Beatriz Ramos came to the U.S. from her native Venezuela in 1996. After working for other firms, founded Dancing Diablo, an animation studio.  Though she was an extremely skilled illustrator and animator, with a portfolio of clients, she was unable to secure a bank loan to purchase additional computer equipment and build her staff. – then she found Count-Me-In.  Her business is flourishing and her clients now include MTV, Nickelodeon, and Sesame Workshop.

Count Me In champions the cause for women’s economic independence by providing access to business loans and education.    Most banks require at least three years of business financial history before one can be considered for a loan.  And the SBA demands collateral.  Millions of American woman, who are new to business, often don’t have either.  As the first and only online micro lender in the United States, Count Me In provides women like Beatriz with access to the financial tools and programs to lift them out of cycles of poverty and discrimination and into self-reliance and economic independence.

Nancy Michaels, an author, public speaker and evangelist for entrepreneurship, has created In Good Company, an online auction model which provides a forum where entrepreneurs and business executives meet to share ideas.  In the process, some much needed financial support is moved into the micro lending arena, through Count-Me-In.  Her idea for In Good Company was born through her own personal experience with bidding on lunch with Bruce Nelson, CEO and Chairman of Office Depot in 2002.  Nancy paid $1050 to meet with Mr. Nelson and walked away with her largest client to date.  She was introduced to Nell Merlino, founder of Count-Me-In later that year when she heard Nell speak at a conference and knew that her donation of $1050 went to Count-Me-In.   

Count Me In, In Good Company and Entrepreneur magazine have teamed up to offer entrepreneurs the chance of a lifetime to query some of the best minds in business on their best practices.  Over a sumptuous lunch, the winning bidder will have the opportunity to converse with and be coached by a leading corporate CEO.    The proceeds from the winning bids will be used to fund the business efforts of women entrepreneurs via Count Me In.  We’ve partnered with Entrepreneur magazine to promote and publicize the In Good Company auction to encourage people to take advantage of this unique opportunity to connect. To track the success of the program, Entrepreneur will check in with the winner and highlight the ways their business has benefited from the meeting. Loan recipients will also be profiled in future issues to show how the circle of giving is completed. Entrepreneur is dedicated to helping small business owners successfully grow their businesses.