EY is looking for exceptional women entrepreneurs with the vision and passion to accelerate the growth of their companies for its 2015 North American Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program.
Founded in 2008, the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program is a competition and executive leadership program that works to identify a select group of high-potential women entrepreneurs whose businesses show real potential to scale – and then helps them do it. Today, EY is calling on all successful female entrepreneurs to nominate themselves, or like-minded peers, for this elite business network and customized accelerator program. If selected for this year’s class of Entrepreneurial Winning Women, the entrepreneurs will join an exclusive group that has collectively grown revenues by 63 percent since joining the program. This year’s call for applications and nominations is now open to both American and Canadian entrepreneurs and runs through June 15, 2015.
“Being a part of the Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program is like joining a secret society of women leaders,” said Kathy Cheng, President of Redwood Classics Apparel and a member of the 2014 class of Entrepreneurial Winning Women. “The sharing of support, life lessons and professional guidance has given me a fresh perspective while reaffirming my sense of confidence both personally and within my industry. This is an ecosystem that has inspired me to take many leaps of faith. I’m no longer apologetic about wanting to grow my business. I feel the courage to think big and act bold.”
In addition to participation in the year-round program, each winner will receive all-expense paid participation in the EY Strategic Growth Forum 2015, which takes place Nov. 11-15, 2015 in Palm Springs, California. The Strategic Growth Forum is an invitation-only gathering of 2,000 of the nation’s top CEOs, entrepreneurs, advisors, investors and senior business leaders to share insights, make connections and celebrate success. The Forum presents a one-of-a-kind platform for Entrepreneurial Winning Women to introduce their companies and share their stories and goals with a community of EY Entrepreneur Of The Year winners, top executives, prospective investors and business advisors. All Entrepreneurial Winning Women will be recognized at a special celebratory event during the Forum.
The Entrepreneurial Winning Women panel of independent judges — representing successful entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders — will select up to 12 women for the class of 2015. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate qualities needed to take full advantage of the program, including successes to date that exhibit the creativity, tenacity and plan necessary to realize their companies’ full potential and the confidence and conviction to drive toward market leadership. In addition, Entrepreneurial Winning Women should have the professionalism and level of business sophistication needed to interact effectively with potential investors, high-level business advisors and top executives.
“Through Entrepreneurial Winning Women, we provide outstanding female entrepreneurs with access to the right information, networks and guidance,” said Kerrie MacPherson, principal, Ernst & Young LLP and North American Entrepreneurial Winning Women Executive Sponsor. “We help these talented women access capital, identify strong business advisors and put the processes in place to radically expand their companies, resulting in increased revenues and jobs.”
Eligibility Requirements
To apply for the Entrepreneurial Winning Women program, applicants must fit the following criteria:
- Founding woman CEO and majority owner of a privately held US or Canadian company
- For those women who have sought outside investment, the founding woman entrepreneur may still apply if she retains a majority ownership stake of what’s left after deducting all outside investments.
- Company must have reported at least $2 million in sales in each of the last two years
- Venture must be less than 10 years old
- Entrepreneurs must be able to attend an orientation and coaching session EY’s headquarters in New York City on Oct. 15-16, 2015, as well as the EY Strategic Growth Forum, Nov. 11-15, 2015, inPalm Springs, California.
To apply or nominate a deserving woman entrepreneur, visit: www.ey.com/us/eww. The application deadline is June 15, 2015.
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