EY seeks exceptional women entrepreneurs for 2014 Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ Program

Study shows program helps women entrepreneurs set higher growth goals

TORONTO, March 25, 2014 /CNW/ - EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women — a program that saw one Canadian participant increase sales by 50% — is launching again and EY is looking for the next wave of Canadian women on the cusp of growth. 

"My most profound wake-up call as an entrepreneur happened to me at the EY Strategic Growth Forum^® in Palm Springs. I was being interviewed by a reporter, and I realized for the first time that I really knew my business inside and out. I came away from that amazing event stronger, more confident and with a clearer business vision, ultimately inspired by EY's mentorship. My sales have already increased 50% with the changes I made from knowledge gained from my EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women peers," says Entrepreneurial Winning Women Class of 2013 participant Corin Mullins, founder and CEO of Holy Crap Cereal.   

The North American program, now entering its second year in Canada, encourages women entrepreneurs to think big and take the steps needed to achieve exponential growth. A recent study by Babson College's Center for Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership reveals program participants are doing just that.

"Success stories like Corin show this program works," says Carrie Marchitto, EY's Entrepreneurial Winning Women Leader in Canada. "The numbers don't lie. Research shows that 73% of Entrepreneurial Winning Women plan to grow revenues by more than 20% in the next year. That's exactly the kind of ambitious goal setting our program promotes — and helps women achieve real business results."

Another Canadian woman, and member of the Entrepreneurial Winning Women Class of 2013, Kelsey Ramsden, President, Belvedere Place Development Ltd., points to the program's lasting impact.

"It's a tremendous opportunity to be recognized by EY, never mind the opportunity to connect with so many other amazing women and fabulous mentors through the network that EY has provided for me. The learning will be pivotal to take this business past the tens of millions mark and to build it in a way that will bridge generations," she says.

Understanding how to step away from day-to-day responsibilities and focus on the big picture is one of the program's biggest lessons. This is especially important given Babson College's study shows women entrepreneurs have difficulty freeing themselves from operational details to focus on growth and profitability.

"Too many women get caught working in their business rather than on it," says Marchitto. "The Entrepreneurial Winning Women program aims to help these women build strong teams capable of handling operational responsibilities to give them more time to focus on strategic priorities."

Help us support exceptional Canadian women and nominate today! The call for applications and nominations is now open to both Canadian and US entrepreneurs and runs through May 30, 2014.

About EY's Entrepreneurial Winning Women program
The EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women program is a North America-wide 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. In 2014, up to 12 program participants will be selected by a distinguished panel of independent judges. To be eligible for the competition, businesses must be less than 10 years old with at least US$2 million in revenue in each of the past two years, and must be led and majority owned by a woman.

Entrepreneurial Winning Women is conducted in collaboration with Babson College, the Kauffman Foundation, the National Association of Women Business Owners, the Committee of 200, the Women's Business Enterprise National Council and the Women Presidents' Organization.

For more information, please visit ey.com/ca/EntrepreneurialWinningWomen.

Each winner will receive an all-expense paid trip to the EY Strategic Growth Forum 2014, which takes place November 12-16, 2014 in Palm Springs. The Strategic Growth Forum is an invitation-only gathering of approximately 2,000 of North America'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.

For more information on the Forum, visit: ey.com/us/strategicgrowthforum.

About EY's Strategic Growth Markets Network
EY's worldwide Strategic Growth Markets Network is dedicated to serving the changing needs of high-growth companies. For more than 30 years, we've helped many of the world's most dynamic and ambitious companies grow into market leaders. Whether working with international mid-cap companies or early-stage venture-backed businesses, our professionals draw upon their extensive experience, insight and global resources to help your business succeed.

About EY
EY is a global leade in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. For 150 years in Canada, we've delivered the insights and quality services that help build trust and confidence in capital markets here and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

For more information, please visit ey.com/ca. Follow us on Twitter @EYCanada #WinningWomen.

EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

SOURCE: EY (Ernst & Young)

Erika Bennett, [email protected], 416 943 5497; Sarah Shields, [email protected], 604 648 3607; Julie Fournier, [email protected], 514 874 4308