Business Council for Peace - Bpeace

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Business Council for Peace - Bpeace

Bpeace provides impactful business advice to companies in crisis-affected communities, where women are underemployed.

06/04/2026

Growth does not happen through ambition alone. It takes structure.

That was the focus of Bpeace’s Breaking the $1M Barrier program, a program sponsored by the .

Over the past several months, 21 business leaders strengthened their readiness to scale through four practical modules: Operations, Finance, Sales, and Procurement.

Each module combined curated LinkedIn Learning, expert-led group sessions, and one-on-one coaching with Bpeace experts all designed to help business leaders build stronger systems, sharpen their strategy, and prepare for larger opportunities.

The program closed with two showcases in Atlanta and Greensboro, where participants practiced telling their business story, received practical feedback, and connected with ecosystem partners, financial institutions, alumni, coaches, and community leaders.

Across both rooms, we saw the power of combining practical learning, trusted coaching, and meaningful access.

Congratulations to the 21 business leaders who completed Breaking the $1M Barrier and thank you to the Bpeace experts and partners who helped make this program possible.

03/08/2026

Barriers aren’t always visible. Sometimes they live in the things nobody says out loud.

At Bpeace, we work with women founders to remove the barriers that keep businesses from growing. But some barriers don’t show up in a growth plan.

They surface when someone finally has the space to speak honestly, in a coaching conversation, a room full of women who understand, or a question that opens the door.

So this , we asked the women in our community one question:
“What truth about women and work do you wish someone would just say out loud?”

Here’s what they shared. ➡️

What truth have you been carrying that deserves to be said out loud?

🌐 ESPAÑOL

Las barreras no siempre son visibles. A veces viven en lo que nadie dice en voz alta. En Bpeace, acompañamos a mujeres empresarias y líderes a eliminar las barreras que frenan el crecimiento de sus negocios. Pero hay barreras que no aparecen en ningún plan estratégico. Salen a la luz cuando alguien por fin tiene el espacio para ser honesta, en una conversación de coaching, rodeada de mujeres que lo entienden, o ante una pregunta que abre algo.

Por eso, este , le hicimos una pregunta a las mujeres de nuestra comunidad:

"¿Qué verdad sobre las mujeres y el trabajo desearías que alguien dijera en voz alta?"

Esto es lo que nos dijeron. ➡️

¿Qué verdad has cargado que merece ser dicha en voz alta?

02/27/2026

Entrepreneurs create more than products, they build opportunity, jobs, and momentum for their communities.

Ceata E. Lash, founder of PUFFCUFF is doing exactly that. She built PuffCuff, a patented, pain-free hair solution for textured hair, from her dining room table, without venture capital or inherited networks, learning in real time what many founders only gain with a deep bench behind them: capital strategy, retail negotiation, IP protection, and operational discipline.

Today, Ceata is leading with a different horizon. She’s building PuffCuff toward a strong exit within the next 3–4 years, with a focus on sustainable margins, stronger systems, aligned partnerships, and a company designed to scale beyond its founder. Her journey isn’t just about a great product; it’s about creating enterprise value and positioning the business for acquisition.

But she also names a part of scaling that too often stays invisible: The hidden cost of not having proximity. She describes it like this:
“It feels like I’m moving through deep mud… and no one is reaching back to steady my footing.”

That “mud” isn’t about grit. It’s what happens when leaders are making high-stakes growth decisions (expand inventory or wait, hire now or stretch the team, push into larger retail channels or strengthen direct-to-consumer first) without the warm introductions, aligned investors, and experienced operators that reduce risk and isolation.

And she’s direct about what’s missing:
“What’s missing isn’t vision or work ethic. It’s access… strategic partners… willing to invest, both financially and relationally.”

This is where proximity becomes actionable. When experienced leaders, investors, and partners share networks, insight, and capital earlier, businesses move faster and with less risk. These aren’t “nice-to-haves”, they’re often the difference between survival-mode growth and sustainable scale.

That’s where Bpeace and our partners come in. By connecting entrepreneurs to experienced advisors, networks, and strategic support, we help reduce isolation and accelerate the path to job creation and long-term business value.

Ceata’s goal isn’t only to scale. She’s building so she can reinvest her time, resources, and network, making the road clearer and less isolating for whoever comes next.

02/19/2026

Proud to be included in the Nasdaq Foundation’s 2025 Annual Report. In 2025, the Foundation and its partners advanced scalable solutions that expand economic opportunity and strengthen a more inclusive, resilient financial system.

📌You can find Bpeace's highlight (Breaking the $1M Barrier) on page 13: https://www.nasdaq.com/2025NasdaqFoundationReport

02/17/2026

We’re sharing a brief leadership update with the Bpeace community.

With deep gratitude, we thank Alexandra Salas for more than a decade of commitment to Bpeace and for her leadership as CEO over the past four years. Her stewardship helped strengthen this organization and the communities it serves.

The Board has appointed Caroline Basso, Bpeace’s Chief Administrative Officer, as our next CEO. Since joining Bpeace in 2019, Caroline has helped build the operational backbone behind our work, strengthening systems and culture while working closely with staff, Skillanthropists, partners, and the entrepreneurs we support.

Our mission is unchanged: supporting small businesses to grow, expanding access to capital, and creating jobs where they’re needed most.

Thank you to our entrepreneurs, volunteers, partners, donors, and board for your continued trust. We’re looking forward to what comes next, together.

ESPAÑOL:

Compartimos una breve actualización de liderazgo con la comunidad de Bpeace.

Con profunda gratitud, agradecemos a Alexandra Salas por más de una década de compromiso con Bpeace y por su liderazgo como CEO durante los últimos cuatro años. Su gestión ayudó a fortalecer a esta organización y a las comunidades a las que sirve.

La Junta Directiva ha designado a Caroline Basso, actual Directora Administrativa (Chief Administrative Officer) de Bpeace, como nuestra próxima Directora Ejecutiva (CEO). Desde que se unió a Bpeace en 2019, Caroline ha contribuido a construir la base operativa que sostiene nuestro trabajo, fortaleciendo los sistemas y la cultura organizacional, y colaborando de cerca con el equipo, los Skillanthropists, aliados y las personas emprendedoras a quienes apoyamos.

Nuestra misión no cambia: apoyar a las empresas para que crezcan, ampliar el acceso a capital y generar empleos donde más se necesitan.

Gracias a nuestras empresas, expertos voluntarios, donantes y aliados por su confianza continua. Estamos entusiasmados por lo que viene.

02/05/2026

Breaking the $1M Barrier is a high-intensity growth moment. Decisions around operations, capital, and sales determine whether momentum compounds or disappears. The work is about locking in what’s working so growth can hold.

This cohort brings together 21 companies across and , spanning industries, business models, and growth challenges, with one shared goal: cross the $1M mark with intention, not chaos.

What’s happening now:
✔️ We kicked off with an Operations “Scaling Smart” workshop focused on the day-to-day systems that keep work moving, reducing bottlenecks, clarifying ownership, and strengthening ex*****on.
✔️ Monthly coaching and mentorship has begun, helping founders set priorities, make clearer decisions, and move forward with intention.
✔️ Next up: expert-led sessions on Capital Access, Sales & Marketing, and Contracting/Procurement with a clear line of sight to what’s next.

The program culminates in a Corporate Showcase, connecting businesses to investor and procurement pathways.

Thank you Sindhura Elluri for facilitating our January kickoff session and grounding the group in real operational challenges: ownership, people management, and process clarity.

01/30/2026

Today, 40+ purpose-led companies are putting growth plans to work through Avanza Pro, strengthening how their businesses operate and applying what they learn directly to real decisions.

With this phase, we’re expanding access across the region while keeping the work grounded in what leaders face day to day supporting companies in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina.

What’s happening now:
✔️ Practical workshops and live group sessions where leaders pressure-test decisions, exchange insights, and build meaningful regional connections.

✔️ Personalized mentorship from volunteer business experts who help leaders remove roadblocks and stay focused on forward progress.

✔️ ️ Technology that supports the work - digital learning aligned to real business challenges so leaders build the right skills at the right moment and apply them immediately.

Avanza Pro is more than a program, it’s a community built around ex*****on, clarity, and results for entrepreneurs who lead with purpose.

Want to be part of the work? Join Avanza Pro as an expert and help companies move forward faster and with focus.

01/20/2026

Women business leaders in , , and are navigating complex growth decisions, leading teams, managing talent, and scaling companies in demanding environments.

Bpeace’s Leaders Circle is a trusted, results-oriented leadership program for and executives making high-stakes decisions about teams, capital, and direction, focused on sharpening judgment, strengthening talent leadership, and leading companies through growth in complex environments.

➡️ How it works
Leaders move through four leadership modules and four expert-facilitated sessions, then multiply the learning by sharing insights across the group raising the quality of decision-making, alignment, and ex*****on across companies.

Leadership in action this cycle:
- Building trust under pressure: Small-group work centered on listening, prioritization, and shared decision-making through hands-on scenario exercises

- Adaptive leadership: A practical deep dive into situational leadership and how effective leaders adjust their approach based on context, team readiness, and organizational needs

-Talent leadership across generations: Concrete tools for communication, motivation, and performance in multi-generational teams

- Executive resilience: A candid Leadership Roundtable with Angela Scalpello on navigating illness, loss, uncertainty, and male-dominated environments, plus tools leaders are applying now, including: Observe, don’t absorb and Emotion → Truth → Choice decision-making

12/31/2025

Last year, 224 small businesses turned to Bpeace—not for handouts, but for real guidance.

The result: jobs protected, families supported, communities holding steady in a hard economy.

Tonight only, your year-end gift is matched dollar for dollar up to $5,000.

Give by midnight to double your impact.

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/business-council-for-peace-inc/a-good-job-a-better-life-the-best-future-of-hope

12/30/2025

#2025 was a year of momentum for Bpeace.

We expanded across , evolved how we deliver value, and strengthened the ecosystem surrounding entrepreneurs, connecting expertise, opportunity, and trust at scale.

From launching operations in and to piloting a new cohort in , we stayed focused on what matters most: practical support, local relevance, and sustainable business growth.

As we look ahead, our commitment remains clear—expand access without losing depth, and scale impact without compromising care.

Address

1959 N Peace Haven Road #314
Winston-Salem, NC
27106

Website

http://www.bpeace.org/

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