WREN
2011 Main Street
Bethlehem, NH 03574

News Release
For further info: Ashley Bliss, AmeriCorps VISTA, 869-WREN, wren@wrencommunity.org

For immediate release:
WREN Announces Winners of Cash Equity Awards

Bethlehem, NH -

On April 5th, WREN hosted a celebration to honor ten of its members who have been selected to receive cash equity awards through the Women and Company® Microenterprise Boost Program. In early March, WREN members began to apply for equity awards in amounts from $500 to $2500, and formed project proposals in order to show how these funds would have a measurable impact on the development of their businesses.

WREN had the opportunity to take part in this innovative program last year, and was able to make $1000 equity awards available to nine of its members. This year, the parameters were different, allowing applicants to tailor the size of their award to a specific project. This ultimately required each applicant to submit thorough budgets along with their proposals in what amounted to a detailed application process.

Katy Curnyn, WREN's Director of Retail and Market Access, said, "I feel really inspired by these incredible women and their passion for what they do. We received a very competitive application pool this year. The review committee met frequently to compare notes, and when the final choices were made it was bittersweet, as each application was strong in its own way. As the announcements went out, the awardees began calling and emailing WREN. For many, the award represented a 'stamp of approval,' and in some respects, it legitimized their efforts. That simple act of believing in someone can be a very powerful gift. Without a doubt, we are all as energized by this program as the recipients."

This year's winners are an inventive bunch. Including women from age 25 to 63, the recipients are poised to break new ground in their businesses. From Mavra Adams, who plans to begin marketing her remarkable Almost Edible Soaps to national health food chains by developing bar coding for her product, to Audrey Flynn who will purchase a rototiller for her landscaping business, to Becca Van Fleet who intends to begin a regional non-profit support project involving sales of specialized stoneware mugs, this year's applicants are jumping at the chance to propel themselves and their businesses forward with this quick burst of funds.

Along with their cash awards, this year's recipients also will receive technical training and assistance from WREN staff and expert WREN members, as well as professional photo opportunities, and support in developing their stories for marketing purposes.

WREN is pleased to announce its 2006 winners: Audrey Flynn of Herbal Adventures in Dalton, NH; Meg McGovern of Rodeo & Co Photography in Sugar Hill, NH; Norma St Germain of St Germain Clay Works in Barnet, VT; Mavra Adams of Almost Edible Soap in St Johnsbury, VT; Becca Van Fleet of Becca Van Fleet Pottery in Eaton, NH; Sharon Savage of Savage Images in Plymouth, NH; Sally Fishburn of SA Fishburn, Inc in Danville, VT; Jane Labelle of Labelle Cool Warm Hats in Warner, NH; Emily Drury of Emily Drury Handmade in Harrisville, NH; and Susan Brown of The Center for Balanced Health in Franconia, NH.

Designed to provide low and moderate-income women microentrepreneurs the opportunity to achieve greater business success, the Women and Company Microenterprise Boost Program is supported by a grant from the Citigroup Foundation. The program distributes equity awards to women microentrepreneurs through Local Partners across the country. The program is managed by the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO), a national membership association for the microenterprise development industry, representing hundreds of microenterprise development programs across the country. Women and Company, a division of Citigroup that provides access to financial education and resources for women, is working with AEO to implement and promote the program.

Citigroup (NYSE:C), the preeminent global financial services company has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and asset management. Major brand names under Citigroup's trademark red umbrella include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney, and Banamex. The Citigroup Foundation focuses its grants primarily in three areas: financial education, educating the next generation, and building communities and entrepreneurs. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com.

Women and Company is a membership program from Citigroup designed to help women expand their financial knowledge, and prepare themselves for financial decisions that life's transitions often bring. Women and Company provides financial education through conference calls, Master Classes, and newsletters; personal attention through toll-free resource lines for questions related to taxes, general finance, care giving, survivorship and real estate issues; and special savings on select Citigroup financial products. Additional information may be found at www.womenandco.com.

The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) is the national association of community-based organizations that provide entrepreneurial education, access to capital, and support to aspiring and active low-income entrepreneurs. AEO's mission is to support the development of strong and effective U.S. microenterprise programs to assist underserved entrepreneurs in starting, stabilizing, and expanding businesses. To learn more about AEO or microenterprise, please visit www.microenterpriseworks.org.

WREN is a nationally recognized not for profit that provides and supports strategies for entrepreneurial development, access to markets, Main Street revitalization, and rural economic development. WREN inspires possibilities, creates opportunities, and builds connection through community and is dedicated to bringing rural people together to realize better lives and livelihoods by providing resources, education, and opportunity. For further information, call (603) 869-9736, email at wren@wrencommunity.org, or reach us on the web at www.wrencommunity.org.