Meet Sara
Sara A. Crawford is a visionary leader, entrepreneur, and fashion designer/stylist with over 15 years of experience in the fashion industry. As Director of The Women’s Business Center (WBC) at True Access Capital (TAC), she has transformed the center's reach, programming, and services, making it one of the top WBCs in the nation. Through her leadership and guidance, Sara has mentored numerous female business owners and helped over 15,000 individuals in business training related topics and counseling.
Under Sara's direction, the WBC has secured over $8M in loan capital, creating opportunities for economic development with over 4,000 jobs. She has curated and hosted over 2,000 business-related trainings, programs, and events, including the innovative Holiday Crawl, an online QVC-style concept of shopping and promoting small businesses. During the pandemic, she also launched e-commerce and Shopify boot camps, enabling business owners to generate revenue and stay afloat. And the H.E.R. (Helping Entrepreneur Rise) business plan competition created in partnership with Citizens bank. The Competition is a way for an existing or start up business to receive and win money up to $10,000 for their business.
Sara's commitment to supporting entrepreneurs comes from her own experience creating Anara Original in 2004. Anara Original designs are wearable art, specializing in custom tutus and sportswear. Her designs have been featured in LA, Philadelphia, and New York Fashion Weeks, as well as major publications like Lucky Magazine and Teen Vogue. Sara's expertise in fashion and entrepreneurship has earned her recognition as a Change Maker and Young Philanthropist by Black Celebrity Giving, and she has been named one of the most influential people in Delaware by Delaware Online.
In addition to her work at the WBC, Sara is also a member of Forbes BLK, the official culture division of Forbes, and the former board Treasurer for The Association of Women's Business Centers. She participates in various community and nonprofit organizations like The Division for the Visually Impaired and The National Diabetes Association.
Sara's advocacy for social issues is not limited to her work in the fashion industry. She is committed to promoting minority-owned businesses and supporting black creatives through The Original Coloure Collective, a platform she co-founded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through her efforts, The Collective was able to increase visibility for local solopreneurs and business owners by 40%. This effort led to New Castle County Executive Matthew Meyer proclaiming April 8th as Creative Encore Day. Sara is also the Curator of The MKT Place Gallery in Wilmington, DE, where she curates artist exhibitions and special experience events for the community.
Sara is a true trailblazer, setting a higher bar for small businesses in Delaware by creating innovative programming to educate and inspire entrepreneurs in her community. Her book, The Playbook to Essential Style, and her TEDxWilmington talk, A Signature Pigment, share her story and inspire others to pursue their passions. Sara's leadership, impact, and accomplishments have earned her numerous awards and recognition, including the Next Generation Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, and Technical.ly’s list of REALlist Connecters.