Women's entrepreneurial event set for May 21

Madison, Wis. – Wisconsin women entrepreneurs who are poised to take their business to the $1 million annual revenue level will have a chance to compete for cash, prize packages, and business mentoring when the Make Mine a Million campaign holds its first state awards program here May 21.

The all-day event, which will take place at the Madison Concourse Hotel, is open to women-owned businesses, including those in the technology and life science fields. It will be the first state contest in the national Make Mine a Million program, which seeks to inspire one million women entrepreneurs to reach the $1 million revenue mark by 2010.

Thus far, Make Mine a $Million has held two national awards programs, one in San Francisco and one in New York City.

The goal in Wisconsin is to get 200 women business owners to pledge to take their business to the $1 million mark in annual revenue. “It’s a pilot program on many different levels,” said Julann Jatczak of the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp.

WWBIC is coordinating the Wisconsin program, which has established a steering committee that includes Laurie Benson, CEO of Inacom Information Systems, and Maureen McGinnity, chief diversity partner with the Madison office of Foley & Lardner. Jatczak said 15 finalists will be selected from applications submitted by Wisconsin women, and they will make presentations to national and state judges on May 21. Applications for the Wisconsin awards program can be filled out online at the national Make Mine a Million website.

The national program was established by Count Me In, the New York-based micro lender run by Nell Merlino, the creator of Take Our Daughters to Work Day.

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