Background and history: 2 • In the late 1970s, women faced structural credit barriers, including a legal requirement for a male co-signer to obtain a commercial loan • Regulatory changes in the early 1980s removed this requirement, but cultural practices lagged significantly behind • President Carter commissioned an interagency study into entrepreneurial opportunity for women; the subsequent Reagan administration established four pilot WBCs with a clear mission to help women obtain access to capital through training and capital readiness support • The AWBC was established 26...