Local Business Woman Wins Pitch Competition in Latest Make Mine a Million $ Business™ National Event Charmane Sparkman of Natural Elementsn for Learning in NYC Receives $500 Prize in National Business Pitch Competition for Women Entrepreneurs Also Competing in Next Round for a Spot in Renowned Business Accelerator Program New York, NY – Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence (CMI), the leading national not-­‐for-­‐
profit provider of resources, business education, and community support for women entrepreneurs, has named Charmane Sparkman of New York City as one of 50 Pitch Winners selected in the latest Make Mine a Million $ Business (M3) event, which was held Tuesday, July 31, 2012, at Barnard College in New York City. Described as a cross between “The Apprentice” and “American Idol,” the M3 pitch competition invites women business owners with at least $85,000 in annual business revenues that have been in business for two years or more to present their business in a two minute “elevator pitch” to a panel of small business experts and judges. Pitch Winners came away with a $500 American Express gift card and a consultation with eMinutes legal services on how to best structure their business for growth. The top 10 Pitch Winners also received a $1000 Jump Start prize from CMI. All Pitch Winners are also invited to participate in the next round of competition for a chance to be named an M3 Awardee and exclusive access to business resources and CMI’s community of growth oriented women entrepreneurs. M3 Awardees also receive a business development package that includes national PR, a one-­‐year legislative membership with Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), and enrollment in the CMI Business Accelerator Program, a six-­‐month group coaching and training program, following a curriculum of key business fundamentals, held in bi-­‐weekly, 75-­‐minute calls for small teams and led by a certified business coach/trainer. Charmane Sparkman was among 72 women entrepreneurs from around the country to pitch their businesses at the event in competition for the prize and among 250 total participating. The event also featured nationally renowned small business experts and coaches, and dozens of past M3 Awardees sharing advice, expertise, and support. In addition to hearing inspiring keynotes and participating in networking exercises, attendees also took part in business growth education sessions designed to build their capacities around finance management, social media, leadership, and more. A complete list of M3 2012 pitch winners can be found at www.countmein.org/m3ny2012. Charmane Sparkman is the President & CEO of Natural Element for Learning. Natural Elements for Learning provides furnishings that create innovative and ecologically
conscious classrooms and learning environments
Our vision is to understand and support individual, unique dreams and desires regarding
learning spaces. Learning and educational philosophies vary in many ways. All with a common
goal of success in learning achievement.
Natural Elements supports personal goals of achievement. We create learning spaces that are
commensurate with the needs of those that dwell within.
Specialty Clientele:
- Charter Schools ( NY – Washington DC)
- Headstart Early Learning Environments ( NY – NJ)
- Independent School – (NYC)
Charmane Sparkman is the President & CEO of Natural Element for Learning. Launched in 2005 by Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence and founding partner American Express OPEN, the Make Mine a Million $ Business program was created to help post-­‐start up, women-­‐
owned businesses grow to one million dollars in annual revenue. Since its inception, the program has hosted more than 20 competitions in cities around the country with thousands of women entrepreneurs participating, and grown into a nationwide movement. To date, 28% of M3 program participants have surpassed the $1 million mark in annual revenues versus the 2.6% national average for women business owners. A year-­‐to-­‐date investment of $12 million in the program has yielded $160 million in revenues for M3 Awardees. The ultimate goal of the program is to elevate one million women businesses to over $1M in annual revenue generating $1 trillion in revenues and creating over 4 million jobs by 2020. “We are thrilled by the eagerness of women across the country to grow their businesses, create jobs in their communities, and create stability for their families and the national economy,” said Nell Merlino, Founder and President of Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence. About Count Me In Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence is the leading national not-­‐for-­‐profit provider of resources, business education, and community support for women entrepreneurs seeking to grow their businesses to million dollar enterprises. Count Me In launched the Make Mine a Million $ Business Competition to inspire one million women entrepreneurs scale their businesses to a million dollars in business revenues in the next decade by providing tools, skills, and the support of a nation-­‐wide community of peers.