More than 15,000 Women Business Owners Join the Make Mine a $Million Business Community to Build Million-Dollar Enterprises; AIG Joins Cause


New York (October 26, 2006) - Since launching the 2006 Make Mine a $Million Business program in March, more than 15,000 women entrepreneurs from across the country have joined the Make Mine a $Million Business community to build million-dollar businesses by 2010. And at the final event of the year held Tuesday in New York, twenty successful and inspiring business owners were awarded mentoring, money, marketing, business services and technology assistance to turn their million-dollar dreams into reality.

Make Mine a $Million Business (www.makemineamillion.org) is a program of Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence and Founding Partner OPEN from American Express®. It is the only national initiative committed to the growth needs of post-start-up, women-owned businesses with less than $1 million in annual revenues. These businesses account for 97 percent of all women-owned firms in the U.S.

“One million women at one million dollars in revenues by 2010 means a possible four million new jobs and $700 billion to the US economy,*” said Susan Sobbott, president, OPEN from American Express. “Make Mine a $Million Business has received an overwhelming response this year from women across the country as well as a critical mass of support from corporate America and the important backing of visionary leaders like Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Make Mine a $Million Business is picking up steam and is looking forward to 2010 as the movement grows one woman entrepreneur at a time.”

"Women are changing America with their ideas, innovation and entrepreneurship," said Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. "Make Mine a $Million Business provides women business owners with the confidence to succeed and the resources necessary to build million dollar enterprises."

“The Make Mine a $Million Business Award marks a significant achievement for OnShore Technology Group and represents our commitment and dedication to achieving our million dollar revenue goal. I am deeply grateful for Nell Merlino and the outstanding team at Count Me and their sponsors for making this happen for all of us,” said Valarie King-Bailey, CEO of OnShore Technology Group.

“OPEN’s leadership has created the conditions to help bring in new corporate sponsors to join the movement,” said Nell Merlino, founder and chief executive officer, Count Me In.

AIG announced a $1.1 million philanthropic contribution to Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence and the Make Mine a $Million Business program. AIG will help Make Mine a $Million Business awardees with what many working women need—services to achieve a work/life balance, including in the areas of child care and elder care, and help securing their financial future.

“AIG is committed to supporting the economic and social empowerment of women around the world, and we are proud to partner with Count Me In to further that objective in the United States,” said Ned Cloonan, vice president of international and corporate affairs, AIG. “Count Me In has created an effective mechanism to provide women entrepreneurs the access to financial services they need to grow their businesses and create new opportunities for themselves, their families and their communities.”

Two other blue-chip corporate sponsors have committed to creating a community of one million women-owned businesses at $1 million or more in annual revenue by 2010--FedEx is serving as the global shipping and business partner and Intuit announced its role as the business management software supporter. These companies join QVC and Cisco, who joined the initiative earlier this year as national marketing supporter and network technology sponsor, respectively.

Program awardees are eligible to receive financing from OPEN from American Express and Count Me In, a year of intensive business coaching and mentoring from a “dream team” of successful women entrepreneurs and professional coaches, business software and training from Intuit, discounts on shipping and business services from FedEx, marketing assistance from QVC, and assistance on work/life issues and financial security from AIG. In addition, five awardees will receive a Smart Business Communication technology package from Cisco valued at up to $20,000 complete with installation and support for one year. This robust package will support awardees to build their businesses into million-dollar enterprises within two years.

New York Awardees

Twenty Make Mine a $Million Business awardees were chosen Tuesday in New York from 450 applicants nationwide. These entrepreneurs raise the total class of Make Mine a $Million Business awardees to 63, including women selected in last year’s pilot program as well as at this year’s West Coast event held in June in San Francisco.

“Make Mine a $Million Business awardees are an inspiration to any woman who has dared to create a thriving business but never imagined she would write her own seven-figure success story,” said Merlino of Count Me In. “Along with the women that went before them, these twenty awardees represent the promise and potential of women entrepreneurs across America.”

The awardees announced Tuesday in New York are:

Christine Cunneen, of Johnston, RI is chief executive officer of Hire Image LLC, a specialist in the field of background investigation services with offices in Rhode Island and Florida.

Theresa Daytner, of Mount Airy, MD is president and chief executive officer of Daytner Construction Group, a commercial construction consulting company.

Kelly Driscoll, of Providence, RI is co-founder and president of Digication, Inc., a developer of educational software that leverages social networking and learning management systems.

Melinda Earl, of San Diego, CA is majority partner of Stone Impressions, a manufacturing company that makes decorative natural stone tile products using a unique patented process.

Valarie King-Bailey, of Chicago, IL is chief executive officer of OnShore Technology Group, Inc., a company that is dedicated to keeping technology jobs on America’s shores through the delivery of integrated engineering, IT, and marketing solutions.

Lynne Lambert, of Chappaqua, NY is founder and president of NYC Subway Line, a designer and distributor of NYC-themed products, which is expanding into other cities, including London.

Fiona Macaulay, of Washington, DC is founder and president of Making Cents International, Inc., a training and consulting firm committed to poverty alleviation by supporting micro-entrepreneurs.

Bonnie Marcus, of Westport, CT is president of Bonnie’s Style Press, a fashion-forward invitation and greeting card company specializing in chic, stylish greeting cards and invitations.

Marie Moody, of Brooklyn, NY is founder of Stella & Chewy’s, LLC, a wholesaler of all-natural, raw and freeze-dried pet food for dogs and cats.

Nandini Mukherjee, of New York, NY is founder and president of Indian Bread Co., which serves fresh, flavorful and affordable Indian food, styled as the universally appealing sandwich.

Christie Nightingale, of New York, NY is owner and principal of Premier Match, LLC, an upscale matchmaking service for single professionals seeking long-term relationships and marriage.

Elizabeth Perelstein, of Mamaroneck, NY is president of School Choice International, Inc., a global educational consulting firm working with families being relocated.

Renee Schofield, of Ketchikan, AK is owner of Tongas Substance Screening, which conducts drug and alcohol testing for federal and non-federal programs.

Gina Stern, of Newark, NJ is president of d_parture spa, three full-service spas located in airport terminals—two in Newark and one in Orlando, FL.

Dawn Stokes, of Fort Worth, TX is chief executive officer of The Texas Driving Experience, which teaches high performance driving and accident avoidance at major race tracks.

Caroll Stoner, of Haddonfield, NJ is founder of Stoner Innovations, Inc., inventor and producer of the Ornament Safe, a product that protects ornaments and makes tree decorating easy.

Damaris Valero, of Key Biscayne, FL is founder and chief executive officer of Animus Group, which produces lifestyle content for television and new media outlets.

Sandi Webster, of Newark, NJ is principal of Consultants 2 Go, LLC, a consulting firm that provides marketing and analytic solutions to Fortune 500 companies.

Renee Wood, of Geneva, IL is founder of The Comfort Company, an online retailer of unique and appropriate sympathy gifts.

Doreen Zayer, of Staten Island, NY is founder and president of Relax on Cloud 9, a full service spa that has been in business since 1995.

The New York awardees earned their awards after delivering business pitches to an audience of more than 1000 women entrepreneurs, judges and guests at the Make Mine a $Million Business event, which was held at the Manhattan Center. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke at the event as did Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, the Emmy-Award-winning finance guru, Suze Orman, and founder and editor-in-chief of DailyCandy, Dany Levy. Valerie Morris of CNN hosted the event, which was web-cast nationwide on SBTV.

Throughout the event, business owners had access to inspirational and educational programming and were able to participate in a QVC product search. Expert coaching and workshops were offered on subjects such as finance, insurance, technology and shipping.

About Count-Me-In

Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence is the leading national not-for-profit provider of on-line business loans and resources for women to grow their micro businesses into $million enterprises. Find us at www.countmein.org or call 212-245-1245.

About OPEN from American Express®

OPEN® is the American Express team dedicated exclusively to the success of small business owners and their companies. The OPEN Team supports business owners with unparalleled service. With tailored products and services, the team delivers purchasing power, flexibility, control and rewards to help customers run their business. Specifically, business owner customers can leverage an enhanced set of products, tools, services and savings, including charge and credit cards, convenient access to working capital, robust online account management capabilities and savings on business services from an expanded lineup of partners. To obtain more information about OPEN, visit OPEN.com, or call 1-800-NOW-OPEN to apply for a card or loan. Terms and conditions apply.

American Express Company (www.americanexpress.com) is a leading global payments, network and travel company founded in 1850.

About OnShore Technology Group, Inc.

OnShore Technology Group, Inc. is a premier on shore provider of I.T. business solutions, products and services dedicated to keeping technology jobs on America's shores. Through its 4 key operating divisions, TechPIT, O6, MasterMarketing, and OnShore Engineering, Onshore Technology Group sets the standard for innovation, creativity, and value within the I.T. community. With deep domain experience in marketing, compliance, Microsoft Business Solutions, document/content management, and open systems development, OnShore Technology Group helps clients worldwide align technology with their business objectives and enjoy greater ROI, increased efficiency, and productivity through intimate service deployments where the customer is always first.


About AIG

American International Group, Inc. (AIG), world leaders in insurance and financial services, is the leading international insurance organization with operations in more than 130 countries and jurisdictions. AIG companies serve commercial, institutional and individual customers through the most extensive worldwide property-casualty and life insurance networks of any insurer. For more information please visit www.aig.com.

About Cisco

Cisco Systems, Inc (NASDAQ: CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Cisco news and information are available at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

About Fedex

FedEx provides a broad portfolio of shipping, document solutions and business services to small businesses which enables them to have the same global access as a Fortune 100 company and compete successfully in today’s global economy. FedEx is committed to helping small businesses grow by providing reliable, cost-effective and time-saving tools and resources tailored to the unique needs of small businesses. With more than 1,200 locations, FedEx Kinko’s Office and Print Center provides a reliable, virtual office for small businesses and offers a full range of FedEx® shipping services as well as copying, printing, signs and graphics, Internet access, and more. To obtain more information on the logistical tools and resources offered by FedEx, visit the Small Business Resource Center on fedex.com - www.fedex.com/smallbiz.

About Intuit

Intuit Inc. is a leading provider of business and financial management tools for small- and mid-sized businesses, consumers and accounting professionals. Its flagship products and services, including Quicken®, QuickBooks® and TurboTax® software, simplify small business management and payroll processing, personal finance, and tax preparation and filing. For more information, go to www.intuit.com.

About QVC

QVC, Inc., a $6.5 billion company, is an e-commerce leader, marketing a wide variety of brand name products in such categories as home furnishings, licensed products, fashion, beauty, electronics and fine jewelry. QVC reaches over 89 million homes in the United States. Other divisions/subsidiaries include QVC.com, Q Records and Video, QVC @, QVC Local, QVC ProductWorks. The QVC Studio Tour is located at the company's world headquarters in West Chester, Pa. QVC is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation.

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* Data source: US Census Bureau. Economic Census, Survey of Business Owners: Women-Owned Firms, 2002. Published January 2006. (SB02-00CS-WMN). Prepared by Julie Weeks, President and CEO of Womenable, www.womenable.com.