Endangered Cultures One Of 36 Local Awardees In Count Me In's National Initiative to Support Women Entrepreneurs

Pasadena California-based Endangered Cultures

Named Count Me In Awardee in Business Pitch Competition for Women Entrepreneurs

Los Angeles – July 30, 2013 – Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence, the leading national not-for-profit provider of resources, business education, and community support for women entrepreneurs, is pleased to name 36 business owners as Awardees of its 2013 Urban Rebound Los Angeles small business competition for women.

Among the Awardees is Endangered Cultures, based in Pasadena, founded by Renee Williams. The company makes bespoke and limited production handmade dress shirts and accessories. Their specialty is whimsical fanciful prints from French Fries, Christmas cats and American Indian themes to vibrant fabrics from developing countries. “These aren’t fabrics you usually see as men’s dress shirts and guys are happy to have choices other than stripes, plaids and solid,” says Williams

Williams started out making shirts for her son. His friends were soon placing orders. Everywhere they wore the shirts people were trying to give their measures, place orders or literally buy the shirts off their backs. Realizing she couldn’t keep up Williams placed an ad on craigslist. According to Williams, “I was overwhelmed and emotionally taken aback by the number of unemployed and underemployed skilled sewing crafters out there.” She says, “They are artists and just like any artist they love what they do and they want to work.” “It’s rewarding to createjobs for talented American sewers. And sewers glad to play apart in increasing awareness appreciation of handmade-in-America,” according to Williams. Items are available at www.endangeredcultures.com. The company is also launching an exclusive boutique line only available to a very limited number of specialty boutiques.

Urban Rebound Los Angeles, made possible with generous support from Sam’s Club Giving Program, is an exciting business growth initiative for women entrepreneurs currently at $50,000 to $150,000 in annual revenues and designed to help them grow quickly and sustainably to spur local economies and job growth in their communities.

Urban Rebound aims to help women-owned businesses across the country grow to $250,000+ in revenue with support through the Count Me In Business Accelerator Program.  That goal translates into $50 Million in new economic activity and 400-600 much needed new jobs. 

Urban Rebound Awardees each receive a place in Count Me In’s renowned nine-month Business Accelerator program, which provides intensive business coaching and education designed to help participating businesses grow their revenues by at least 30% and create new jobs within 18-36 months. That program will commence for the Awardees in April 2014. Awardees also receive a one-year legislative membership with Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP).

In addition, the Top 10 Awardees each receive Jump Start Prizes, a $1000 cash award to use in their businesses.

A full list of the 2013 Urban Rebound Los Angeles Awardees is available at http://www.countmein.org/UR-LA-Awardees.

In addition to the Los Angeles Area, in 2013 Count Me In presented an Urban Rebound pitch competition in Brooklyn, New York.  Additionally, Count Me In’s Women Veteran Entrepreneur Corps (WVEC) conference and competition, aimed to help women veteran entrepreneurs grow their businesses, is currently being planned for November 18-19, 2013 in Plano, TX.   Another WVEC event will also take place in the spring of 2014.

The 36 Awardees named each presented a two-minute pitch on their business at the Urban Rebound Los Angeles conference and competition at the Skirball Cultural Center, in Downtown Los Angeles on June 24-26, 2013. 41 Pitch Winners were selected at that event and invited to submit financial documentation and business plans as part of the second round of competition. Awardees were chosen based on their demonstrated ability to benefit and grow through the Business Accelerator Program.

“Our Women Entrepreneur Awardees represent yet another group of women business owners have to the potential to truly impact economic growth in our country,” said Nell Merlino, Founder and President of Count Me In. “We look forward to working with this promising group of motivated entrepreneurs as they grow their micro-businesses into thriving enterprises.”

According to 2010 US Census statistics, while women-owned businesses represented nearly 50% of privately held companies, the majority of these firms reach just $50,000 in annual gross revenues or less.  In order to impact the current economic recovery, significant growth among these businesses is essential.  

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.

For more information about Count Me In and Urban Rebound, visit www.countmein.org.