Released on: October 7, 2008, 8:30 am

Press Release Author: MMI ASSOCIATES, INC.

Industry: Advertising

Press Release Summary: 20 Finalists Compete For Financing, Mentoring, And Other
Prizes To Help Catapult Their Business’ Revenue To A Million Dollars

Press Release Body: RALEIGH, N.C. – Wendy Coulter, CEO and creative director of
Hummingbird Creative Group (www.hummingbird-creative.com), a Raleigh-based creative
services firm, has announced that she has been selected as a finalist for Make Mine
A Million $ Business™ event. Coulter, along with 19 other finalists, were selected
from more than 200 applications. The finalists will compete for an awards package
at the Charlotte event on Tuesday, Oct. 7 at the Blake Hotel. The exciting event
will feature female entrepreneurs from North and South Carolina who will compete for
business development packages that include money, marketing, mentoring and
technology assistance to help their businesses grow into million-dollar enterprises.
The event also includes educational and network opportunities in addition to
keynote speeches by Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Count Me In Founder, Nell
Merlino and Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue.

Described as a cross between “The Apprentice” and “American Idol,” the competition
provides these 20 finalists the opportunity to present their business in a three
minute “elevator pitch” to a panel of business experts and a live audience. Ten
winners will be chosen by the audience and judges who collaborate on the selection
process.

Finalists will receive several of the key components of the Make Mine A Million $
Business™ awards package that will help their business break the million-dollar
barrier, which includes inspiration, community, business coaching and mentoring from
a “dream” team of coaches and business experts from Count Me In, and select
discounts from national sponsors.

The Make Mine a Million $ Business™ program has garnered support from organizations
who are all joining hands in order to make an impact in women’s lives and
strengthening the US economy. The impressive list of blue-chip national sponsors
include American Express OPENSM, AIG, Cisco, FedEx, Jet Blue, and Dell. Sponsors
provide an array of products and services that serve as invaluable tools for growth.
For more information about how women can grow their businesses please visit
www.makemineamillion.org.

Related Links:
www.makemineamillion.org
www.hummingbird-creative.com
www.mmimarketing.com

Quotes:
“I am honored to be selected for the Make Mine A Million $ Business™ event,” said
Coulter. “This nomination is recognition of the hard work that we put into
promoting our clients brands to the market place”

“We are thrilled by the eagerness of women in the region to participate in this
event,” said Nell Merlino, founder and president of Count Me In. “The number of
applicants mirrors the growth of our entrepreneurs’ businesses and their desire to
take them to the million dollar level.”

About Wendy Coulter:
With more than a decade of experience in advertising and design, Wendy Coulter,
President of Hummingbird Creative Group in Raleigh, N.C., is widely recognized as a
principal professional in her field. She and the team at Hummingbird have won
numerous design awards including silver and bronze international Summit Awards and
the Triangle ADDY Awards. Hummingbird was also recognized as a winner of the 2007
American Corporate Identity 22 Competition, an annual award showcasing the best
corporate identity design in America today. Most recently, she was honored as one of
the Triangle’s top 25 businesswomen and presented with the Triangle Business
Journal’s prestigious Women in Business Award for her exemplary leadership skills.
She was also honored as a recipient of Triangle Business Journal’s 40 Under 40
Leadership Award, an award honoring 40 of the region’s most significant young
business leaders. She is actively involved in a variety of community and civic
endeavors such as the Cary Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Women
Business Owners (NAWBO) and the Ad Club of the Triangle. Wendy is the immediate
past chair of the Capital City Club’s Young Executive Board and is a board member
for the 6th Annual Big Bad Ball. She is frequently asked to present on topics such
as branding, marketing, advertising and design, including presentations to NAWBO,
the Kenan-Flagler Business School, Durham Technical Community College, the Cary
Chamber of Commerce and the American Institute of Architects. Hummingbird Creative
Group was named the 2007 Business of the Year by the Cary Chamber of Commerce and in
2008 received the Pinnacle Business Award from the Greater Raleigh Chamber of
Commerce.

About Make Mine A Million $ Business™:
Make Mine a Million $ Business™, a program of Count Me In and founding partner,
American Express OPENSM, provides women entrepreneurs with the opportunity to expand
their businesses by generating more than a million dollars in annual revenue. A
unique nationwide program that provides money, mentoring and marketing opportunities
to help businesses grow from micro to millions, the goal of Make Mine a Million $
Business™ is to lead one million women entrepreneurs in the effort to reach annual
revenues of one million dollars by 2010. North Carolina will host the state’s first
Make Mine a Million $ Business™ event on Tuesday, Oct. 7 at the Blake Hotel in
Charlotte. For more information please visit www.makemineamillion.org or call (212)
245-1245.

About Hummingbird Creative Group:
Hummingbird Creative Group is a creative services firm specializing in building
brand identities through effective marketing, advertising, graphic design, public
relations and technology services. Since its establishment, the firm has repeatedly
been recognized as an industry leader. Most recently, the firm received the 2008
Pinnacle Business Award in the 6-10 employee category from the Greater Raleigh
Chamber of Commerce. For more information, please call (919) 854-9100 or visit the
Web site at www.hummingbird-creative.com.

About Count Me In
Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence is the leading national not-for-profit
provider of resources, business education and community support for women
entrepreneurs seeking to grow micro businesses to million dollar enterprises. Count
Me In launched the Make Mine a Million $ Business to inspire one million women
entrepreneurs scale their businesses to a million dollars in revenue by 2010 by
providing tools, skills and the support of a nation-wide community of peers.

Keywords:
Hummingbird Creative Group, Charlotte, N.C., Wendy Coulter, Triangle, Make Mine a
Million, Nell Merlino, Count Me In, logos, branding, marketing strategies,
advertising, public relations

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