Marsha Bailey

President, CEO and Founder of Women's Economic Ventures and the Small Business Loan Fund

Marsha Bailey is the founder and CEO of Women's Economic Ventures and the Small Business Loan Fund of Santa Barbara, a local non-profit organization dedicated to helping women become economically self-sufficient through entrepreneurship. Bailey has been developing educational programs and services for women since 1983 and has published many essays on the changing roles of women in contemporary society. Bailey has a Master's Degree in Communication from UCSB and a B.A. from Michigan State University in Fine Art and Sociology. Ms. Bailey has served on the Boards of a number of community organizations including the Fund for Santa Barbara, the Women's Political Committee, the Santa Barbara County Private Industry Council, the Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services Business Advisory Team, the Santa Barbara City College Continuing Education Advisory Board, the South Coast Community Indicators Project, and the California Association for MicroEnterprise Opportunity Board of Directors. In 1994 Bailey was recognized by Soroptimists International of Goleta as a Woman of Distinction for her many years of work on behalf of women. In 1995, Women's Economic Ventures was recognized by Soroptimists International of Santa Barbara as the organization which had done the most to advance the status of women in our community. In 1996, Bailey was named "Woman of the Year" for the second district by the Santa Barbara County Commission for Women.