FES Investment Fund to debut at annual Female Entrepreneur Summit

Female Entrepreneurs in Cleveland invest in other women with new FES Investment Fund, brainchild of Renée DeLuca Dolan

CLEVELAND, OHIO, UNITED STATES, September 26, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Attendees and sponsors of the 7th Annual Female Entrepreneur Summit will be introduced to the newly created FES Investment Fund. Criteria for both investing in and applying for the fund will be available at the daylong conference, being held on October 24, 2018, at 700 Beta Conference Center in Mayfield Village. DeLuca Dolan, whose company, Contempo Design + Communications, is hosting the summit, started the fund to support female entrepreneurs in Northeast Ohio, which she described as an underserved population without easy access to funding.

DeLuca Dolan added, “Women are at a disadvantage for getting credit and funds from traditional forms, so why not start a fund that allows us to assist other women with a scalable business model in a Shark Tank-style pitch competition?”

The date of the pitch competition will be announced at this year’s FES.

“Data shows that women entrepreneurs get more funding when the investors are also women. That’s why it is so exciting to see these investors stepping up,” said Anne Richie, Venture Partner at JumpStart Inc., a Cleveland-based non-profit venture development organization advising DeLuca Dolan on the creation of the fund. “It is also important to note that this fund will provide flexible debt capital with an ability to convert to equity. This type of flexibility is essential for business owners with ambitious growth plans but limited access to capital.”

The current investment team is comprised of DeLuca Dolan, graduate of Cohort 13, Cleveland, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program; Amy Jenyk, Cohort 17, Cleveland; Donna Heffernan, Cohort 13, Cleveland; and Dr. Venessa Walker, DC, Cohort 8, Miami, Fla. The fund requires a minimum $5,000 investment from each participant.

For more information on the Female Entrepreneur Summit, visit www.contempocleveland.com/fes.

About Contempo Design + Communications: Since its inception in 1996, DeLuca Dolan’s Contempo Design + Communications has helped Northeast Ohio businesses and organizations reach their marketing and branding objectives through the creation of memorable logos and identification materials, dynamic websites, interior spaces and experiences. The company serves as the official design partner of the Cleveland Indians.

About the Female Entrepreneurs Summit: Now in its seventh year, Contempo’s FES is regarded as Cleveland’s signature event for female business leaders to connect, learn and grow. This year’s event, slated for 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at Beta Conference Center and emceed by WKYC reporter Monica Robins, will feature more than 20 successful industry professionals, including keynote speaker Eleanor Beaton. Beaton is a women’s leadership expert and host of the podcast, “Fierce Feminine Leadership.” The summit will also include breakout sessions, a lunchtime panel discussion and wine tasting with three female winemakers/entrepreneurs, networking opportunities at a Sponsor Showcase and a drawing for valuable door prizes.

Jenn Uren
Contempo Design + Communications
216-831-9557, ext. 102
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