MillerCoors LLC has announced the winners of its 2009-10 MillerCoors Urban Entrepreneurs Series Business Plan competition.
The top winner, Rex Wills of Hi-tek PO in Raleigh N.C., received a grant of $100,000. The four runners-up received grants of $25,000 each to contribute to either the start-up or expansion of their business. The runners up include: Vision Tutoring, Rex Ga.; Splice Kitchen; Chicago, Ill.; Tap Me Games, Chicago, Ill.; and Bumblebee Energy Solutions, Grand Prarie, Texas.
The winners will be honored during a special reception hosted at MillerCoors’ new corporate headquarters in Chicago.
Since its inception in 1999, the MillerCoors Urban Entrepreneurship series (MUES) has awarded $1.4 million to emerging minority businesses. Businesses across the country competed for an opportunity to win a total of $200,000 in business grants.
"Ultimately, our goal is to foster economic growth and to one day turn many of the businesses that come through the program into minority suppliers for our company," said Larry Waters, director of multicultural relations for MillerCoors. "MUES is much more than just a hand-out. We track our winners and stay in touch with them to help them grow their enterprises."
The MUES program was launched to stimulate economic growth and development in urban communities. In addition to the grant money, the program provides web-based educational resources including webinars, blogs and business advice from national judges and past winners.
"We are fully invested in helping small businesses succeed, especially given the current economic climate," said Waters. "As an industry leader, we recognize that entrepreneurship fuels our economy and ultimately provides economic empowerment and job creation. It is a priority for us to actually provide invaluable resources to urban businesses to help them succeed and not to simply pay lip service."
"We cannot express how important a program of this type is to helping entrepreneurs get a solid foundation. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the MUES program is phenomenal and speaks volumes to the commitment of MillerCoors," said eDali Pollard, senior business consultant, Entrepreneurship Center for the Chicago Urban League.
MillerCoors donates $200,000 in business grants to minority businesses
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