Claudia Viek

Claudia Viek is a prominent figure in the field of entrepreneurship and micro-business development, particularly focused on empowering women entrepreneurs. She is the Founder and Catalyst of the Invest in Women Entrepreneurs Initiative.23

Professional Background

Claudia Viek has over 25 years of experience in entrepreneurial training, business incubation, and micro lending. Her career has been dedicated to fostering start-ups and micro-businesses, and she is recognized as a pioneer in demonstrating the impact of micro-businesses on local economies.2

Leadership at CAMEO

Prior to founding the Invest in Women Entrepreneurs Initiative, Viek served as the CEO of CAMEO (California Association for Micro Enterprise Opportunity) for 10 years, stepping down on August 1, 2017.1 During her tenure at CAMEO, she made significant contributions to the organization and the micro-enterprise sector:

• Advocacy: She tirelessly advocated for micro-enterprise owners and entrepreneurs, successfully lobbying for increased funding opportunities at both federal and state levels.1
• Innovation: Under her leadership, CAMEO became an innovation lab, creating novel approaches to start, scale, and improve business assistance and microlending programs.1
• Partnerships: Viek's networking skills forged new partnerships and opportunities for CAMEO and its members, serving as a catalyst for innovation in the sector.1
• Funding: She convinced major bank foundations to commit millions of dollars to strengthen micro-credit and business assistance programs throughout California.1

Current Focus

After leaving CAMEO, Claudia Viek founded the Invest in Women Entrepreneurs Initiative, where she continues to champion women's business ownership.13 Her work focuses on creating opportunities and support systems for women entrepreneurs, leveraging her extensive experience in the field of micro-enterprise development.

Claudia Viek's LinkedIn profile (username: claudiaviek) reflects her current role as Founder/Catalyst at the Invest in Women Entrepreneurs Initiative, based in the San Francisco Bay Area.24