InnovateHER Challenge Empowers Women and Families

InnovateHER focuses on products and services that help impact and empower the lives of women and families. To meet the challenge criteria, products or services must have a measurable impact on the lives of women and families (30 percent), have the potential for commercialization (40 percent), and fill a need in the marketplace (30 percent). The competition is open to U.S. citizens and legal residents 18 years or older. One winner from each local competition will advance to the national level and a chance to win $70,000 in prizes: $40,000 for first place, $20,000 for second place, and $10,000 for third place. Official challenge rules and criteria are now available on the IEWBC website. Submissions to the IEWBC for the 2016 InnovateHer Challenge must include a comprehensive business plan totaling no more than 20 pages, which must clearly demonstrate how the product or service meets the three challenge criteria Completed business plans are to be emailed in PDF format to Nicole Kinney, nkinney@iewbc.org, with InnovateHer Entry in the subject line. Submissions must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12. Late entries and incomplete submissions will not be accepted. After review of the submissions and scoring of the business plans, finalists will be notified no later than Nov. 23. Finalists will be invited to make a 5-minute presentation to IEWBC’s judges on Tuesday, Dec. 1. One winner will be selected from this group and his or her entry will advance to the national competition for consideration. The Inland Empire Women’s Business Center, located at 3780 Market St. in Riverside, is a program of the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship at Cal State San Bernardino. Housed in the College of Business and Public Administration, IECE, which administers the program in collaboration with the U.S. Small Business Administration, is inland Southern California’s leading organization dedicated to supporting and promoting entrepreneurship. The IEWBC provides business counseling, training and mentoring designed for women business owners. The Inland Empire Women’s Business Center hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday by appointment only. For more information, visit the IEWBC website or contact Nicole Kinney at nkinney@iewbc.org (909) 890-1242.