SPEAKERS FROM WEST SIDE BAZAAR-BONNIE SMITH, JAMES CUTLER,ALICE BENISHTAKA
Posted by Vern Anderson
on Dec 05, 2011
We were very excited to have representatives from WEDI and the West Side Bazaar speak to our Club! Bonnie Smith is the President of the Board of Directors of Westminster Economic Development Initiative (WEDI) - the non-profit behind the scenes of the bazaar. Bonnie is a retired business woman who has been a leader in creating economic development through business mentoring and micro-lending programs on the West Side. She has been directly involved in mentoring or financing over 15 new business. Examples include a nursery, laundry mat, book store, tailor shop and many more. James Cutler, an AXA Advisor by day, is the Vice President of the Board of Directors of Westminster Economic Development Initiative (WEDI).
Alice left Rwanda during the time of genocide and lived for years in refugee camps in the Ivory Coast and Tunisia before coming to Buffalo. In Rwanda, Alice worked as a lawyer. She currently works in the insurance industry. She intends to sell products from Tunisia and the Ivory Coast, as well as jewelry designed and made by her mother in Rwanda. Alice hopes to bring her parents to Buffalo and have them help her with her business at the Bazaar