Nominations are open for the eighth annual Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards, the most prestigious awards for women entrepreneurs in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. This year’s winners will be announced at the annual Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards dinner on Friday, May 4, at the newly renovated Hilton Santa Barbara Seaside Resort. Outstanding women entrepreneurs will be recognized for their success and contributions to the economy and our community:
Nominations in 11 categories now being accepted:
- Agriculture & Wineries
- Emerging Business (1-5 years)
- Green & Social Entrepreneurs
- Health & Wellness
- Hospitality & Tourism
- Media & Communication
- Nonprofit
- Professional Services
- Retail
- Science & Technology
- Wholesale, Manufacturing, & Global Trade
Descriptions of each category are listed at http://soefoundation.org/award-descriptions/
The nominations are open to any woman entrepreneur in Santa Barbara or Ventura County. “We are so pleased that we expanded our nominations to Ventura County last year,” said Cathy Feldman, Board Chair/CEO of the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Foundation (SOEF). “By encouraging these nominations, SOEF will bring well-deserved attention to the valuable contributions made by the many women who are influencing the economics of our region and other communities.”
Nominate a woman entrepreneur (or self-nominated) via the quick and easy online form at http://soefoundation.org/nominate/. The deadline for nominations is Monday, March 5.
The selection of award winners will be done by successful business women from outside the area who are not affiliated with the Foundation to insure fairness and integrity in the decision-making process. Three Finalists in each category will be announced at the end of March. While all the Finalists will be recognized before the Awards Dinner on Friday, May 4, the winners will be announced for the first time at the Awards Dinner, just like the Oscars.
Proceeds from the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards benefit the student winners of the SBCC Scheinfeld Center’s New Venture Challenge, a business pitch competition for area high school and college students that promotes youth entrepreneurship. The student winners will be the Foundation’s guests at the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards dinner where they are recognized and receive their prizes in the form of seed money. The student finalists from the New Venture Challenge participate in a Student Startup Showcase on May 4th at the SOE Awards Dinner.
For more information about the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Foundation or the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards go to www.soefoundation.org, email info@soefoundation.org, or call 682-8380.
