Owning The Future: National Association of Women Business Owners(R) Hosts 2006 Women's Business Conference in San Francisco

Owning The Future: National Association of Women Business Owners(R) Hosts 2006 Women's Business Conference in San Francisco

QVC to Hold Product Search and Make Mine a $Million Business to Announce Winners

MCLEAN, Va., May 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The media is invited to attend the National Association of Women Owners (NAWBO(R)) 2006 Women's Business Conference from June 1-3, in San Francisco, California. This year, the conference will feature keynote addresses from Stan Slap, former executive vice president of Mrs. Fields Cookies, and Maria de Lourdes Sobrino, founder and CEO of LuLu's Dessert Corporation. Two highlights of the conference -- NAWBO is pleased to announce that QVC will hold a national product search to find products to introduce on their television network during the conference. In addition, NAWBO has joined together with Count Me In and OPEN from American Express(sm) to announce its Make Mine $Million Business award recipients. The program is designed to help women entrepreneurs accelerate their business growth to $1,000,000 in annual sales and is also being sponsored by networking company Cisco Systems.

Reporters interested in content for stories on business issues including entrepreneurship, financing, marketing, technology, and inventiveness should attend this meeting. Women entrepreneurs from the United States as well as representatives from more than 10 countries worldwide will be in attendance and can provide you with stories on their business successes and challenges. A complete listing of sessions is available on the NAWBO website at http://www.nawbo.org/conference. For a press registration, contact Shawn Taylor Zelman at (703) 506-3268, cell: (703) 727-4216, szelman@nawbo.org. For more information, visit http://www.nawbo.org/.

WHEN: June 1-3, 2006

WHERE: The Westin St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco, Calif.

TOPICS OF INTEREST:
* Stan Slap, Cutting-Edge Corporate Strategists and Consultant and former
executive vice president of Mrs. Fields Cookies, will discuss how your
employee culture works and how to work the culture.

* Maria de Lourdes Sobrino, Founder and CEO of LuLu's Dessert Corporation,
will discuss business ownership and overcoming challenges to become a
leading maker of ready-to-eat desserts.

* Make Mine a $Million Business(TM) Program -- On June 2, this program
will select 15 of the nation's most promising women business owners to
receive the OPEN from American Express Make Mine a $Million Business
Award, which includes a business loan up to $45,000 from Count-Me-In and
a year of focused mentoring from a team of business leaders. Fifteen
runners-up will receive loans up to $20,000. Cisco Systems has donated
its Business Communications Networking solution, for small businesses,
installation and support services for 5 Award winners, valued at $15,000
each and mentoring from local Cisco technology partners.
(http://www.makemineamillion.org/.). The program is designed to help
women entrepreneurs accelerate their business growth to $1,000,000 in
annual sales

* On Wednesday, May 31, QVC will hold a national product search at NAWBO's
Women's Business Conference. QVC Product Search has successfully
introduced dozens of new products to the QVC roster, which features more
than 250 new products aired on QVC each week.

* Attendees will hear from keynote-caliber, nationally-recognized experts
including the following thought leaders -- Stephanie Frank, author of
The Accidental Millionaire, Jill Lublin, author of Guerilla Publicity,
and David Nour, author and advisor.

* Guardian's Girls Going Places Award -- On June 3, NAWBO will recognize
winners of this exciting award which recognizes and rewards girls ages
12 to 18 who demonstrate entrepreneurship, are taking the first steps
towards financial independence, and are giving back to their communities
in outstanding ways.

* Mirassou Business Optimist Award -- The NAWBO/Mirassou Business Optimist
Award honors a woman entrepreneur who has generated a successful
business record despite facing adversity -- and provides the recipient
with $10,000 to assist in the continued development of her business.

* Wells Fargo Trailblazer Award -- The NAWBO/Wells Fargo Trailblazer Award
is a coveted award honoring a woman who is entering new territories with
her business.

* NAWBO Awards -- NAWBO will also recognize an entrepreneur for her
leadership and business savvy with the NAWBO/Verizon Women Business
Owner of the Year award. NAWBO's corporate supporters will also be
honored with the National and Chapter Corporate Partner of the Year
awards.

* International -- More than 20 women business owners from Afghanistan,
China, Russia, Kenya, Canada and Mexico will be attending NAWBO's annual
conference. A reception will be held for the international visitors on
Friday evening, June 2, and the Afghanistan women and members of NAWBO's
International Forum also will host booths with items for sale made by
women enterprises in third world countries.

About NAWBO: Founded in 1975, NAWBO propels women entrepreneurs into economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide. More than thirty years later, NAWBO is still the only organization that solely represents the interest of women entrepreneurs in all industries. The organization's mission is to strengthen the wealth-creating capacity of its members and promote economic development; to create innovative and effective change in the business culture; to build strategic alliances, coalitions and affiliations; and to transform public policy and influence opinion makers. Visit http://www.nawbo.org/ for more information.

Source: National Association of Women Owners

CONTACT: Shawn Taylor Zelman of the National Association of Women
Owners, +1-703-506-3268, Cell: +1-703-727-4216, szelman@nawbo.org

Web site: http://www.nawbo.org/
http://www.makemineamillion.org/

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