Semi-finalists for Seventh Idea Cafe Grant Announced

Idea Cafe's editorial team has selected the semi-finalists for the Seventh Idea Cafe Small Business Grant. The selection process took into consideration several factors: how viable or interesting the business idea was; how well the entrepreneur described her plans for the future; and what she was willing to give back to the local community. We are thankful to everyone who applied for the grant, because going through the descriptions of hundreds and hundreds of wonderful small businesses was an inspiring and somewhat humbling task. And here they are, the semi-finalists for the Entrepreneurial Spirit 2009 Grant.

Roughly one out of ten business ideas was selected for the semi-finals, for a total of more than one hundred. The editors of Idea Cafe are now faced with another, even more important task--the selection of the finalists, to be announced a week from now.

The announcement of the finalists will be followed by two other significant events: the start of voting for the winner, on June 2nd; and the announcement of the Eighth Idea Cafe grant on July 14th, 2009. Stay tuned for details! If you are semi-finalist, we will contact you soon.

The Idea Cafe small business grant offer $1,000.00 and free publicity to an innovative and inspiring business idea. Traditionally, our previous winners have gone on to gain further recognition on a national level.

Comments

Yeah! Good luck to all of us

Yeah! Good luck to all of us :)

Thank you so much for naming

Thank you so much for naming me as a semi-finalist for my business idea of giving a series of free Feminist Art Tours and art lectures at the Norton Simon Museum. I would love to launch this type of lecture, to create a national program, at museums around the country. THANK YOU AGAIN! - Margaret Danielak, DanielakArt - A Gallery Without Walls

Thank you very much for

Thank you very much for naming us as a semi-finalist for the Idea Cafe Grant. We appreciate the opportunity to be listed with such a great group of entrepreneurers. Good luck to all of the semi-finalists!
Shanna Morgan
Brighter Pastures

Thank you SO much for picking

Thank you SO much for picking me as a semi-finalist for the Idea Cafe Grant. I am so honored to even have been selected as a semi-finalist. I will keep my fingers crossed and can only hope to win so I will have the opportunity to change the lives of women and give them the financial freedom that Jewels By Park Lane has given me!!!

Wow this is great! Best of

Wow this is great! Best of luck to everyone. I'm hoping to be able to give back by spending more time volunteering with SCORE. Both at SCORE and in my business (Advertising Spark) I provide quality advice to very small businesses on how to market themselves using free and low cost methods.

Congrats Everyone! Thank you

Congrats Everyone! Thank you so much for selecting SUPERBUS as a SEMI-Finalist - This is my third time being a semi finalist! Hopefully third time is a charm! It is so neat to read about everyone's creative business ideas, this is such an awesome way to get funding and I am very honored and hope to make it to the Finalist level! I did not make it to the Finalist level before, however I read and VOTED for the other business in the previous years. I think maybe reading the grant ideas from the other business owners helped me tweak my grant application to a winning one! I WILL DEFINATELY BE VOTING HOPE YOU GUYS DO TOO!

Thanks so much for selecting

Thanks so much for selecting Life of Riley as a semi-finalist. We have two big civil war reenactments comming up and have been busy sewing for the sultery. It is very exciting, since I am new to idea cafe. Congrats to everyone and good luck. Am so lucky and honored to be in such great company. Thank you again so much.

This is so exciting! Thanks

This is so exciting! Thanks for giving me the opportunity to be considered for this grant. More importantly it has given me the boost I need to continue on with the "Just Go Green Go" project.
Thanks again Idea Cafe for your support in small businesses.
And of course - Good Luck to everyone,
Susan Jenkins - Go Green Go
www.JustGoGreenGo.com

Thanks for selecting Friendly

Thanks for selecting Friendly Fungus Farms as a semi finalist ! We are organically operating on 75 acres :growing- all types of medicinal and culinary mushrooms (including oak log Shiitakes, Reishi, Maiitake and Portabellas). We also are growing Cucumbers, Romaine lettuce, Tomatoes, Nasturtiums and herbs such as Basil ,Cilantro, Chives and Garlic! The greenhouse and growing aspects of the farm are not only "organic" but are running off of "solar" energy!! Friendly Fungus Farms has already created a market from the state of Virginia to North Carolina and has potential for International shipping. So Go Green and Keep it Organic.

Friendly Fungus Farms
Peter A Freeman

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