Small Business Administration Selects Interise as National Instructional Provider for Emerging Leaders Initiative

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Oct 31, 2012, 09:30 ET

National Small Business CEO Training Program Currently in 27 Cities Continues

BOSTON, Oct. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Small Business Administration has chosen Boston-based non-profit Interise to again deliver a management curriculum and recruit instructors for its successful Emerging Leaders (e200) Initiative for at least 27 cities. This initiative is the only federal training initiative that specifically focuses on executives of established businesses poised for growth.

The SBA issued the award after an extensive public procurement process, awarding a 4-year commitment with Interise, which has been the national instructional provider for e200 since its inception. The Initiative is currently operating in 27 cities across the nation, many of them economically challenged.

"We are pleased and humbled by the SBA's affirmation of our efforts as their partner and its commitment to this vitally important program," said Jean Horstman, CEO of Interise. "Given the success our efforts have had in some of the most diverse and economically battered cities, we are pleased to report that help for small businesses will continue to come in the form of this unique effort."

The award comes on the heels of the release of Interise's 2012 Impact Report, which showed certain small businesses are thriving in the face of ongoing national economic woes, reporting a 14 percent job growth far in excess of the average private sector growth of 2 percent by creating more than 1,000 new jobs and preserving 73 percent of jobs on their payroll.

This group of successful businesses, whose leaders took bold steps to improve their efforts through education and training, now report a three-year total of more than 1,600 jobs created and more than 14,000 jobs retained.

The e200 Initiative enables participants to engage in focused development and expansion strategies, including accessing new capital and securing government contracts. Over several months, participants have the opportunity to work with experienced mentors and develop connections with their peers, city leaders and the financial community.

The program is currently available in 17 urban communities, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Des Moines, Fresno, Jacksonville, Memphis, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Syracuse and Youngstown. It is also available in 10 communities near large Native American populations: Albuquerque and Farmington, New Mexico; Helena, Montana; Honolulu; Milwaukee; Phoenix; Rapid City, South Dakota; Santa Ana, CA; Spokane, Washington; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Participants in e200 past and present have praised the instructors, curriculum and the way the program allowed them to focus "on" their business rather than working "in" it.

"With all the demands of running a business it's hard to look up from the pile of work in front of you to evaluate where one is really going. e200 helped take a deep look at where we are, and reconsider where we want to go. The curriculum developed by Interise exposed us to business tools to set, track and achieve the goals that will yield business success," said Robert Reardon of Sonic Distribution in Boston.

"e200 is a phenomenal initiative designed to promote business management skills of existing business owners and to catapult their efforts for higher success in a short amount of time," said Sandeep Pednekar, of 1-Universe, Inc in Memphis. "To have a high caliber, unique program like e200 that is completely sponsored by SBA is exceptional and certainly commendable. I not only endorse it, but highly recommend it to business owners."

More information, including the full Interise 2012 Impact Report, can be viewed at www.interise.org.