela Prince-Eason, this webinar features leaders who will share available education, resources, and networking opportunities within their organizations. In addition, hear up-to-the-minute business policy and funding information from Capital Hill.

This webinar will feature the Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) Advocacy Team and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
How to Mentally Prepare for the Next New Normal
April 24, 1 pm

As stated by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, “The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be stressful for people.”

To combat this, professional leadership coach Kelly Meerbott provides a wealth of resources during these troubling times. The aptly named webinar series, “The Recalibrate Series: How to Mentally Prepare for the next new normal” offers insight into improving your emotional wellbeing. Moreover, it helps change your mindset so that you can remain calm, positive and optimistic, even in the face of adversity.
The New Normal: Beyond COVID-19, Work from Home & Remote Employee Enablement
April 28, 10:30 am

Please join RingCentral & Prelude Solutions for a discussion on solutions to ensure business continuity and optimize your employee's ability to be successful as a remote workforce.

We will dive into:

  • Maximizing employee productivity with communication and collaboration
  • Best practices, tools and processes to optimize an efficient remote workforce environment
  • Solutions and tools to create a hassle-free experience, ensure business continuity and limit disruption and stress

Now more than ever, the use of powerful remote work tools like RingCentral is not just a matter of preference, but a matter of safety. Our goal is to provide our best in class communication and collaboration solutions to ensure business continuity and employee health and safety.
Stay at Home Activities!
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is offering free art resources that include books, classroom presentations & online exhibits for grades k-12.
Leveraging the thousands of videos in their archive, this new series "Curtis is Here" features a favorite or rarely heard performance every weekday, curated around a weekly theme.
As a response to the public health crisis, Shoulder to Shoulder is launching an initiative for Ramadan called 'Welcome To My Table'.

This initiative connects households to households one-on-one or in small groupings to virtually share an Iftar meal.

Please stay healthy and safe during this time, and know that WBEC-East remains a resource to you and your business.