Sisters, Entrepreneurs Partner With Whole Planet Foundation; Rally To Engage Small Business Owners

Feb. 25, 2010 - PRLog -- Call it The Sisterhood of Microfinance:  two American entrepreneurs and sisters are teaming with philanthropic powerhouse, Whole Planet Foundation, to rally support for their female counterparts in Haiti.  Women, who serve as the  economic and social backbone of Haiti, receive more than 90% of the micro-loans available in that country and are expected to be the driving force behind a rebuilding effort following the January 12 earthquake.  

“Entrepreneurs and small business owners understand the immense pressures of creating income from nothing but an idea” said Ingrid Vanderveldt, an alternative energy executive who is Managing Partner of Game Change Ventures and founder of the Vanderveldt Sisters Foundation. “While cash donations for immediate needs in Haiti were quick to come, thousands of small business owners have had their lifelines shredded.  We are asking our fellow entrepreneurs around the world to help support their modest, yet powerful efforts by becoming a “Game Changer for Haiti.”  

Teaming up with Whole Foods Market’s  philanthropic arm, Whole Planet Foundation, Erin and Ingrid Vanderveldt are on a mission:  to raise dollars and awareness specifically for Fonkoze  , a leading micro-lending institution in Haiti and a significant contributor to that country’s financial infrastructure.  Having operated in Haiti for more than 15 years, Fonkoze provides micro-loans primarily to women and women’s networks, while serving more than 200,000 people through its remittance and savings accounts.  

“There comes a time in every entrepreneur’s journey when you to lean on one of your own – for business advice, resources, connections or quite frankly, emotional support,” said Vanderveldt. This is why we created http://www.gamechangersforhaiti.org/

To that end, when entrepreneurs, small business owners (or the general public) donate at least $10 to the Whole Planet Foundation micro-donation site    (powered by Givezooks!) they will receive some warm fuzzies of their own: access to a wealth of inspiration, wisdom and candid words from some of the most successful self-starters, CEO’s and visionaries in the world on the  Game Changers for Haiti  website. Besides posting participant’s favorite recipes, one of the most compelling elements of the site is being privy to the core advice these successful people use and share with others when facing the most trying and difficult of times:  words of wisdom which have inspired these individuals to overcome the most significant adversities and achieve great levels of success.  

“Especially in trying times like these, Erin and I felt the significance in standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our fellow entrepreneurs, enabling a complete chain of support,” added Vanderveldt.  

The site includes, among many others, the founders of Book People, Sweet Leaf Tea, Hoovers.com, Furious World, Billionaire Girls Club, and CraigsList. Individual donors/members are invited to submit their own profiles as well,  keeping the site stimulating and the entrepreneurial spirit flowing.

The Whole Planet Foundation will donate 100% of the money raised through this effort directly to Fonkoze.  For more information or to donate, visit:
http://wholeplanetfoundation.givezooks.com/grassroots_fun...

Whole Planet Foundation
Whole Planet Foundation, the company’s non-profit organization that helps developing countries through microfinance, works with Fonkoze, its trusted on-the-ground partner in Haiti. Fonkoze works to meet the needs of impoverished Haitians and help them to recover from this devastating disaster. Fonkoze’s Earthquake News page details the most current information on Fonkoze and their microcredit clients and explains how to designate a donation for earthquake relief.

Vanderveldt Sisters Foundation
Erin and Ingrid Vanderveldt are on a mission to inspire and empower women to achieve their full potential, creating fulfilling lives with supportive infrastructures for themselves, their families and their communities.  The Foundation designs and implements programs that help female entrepreneurs through critical micro-financing and mentoring activities, ultimately helping provide the resources they need to change their lives. The Vanderveldt Sisters Foundation especially looks for ways to provide a hand-up to women in economically- or geographically-challenging situations, helping them  leverage any and all resources to create maximum impact and sustainable incomes. For more information please visit: www.vanderveldtsisters.org

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About Lyn Graft: Lyn Graft is the founder and CEO of LG Pictures. He has filmed over 250 Entrepreneurs including the founders of Starbucks, Whole Foods, Paul Mitchell, Playboy, Baby Einstein, Clear Channel, Craigslist, Hoovers.com and has produced over 300 videos, TV shows and videos focusing on entrepreneurial content. He also created, directed and produced the “American Made” TV primetime series for CNBC featuring hi-profile entrepreneurs. Lyn has founded over 8 companies to date. His marketing and PR efforts have received coverage in Fast Company, Fortune Small Business, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today and Entrepreneur Magazine. Lyn received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from New Mexico State University and an M.B.A. in Entrepreneurship/Marketing from The University of Texas at Austin. Lyn is the Chief Marketing Officer for BidModo.com, is the creator and producer of Sweet Leaf TV and is on the advisory committee for SXSW Interactive.