27 Women-Led Companies To Present on May 9, 2001

Springboard: Midwest 2001, a venture capital forum showcasing women-led high growth businesses, released the roster of presenting companies today. The forum, hosted by Springboard Enterprises, the Women's Business Development Center and the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management is scheduled for May 9, 2001 at the Allen Center of Northwestern University's J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management. The twenty-seven women entrepreneurs join the over 150 women that have presented their companies to investors at the five previous Springboard forums. Investors may register to attend at www.springboard2000.org.

Sona Wang of INROADS Capital Partners, chair of Springboard: Mid-West 2001, accepted this position after attending Springboard Forums in other parts of the country. "At most venture forums I have attended, there has been a sense of sameness and predictability. There are maybe one or two deals of interest. At the Springboard forums there have been clearly viable deals. One of the forums I attended, 80% of the businesses obtained funding."

"What differentiates Springboard from other forums is the assistance provided to these companies in preparing for their presentations", states Kay Koplovitz, Chair of the National Women's Business Council and CEO of Working Woman Network. "Springboard relies on a large network of investors, lawyers and accountants to screen the deals, coach the presenters and provide them with the advantages they need to secure that equity investment."

Springboard forums have been held in Silicon Valley twice, Washington DC/Mid-Atlantic, Boston/New England and New York with future forums to be held in Dallas/Southwest. To date, the 150 Springboard presenters have raised over $450 million, been the subject of countless media stories and have obtained lucrative new business opportunities and clients. "Springboard increases investments in women-led firms by assisting them in making strategic business connections," stated Amy Millman, President of Springboard Enterprises. "We provide women entrepreneurs with the tools and access they need to raise capital and develop their enterprises."

"Springboard 2001: Midwest has already been a phenomenal opportunity for women business leaders to demonstrate their expertise and strength in leading high growth organizations," Said Linda Darragh, Director, Women's Tech & Venture Program of the Women's Business Development Center. "We have twenty-seven viable business plans selected in areas of biotechnology and medical devices, business services, financial services, consumer services, healthcare, new media and technology seeking between $1 and $20 million in Series A, B or C rounds. The May 9 Forum will not only showcase these high growth businesses but will also demonstrate the powerful Springboard development process, attracting the attention of the top business leaders, venture capitalists and funding partners."

The Springboard Women's Venture Capital Forum Series is a national initiative of Springboard Enterprises (www.springboard2000.org). The Springboard forums are designed to accelerate access to the equity markets for women entrepreneurs in high growth industries, such as technology and life sciences. During the first half of 2000, 6% of the$35 billion in venture capital went to companies with a woman CEO (Venture One). Springboard forums are designed to shatter that statistic and put women-led businesses on a fast track to funding and growth.

Springboard 2001: Chicago Presenters

• Armeta Technologies, Teresa L. Pahl, tpahl@incentinc.com
• ConferenceSeek, Amy Ravi, aravi@conferenceseek.com
• cue BIOtech, Annette Gilchrist,a-gilchrist@northwestern.edu
• Decision Insight, Inc., Betsy Stewart, betsys@decisioninsight.com
• Deuxo, Laura McGuire, lmcguire@deuxo.com
• DigitalEPC, Beverly Anderson, beverly.anderson@digitalepc.com
• e-Cognita Technologies, Inc., Katheryne Zelenock, kzelenock@e-cognita.com
• EePulse, Inc., Theresa Welbourne, theresa@eepulse.com
• Fifth Media, Angela Tomlinson, atomlinson@bvmcom.com
• HandSignal, Inc., Margy Ronning, ronning@sound.net
• HealthEZ, Nazie Eftekhari, neftekhari@araz.com
• iDC, Carolyn Turner, cst@idcdilog.com
• Inlet Medical, Inc.,
• Interstitial, LLC, Martha Bridges, MBridges@Interstitial-LLC.com
• ioGenetics LLC, Jane Homan, Jane_Homan@iogenetics.com
• NGx2.com, Inc., Elise Wood, e_wood@ngx2.com
• Nia Enterprises, LLC, Cheryl Mayberry, cmayberry@niaonline.com
• PreviewPort, Susan Bergman, sbergman@previewport.com
• Proud To Be You, Roberta Meacham, rmeacham@proudtobeyou.com
• SafeRent, Inc., Linda Bush, dbayles@saferent.com
• Safety Associates, Inc., Virginia Gordon, vgordon@saftest.com
• SatisFusion, Fay Wood, Fay@satisfusion.com
• Stratech, LLC, Lynn Allen-Hoffman, Ph.D., lah@stratatechskinscience.com
• Success Lab Learning Centers, Marjorie Schaffner, mschaffner@successlab.com
• SupplierInsight, LLC, Rebecca Braun, rbraun@supplierinsight.com
• UserActive, Inc., Patricia Gray, trish@useractive.com
• Vanteq, Inc., Mary Barneby, mbarneby@vanteq.com