Yahoo! Empowers Exceptional Women Entrepreneurs to Sow ''Seeds for Success''

Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) today announced recipients of its "Seeds for Success: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs” grant program, choosing three unique, innovative business ideas from more than 5,500 proposals. The grant recipients were selected by Yahoo! and Carolyn Kepcher, entrepreneur and former star of NBC’s "The Apprentice.” Each grant package includes $20,000 in cash, $5,000 in web site consulting, and web site hosting from Yahoo!. Additionally, Kepcher’s new company, fwm (www.findingwhatmatters.com), will provide free one-on-one mentoring from leading business experts, including Kepcher; Bobbi Brown, founder and CEO of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics; and Cathie Black, president of Hearst Magazines and author of the bestselling book, Basic Black: The Essential Guide to Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life). Of the thousands of grant applications submitted since the program launched in March, many of the best business ideas focused on creative solutions to real life issues and interests such as the environment, the needs of children with disabilities, and lifestyle pursuits such as home decorating. Grant recipients are: Karla Duncan, Birmingham, Alabama: pediatric speech pathologist and founder and president of Head2Toe Publications, a developer of toys and educational materials for special needs children; Abby Port, Woodstock, Georgia: founder and CEO of Red Koala, a maker of customizable art for home décor, initially focusing on children’s rooms and nurseries; Dana Rubenstein, New York, New York: co-founder of Dapple, which will produce earth-friendly and baby-safe cleaning supplies for babies’ hands, toys, and feeding equipment such as bottles and sippy cups. The three grant recipients will spend the next six months using resources from Yahoo! and fwm to grow their businesses, ultimately competing for a $10,000 bonus grant to be awarded in October. The public is invited to follow their progress online at http://seedsforsuccess.smallbusiness.yahoo.com, where updates and blog entries by the women entrepreneurs and fwm mentors will provide insight into the challenges, milestones, and successes that these new businesses will experience. The response to "Seeds for Success” underscores findings from a new Harris Interactive survey about entrepreneurial aspirations. More than half (57 percent) of women respondents said they have thought about starting or have started their own business. When asked why they would want to start their own business, "passion for what they do” was selected as the top reason. "We were thoroughly impressed by the response to the grant program and the many innovative and passionate business ideas that were submitted, especially those that demonstrated unique approaches to using the Internet to accelerate business growth,” said Susan Vobejda, vice president of marketing, Yahoo! Small Business. "As the trusted partner of choice for small businesses looking to launch or expand online, Yahoo! is thrilled to help the women of Dapple, Head 2 Toe, and Red Koala drive their businesses to new levels of success." "We are excited about helping bring together a ‘tailor-made’ team of mentors, drawing from the roster of experts that are lined up to contribute to fwm, my new online community for career women, and matching them to the specific needs of the women behind these worthwhile business ideas,” said Kepcher. "We are confident that this partnership with Yahoo! will have a lasting and positive impact on these women entrepreneurs and on the customers and communities they will serve.” Business mentors arranged by fwm include Christina Blenk, CEO of WomanOwned.com; Jeannette Peten, Founder and President of BiGAustin; Peggy Klaus, Workplace Communication and Leadership Expert; Cathy Greenberg, PhD., Speaker, Author, TV & Radio Personality; David Vinjamuri, President, ThirdWay, Inc. Brand Trainers; Carol Frohlinger, Esq., Co-Founder, Negotiating Women, Inc.; Lois Frankel, PhD., World-Renowned Business Coach; Nina Kaufman, Esq., Attorney Specializing in Small Business/Entrepreneurial Issues; and Pamela Dodd, PhD., Co-Author of The 25 Best Time Management Tools & Techniques: How to Get More Done Without Driving Yourself Crazy. Yahoo! Small Business web site consultant partners for the grant recipients are: Scott Smigler, Principal and Founder, Exclusive Concepts; Eric Yonge, President and Creative Director, EY Studios; and Matt Ledford, President of Fast Pivot. The "Seeds for Success” grant program follows the launch of Yahoo! Small Business’ new unlimited hosting service, which provides an easy-to-use, affordable way to launch or expand a small business online. More information is available at http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com. About Yahoo! Yahoo! Inc. is a leading global Internet brand and one of the most trafficked Internet destinations worldwide. Yahoo! is focused on powering its communities of users, advertisers, publishers, and developers by creating indispensable experiences built on trust. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. About fwm fwm, which stands for finding what matters, is the first brand of Carolyn & Co. Media, LLC, a multi-media company based in New York and co-founded by high-profile businesswoman Carolyn Kepcher. Created to be the single go-to source for working women, fwm will provide answers on career & life balance through expert advice & shared experiences. For more information, visit www.findingwhatmatters.com. Survey Methodology Harris Interactive® fielded the study on behalf of Yahoo! from March 10-12, 2008 via its QuickQuerySM online omnibus service, interviewing a nationwide sample of 3,426 U.S. adults aged 18 years and older. Data were weighted using propensity score weighting to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online. Data were also weighted using online weighting to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and Internet usage. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full methodology is available.