Ernst & Young Seeks Applicants for its 2013 Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program

Ernst & Young LLP is looking for women entrepreneurs with the vision and passion to accelerate the growth of their companies for its 2013 North American Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program.

Currently in its sixth year, this annual competition and executive leadership program 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 introduces participants to an influential network of entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, investors and advisors, as well as potential partners, strategic alliances, customers and suppliers who can help these women think bigger, scale their companies and become market leaders,” said Kerrie McPherson, Principal and North American Entrepreneurial Winning Women Executive Sponsor, Ernst & Young LLP.

The program emphasizes thinking big, and recent polling results show the Entrepreneurial Winning Women are doing just that. Respondents indicated the three most valuable lessons learned from the program are:

• Thinking bigger and setting higher goals for what their businesses can achieve
• Working on the business, as opposed to in it — focusing on strategic priorities and big goals
• Purposeful networking — learning how to seek out and formalize networks of contacts and advisors

“Through the program, we leverage Ernst & Young’s convening power, seeking to connect women with the resources they need, so that the number of market-leading companies run by women increases — creating a boon to the global economy.”

“The Ernst & Young Entrepreneurial Winning Woman Program has helped me to be bolder — I’m now setting my sights on a 300 percent growth plan,” said Kari Warberg Block, CEO, Earth-Kind and Entrepreneurial Winning Women Class of 2012. “The opportunities that presented themselves once I gained access to this elite network enabled me to begin building a public profile, seek advisors and utilize new tools and insights, all of which have literally changed my life and erased any doubt of what’s really possible as a leader.”

To apply for the Entrepreneurial Winning Women program, applicants must fit the following criteria:

• Founding woman CEO of a privately held US 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
• Entrepreneurs must be able to attend an orientation and coaching session at Ernst & Young LLP’s headquarters in New York City on October 24-25, 2013, as well as the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, November 13-17, 2013, in Palm Springs, Calif.

To obtain an application form, or to nominate a deserving woman entrepreneur, visit: www.ey.com/us/entrepreneurialwinningwomen. The application deadline is June 28, 2013.