Count Me In & Capital One Host National Conference to Help Women Veteran Bus. Owners Create New Jobs & Contribute to Economic...

WVEC Conference Expands to Bring Women Small Business Owners throughout the U.S. Together to Fuel Business Growth and Improve Local Economies

The Small Business Administration this week launched Veterans Small Business Week, a seven-day series of events designed to engage former members of the military and ensure they have the tools they need to start or grow a business. Keeping that spirit alive throughout the month as the nation prepares to honor and show its appreciation for veterans, members of the armed forces, and military families on Veterans Day, Capital One Financial Corporation and Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence, announced that they will bring together women business owners and business growth experts from across the country to participate in the second Women Veterans Entrepreneur Corps (WVEC) Conference, November 18-19, 2013, at the Capital One Conference Center in Plano, Texas.

WVEC, the result of an ongoing partnership between Capital One and Count Me In, is designed to help teach and inspire women veteran entrepreneurs to fuel the growth of their small businesses and create new jobs for veterans and civilians across the country. The conference is part of Capital One’s $800,000 commitment to support WVEC, a training and mentorship program designed to help established women small business owners who are veterans, spouses/domestic partners of veterans, or daughters of veterans conquer daily business challenges and plan ahead for future growth and success.

“Capital One is excited to partner with Count Me In to host the second WVEC Conference,” said Sanjiv Yajnik, President of Financial Services, Capital One. “The breadth of information presented at this event can empower women business owners and entrepreneurs to take their businesses and ideas to the next level. At Capital One, we understand the value small businesses bring to local economies and through our partnership with Count Me In, we are combining our expertise in small business development with our commitment to help entrepreneurial women veterans grow their businesses –– a step that not only benefits them personally but also supports local economies and job growth.”

The conference provides an opportunity for the participants to meet and network with other women entrepreneurs and will feature a business pitch competition that will allow women business owners a chance to give a two-minute business pitch and receive real-time, expert feedback to help them hone their concepts. The winners of the competition will have an opportunity to join Count Me In’s celebrated Business Accelerator Program, a nine-month intensive business education program designed to help women grow their businesses significantly within 18 to 36 months. In addition, attendees will participate in a variety of panels and workshops, some of which will be led by established women veteran small business owners. Capital One professionals will also offer coaching and mentoring during the event.

At the WVEC Conference and Competition, participating women will:

• Learn growth strategies from nationally renowned small business experts.
• Meet women who have built their ideas into million-dollar successes through Count Me In programs, and who will offer advice and insights on how to think like a CEO, position a business for success, improve work-life balance, and more.
• Pitch their businesses for a chance to join Count Me In’s celebrated Business Accelerator Program.
• Connect with motivated women veteran entrepreneurs from across the country in a variety of business sectors – new clients, vendors and peers.

“The enthusiasm and determination that women small business owners, especially those who are veterans, bring to their business ventures is unparalleled,” said Nell Merlino, Founder and President, Count Me In. “Through the WVEC program, Capital One and Count Me In are providing a strong community of support, as well as essential tools and resources needed to help these women grow their small businesses quickly and sustainably, allowing them to significantly contribute to the growth of local economies and create new jobs.”

The WVEC Conference and Competition will feature an exciting roster of informative and inspiring speakers and small business growth experts from the military and civilian business world, including:

• Chris Cunneen, CEO, Hire Image
• Cynthia Rubio, CEO, Radiant RFID
• Sanjiv Yajnik, President of Financial Services, Capital One
• Leanne King, President, SeeKing HR
• Dawn Stokes, Chief Accelerator, Total Driving Experience
• Dr. Garnett Newcombe, CEO, Human Potential Consultants
• Maj. Gen. Mary Saunders (Ret.) Executive Director, Leadership Institute, Texas Women’s University
• Master Sgt. Gina Williams (Ret.), Co-owner, Dandy Candy
• Col. Kim Olsen (Ret.) CEO, Grace After Fire
• Marian Lopez, Owner, Mama Cheesecake
• Charmane Sellers, CEO, Aleon Properties
• Nicole Baldwin, CEO, BAIO Skincare
• Robin Bond, CEO, Robin Bond Interiors

The WVEC program builds on Capital One’s three-year, $4.5 million commitment to support the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes initiative, a program that provides job fairs and workforce training initiatives across the United States for veterans and military spouses. In March 2012, Capital One, the U.S. Chamber and National Chamber Foundation announced “Hiring 500,000 Heroes,” a national campaign to engage the business community in committing to hire 500,000 veterans and military spouses by the end of 2014.

Capital One’s partnership with Count Me In is aligned with its commitment to helping aspiring entrepreneurs and small businesses of every size grow and thrive – whether it’s directly through their products and services, or through innovative partnerships and programs like WVEC that provide tailored business training, mentoring, and other professional support and resources.

About Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence

Count Me In is the leading not-for-profit provider of business education and resources for women interested in growing their micro-businesses into million-dollar enterprises. Founded in 1999, the organization inspires and instructs thousands of women business owners online, at live events, and through peers, coaches and experts to significantly increase revenues and create new jobs. CMI has developed a reputation nationally and internationally for accelerating business growth and positioning women in the forefront of global economic recovery. For more information on Count Me In programs and resources visit www.countmein.org.

About Capital One

Capital One Financial Corporation, headquartered in McLean, Virginia, is a Fortune 500 company with more than 900 branch locations primarily in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Its subsidiaries, which include Capital One, N.A., and Capital One Bank (USA), N. A., offer a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. Capital One applies the same principles of innovation, collaboration and empowerment in our commitment to our communities across the country that we do in our business. Capital One recognizes that helping to build strong and healthy communities – good places to work, good places to do business and good places to raise families – benefits us all and Capital One is proud to support this and other community initiatives.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20131108005843/en/

Capital One Financial CorporationShelley Solheim, [e-mail] Me In for Women’s Economic IndependenceJodi Brockington, 212-245-1245 [e-mail]