C.E.O. Women to Host Benefit for Low-Income Immigrant and Refugee Women Entrepreneurs

Oct. 28, 2009 - PRLog -- OAKLAND, Calif. –  Creating Economic Opportunities for Women (C.E.O. Women), a non-profit organization developing economic opportunities for immigrant and refugee women, announced today that it is hosting its annual Global Beats Fundraiser.  The benefit for low-income immigrant and refugee women will be held November 4, 2009 at the Montgomery Theater in San Jose, California.  This year’s event will feature a performance by the Carnival Del Mundo musical group, a Venture Fair business expo with C.E.O. Women alumnae, and an opportunity to win several raffle prizes.

C.E.O. Women, along with event sponsor Chevron Corporation, will honor the dedication of three women alumnae with the Most Profitable, Most Promising and Most Inspiring Entrepreneur Awards.  The winners will be selected based on business growth, potential for future success, and challenges that were overcome to start their business.

“These Women Entrepreneur awards represent what C.E.O. Women’s training is all about and aligns with Chevron’s goal to support the growth of small businesses as a building block to our economy,” said Debrah Cook, Global Partnerships and Programs, at Chevron.  “The C.E.O. Women award winners have shown exemplary determination, skill and entrepreneurial spirit to overcome the challenges they faced to create successful businesses and build better lives for themselves and their families.  We are proud to recognize them with these awards and be a part of this great event.”

The Global Beats event will also spotlight new initiatives taking place within the organization.  C.E.O. Women is expanding its reach to the South Bay by opening a satellite office in San Jose.  The new location will be able to reach thousands of immigrant and refugee women in the South Bay.  Additionally, C.E.O. Women is rolling out its innovative educational soap opera Grand Café.  Grand Café is an 18-episode series of DVDs and workbooks, which imparts language, financial literacy and entrepreneurial training through the stories of four immigrant and refugee women and their challenges and triumphs in starting their own businesses in the U.S.  

“Grand Cafe is revolutionizing the way immigrant and refugee women learn about entrepreneurship and improve their English,” said Farhana Huq, Founder and CEO of C.E.O. Women. “This educational soap opera combines our award winning micro-enterprise training program with technology to reach underserved low-income immigrant communities throughout the greater Bay Area, giving them the knowledge, confidence and skills to have a successful business.”

Prior to the Global Beats awards ceremony and the Carnival Del Mundo concert, a reception will be held at the St. Claire Hotel in San Jose, where C.E.O. Women alumnae will feature their micro-businesses. Guests will have the opportunity to learn about micro-enterprise, interact with C.E.O. Women graduates who will be marketing and selling their products and services, and enjoy specially prepared hors d'oeuvres and a signature cocktail.  The event is free to attend.  Any contributions will be welcomed but not expected.  

About Chevron Corporation:
Chevron Corporation is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, with subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide. The company's success is driven by the ingenuity and commitment of approximately 62,000 employees who operate across the energy spectrum. Chevron explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and other energy products; manufactures and sells petrochemical products; generates power and produces geothermal energy; provides energy efficiency solutions; and develops the energy resources of the future, including biofuels and other renewables. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.

About C.E.O. Women:
C.E.O. Women is a non-profit organization founded in 2000 to address systemic poverty and lack of income mobility faced by low-income immigrant and refugee women. The mission of C.E.O. Women is to create economic opportunities for low-income immigrant and refugee women through teaching English, communications and entrepreneurship skills, so they can establish successful livelihoods. For more information about C.E.O. Women’s mission and programs, visit them on the World Wide Web at www.ceowomen.org.

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C.E.O. Women creates economic opportunities for low-income immigrant and refugee women through teaching English, communications and entrepreneurship skills, so they can establish successful livelihoods.