Are you a winning woman (or do you know one)? Ernst & Young (EY) is seeking ambitious women entrepreneurs to enter its Entrepreneurial Winning Women program, an annual competition and executive leadership program that identifies a select group of high-potential women entrepreneurs whose businesses show real potential to scale — and then helps them do it.
The Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program helps women business owners develop the confidence and resolve to think bigger, surround themselves with great teams and take advantage of powerful networks to grow their companies. Nearly three-fourths (73 percent) of past Winning Women say they plan to grow revenues more than 20 percent in the next year. Many of the women say these ambitious growth plans were made possible because the program helped them set higher goals, engage outside advisors, consider external financing options, focus on their brands and provided them necessary support and connectivity.
To apply for the Entrepreneurial Winning Women program, applicants must fit the following criteria:
- Founding woman CEO of a privately held U.S. or Canadian company
- Company must have reported at least $2 million in sales within each of the last two years
- Venture must be less than 10 years old
o Entrepreneurs must be able to attend an orientation and coaching session at EY’s headquarters in New York City on October 23-24, 2014, as well as the EY Strategic Growth Forum, November 12-16, 2014, in Palm Springs, California. The Strategic Growth Forum is an invitation-only gathering of approximately 2,000 of the nation’s top CEOs, entrepreneurs, advisors, investors and senior business leaders to share insights, make connections and celebrate success. All Entrepreneurial Winning Women will be recognized at a special celebratory event during the Forum. For more information on the Forum, visit: www.ey.com/us/strategicgrowthforum.
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 2014. 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.
To obtain an application form, or to nominate a deserving woman entrepreneur, visit www.ey.com/us/entrepreneurialwinningwomen. The application deadline is May 30, 2014.
