The 1st Annual Enterprising Woman Business Plan Competition & Conference
In June 2001, The Business Center and Mt. Airy • USA organized their first conference for small business women, The Enterprising Woman – The Savvy Entrepreneur. Among the sponsors were Black Enterprise, Verizon, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, PECO-Exelon, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Chestnut Hill National Bank, Primerica, Philadelphia Development Partnership, State Rep. LeAnna Washington, Summit Bank. and Morgan Stanley Dean Witter.
The event attracted over 140 women with start-up and established businesses. Within the conference was a business plan competition. First prize was a $3,000 grant donated by Chestnut Hill National Bank and Sovereign Bank; second prize was a $500 gift certificate donated by Microsoft, and the third prize was a leather laptop bag donated by the Delaware Valley Innovation Fund. In 2003, we hope to double the cash awards.
In the image: Winners of The Enterprising Woman Business Plan Competition-2001 (left to right): Second Place -- Amy Chou and Andrea Chen of Cmy Pet, Inc.; First Place -- Diane Richardson of The Richardson Group, and Third Place -- Robin Ives of Firefly (Children’s Wear). Photo by George Butler.