Throughout the month of March, the CAN BE Innovation Center is proud to celebrate Women’s History Month by highlighting its female clients.

In this short Q&A, we sat down with one of our incubator tenants, Bernice Platek from NSB Trainers, to reflect on her journey and what it means to be a female entrepreneur.

For those who might not know your story, tell us who you are, what your business is, and why you became an entrepreneur.

My name is Bernice Platek, and I am the owner and Program Director of NSB Trainers. NSB Trainers is a private school licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Private Licensed School Division. The program of instruction that we offer is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Nurse Aide Competency Division. The school offers a Nurse Aide Training course that was developed to accommodate postsecondary education to those individuals who desire to become part of the healthcare team. Successful graduates receive a certificate of completion and are eligible to take the Credentia Nurse Aide Competency Examination. Upon successful achievement, the graduates are placed on the Pennsylvania Nurse Aide Registry and are eligible for entry-level employment in the healthcare field.

I became an entrepreneur because of my passion for teaching, business, leadership skills, motivation, ambition, and desire to achieve independence and autonomy during my retirement years. Knowing that it was a source of empowerment allowed me to strive for and achieve success and prove myself in a gender-biased society.

In what ways do you think being a female entrepreneur has influenced your approach to business?

As a female entrepreneur, I take pride in what I do and have confidence that my skills will allow me to face the challenges of business today. Having the opportunity to hire other ambitious women to foster more women in leadership roles was a major business goal of mine, as well as offering a program of instruction that gives both women and men the opportunity to enter the healthcare profession in a timely manner.

What advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs just starting out?

My advice to inspire other females who are just starting out in business is to have self-confidence in your business endeavor. To have a viable business, you must know that having access to funding and capital is important and that you may face competition and gender barriers. Develop a strategic plan based on your skills and knowledge of your business endeavor and be willing to take risks!

Can you recommend another local female business leader you shop with, look up to, or would like to promote?

Beauty and Skincare

Cristal Minaya

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For more information about the CAN BE Innovation Center, or starting a business within the Greater Hazleton Area, visit canbe.biz or contact Nico Makuta at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..