RALEIGH, N.C. and DURHAM, N.C./Sept. 25, 2002 -- Comerica (NYSE: CMA), a leading financial services company, announced today that its Technology and Life Sciences Division is sponsoring the first southeastern regional Springboard: Southeast 2002, a venture capital forum showcasing women-led high growth businesses. The forum, hosted by Springboard Enterprises and the Council for Entrepreneurial Development, is scheduled for Sept. 27 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Sixteen forum finalists were announced this week and will present at the forum. Companies were selected by a committee of the area's leading venture capitalists and service providers from an impressive field of 100 candidates recruited from Florida to Maryland. The Southeast forum presenters join 214 past Springboard presenters from the Silicon Valley, Mid-Atlantic, New England, Midwest and Southwest regions, who have raised more than $750 million for their companies since January 2000.
"The women chosen to present at Springboard: Southeast 2002 represent the next wave of successful entrepreneurs in this emerging region," said Monica Doss, president of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development. "These forums provide women entrepreneurs with access to the 'who's who' within the investment community and generate quality investment opportunities for the region's investors."
"Comerica has a history of involvement in the Springboard forums, and we are pleased to support Springboard: Southeast 2002, which will be a premier event for female entrepreneurs throughout the Southeast," said April Young, senior vice president and managing director of Comerica's Mid-Atlantic Technology and Life Sciences Division. "Since we serve the Southeast from three offices -- in Durham, Atlanta and Reston -- we are well aware that the spirit of entrepreneurism there is alive and well, and Springboard offers an excellent opportunity to showcase that."
About Comerica's Technology and Life Sciences Division
Comerica's Technology and Life Sciences Division is one of the nation's leading technology banking practices, offering a wide range of financial services tailored to corporate customers, entrepreneurs and professionals. Veteran bankers provide credit and financial services and products to young, growing, professionally backed technology and life sciences companies, as well as their more mature counterparts. From 19 offices located across the U.S., Comerica's Technology and Life Sciences Division serves all major technology centers. Comerica is among the 20 largest banking companies in the nation, with $51 billion in assets.
About CED
The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (www.cednc.org), located in Research Triangle Park, N.C. is a private, non-profit organization formed in 1984 to stimulate the creation and growth of high-impact companies in the greater Research Triangle region. As one of the nation's oldest and largest entrepreneurial support organizations, CED provides education, mentoring and capital formation resources to new and existing high-growth entrepreneurs.
About Springboard Enterprises
Springboard Enterprises is a Washington, DC based non-profit organization dedicated to increasing women-led high-growth enterprises' access to the equity markets. Springboard delivers its programs and services through local affiliate organizations and a national network of entrepreneurs, investors and business development professionals. Springboard's signature program is the Women's Venture Capital Forum, which is hosted in major markets throughout the United States. More information about Springboard Enterprises can be found at www.springboardenterprises.org.
Media Contacts:
Adrienne Moch
Pacifico (for Comerica's Technology and Life Sciences Division)
(408) 293-8600, ext. 319
amoch@pacifico.com
or
Keith Turner
Comerica Bank-California
(408) 556-5111
keith_turner@comerica.com
or
Anne Wein
CED
(434) 825-8314
awein@cednc.org
