Award recipients of the 2007 Women and Company®
Microenterprise Boost Program (March, 2007)

East Palo Alto, March 22, 2007 – Utilizing $10,000 in funds provided by the Women and Company® Microenterprise Boost Program, Start Up is pleased to announce that six (6) local women microentrepreneurs will receive financial support for their enterprises. Start Up is one of only fifteen organizations selected to participate in this nationwide program. The Women and Company® Microenterprise Boost Program offers low- and moderate-income women microentrepreneurs the opportunity to achieve greater business success by providing cash awards that will have measurable impact on the development of their businesses.

Started in 2005, the program is funded by the Citigroup Foundation and is administered by the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO). The awards may be used for essential business development activities such as marketing, technology purchases, website development, inventory, or professional services. Recipients will also receive technical training, business development guidance and assistance from Start Up on growing their businesses and maximizing their equity awards.

"Start Up’s clients are incredibly hard-working individuals who, with the right training and support, are able to realize their dreams of small business ownership, and these enterprises provide for the livelihoods of entire families," said Kimberly Carlton, Executive Director of Start Up. "When people are given the tools they need for economic independence, the whole community benefits."

Start Up clients receiving the award this year include:
Ines Alvizar, Decoraciones Alvizar
Ines owns and operates an event planning and decorating service that provides table covers, seat covers, table centerpieces, flower arrangements, and dance floor decorations for quinceañeras, weddings, parties, etc. Ines received an equity award to build her business through advertising.

Henrietta Burroughs, East Palo Alto Today Newspaper
Henrietta is the founder and sole employee of EPA Today, East Palo Alto’s first and only newspaper and a central communications component of the East Palo Alto Center for Community Media. Henrietta received an equity award to hire employees to sell advertising for the paper and grant writers to seek additional funding sources for the paper.

Terry Clark, California Alzheimer’s Placement Resource Services
Terry owns and operates a placement referral service for the elderly with a focus on those affected by Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Terry received an equity award to advertise her business and free office space at Start Up for 6 months.

Victoria Estrada, Vision Cleaning Services
Victoria owns and operates a cleaning service that includes a crew of 3 people. She received an equity award that will allow her to purchase equipment to expand her household cleaning company to include janitorial services.

Maria Mazariegos, Hernandez Cleaning Service
Maria owns and operates a residential cleaning service and received an equity award to purchase environmentally safe cleaning supplies and to advertise her new products to existing and new clients.

Dee Uhila, Pacific Tonga – Ma’a – Tonga USA
Dee owns and operates a handicraft and clothing boutique in East Palo Alto. The store specializes in products from the Pacific Islands, including shells, fabrics, t-shirts, leis, and other crafts.

"Women and Company® is proud to participate in the Microenterprise Boost Program for the third consecutive year because we believe that all women should have the opportunity to achieve their financial goals," said Lisa Caputo, President and CEO, Women and Company®. "We’ve seen this program have an immediate and practical effect in helping women grow their businesses, and we know that starting a business is one way that more and more women are finding they can begin to gain financial independence."