ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Local business owner and 2023 nominee for News 8’s Remarkable Women competition was awarded first place in the She Means Business pitch competition by The Enterprise Center at PathStone.
Monique Chatman is the owner of The Groom Room Men’s Spa and Lounge, a Rochester wellness spa for black men. She started her spa as a safe haven for black men. She encourages them to take care of themselves and helps them cope with trauma and depression.
The She Means Business free seven-week program trains women entrepreneurs on topics such as marketing, business operations, and financial management. President and Executive Director Javier E. Zapata-Rodríguez of The Enterprise Center at PathStone says their goal is to provide women with “much needed capacity building and capital resources to help propel small and minority-owned businesses to new heights.”
As the first place winner, Chatman won $5,000 for her business. She says this program has “helped [her] organize [her] business for expansion.”