"Here," she said, "if it makes money and you're a gorilla, you're in."

In The New York Times

I just love this article. If you cannot escape from corporate America, at least get the Batman duo on your side. Only in the movies!

... "But it was not only women who nurtured the new generation of female executives. Two men at Warners, Peter Guber and his partner, Jon Peters -- the producers of "Batman" - proved to be unlikely mentors. Although known for slash-and-burn machismo, Mr. Guber and Mr. Peters, who both eventually moved to Sony, regularly filled their staffs with tough, talented women. "

Corporate America never worked for me ...

In the Pittsburgh Business Times

"Corporate America never worked for me," said Dr. Mary Riebe, founder of the Center for Women Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship Education at Metropolitan State University in Minneapolis in 2002. She is leaving that post to become executive director of Chatham College's undergraduate and graduate business programs. In doing so, she'll also head a new organization at the college, Chatham Center for Women's Entrepreneurship.

She added, " Women grow businesses differently than men. Women are naturally more collaborative and men are competitive. Corporate America is very hierarchical. Men are comfortable with titles, assigned parking spaces ... knowing their rank."

To read the entire article, visit:
Chatham names entrepreneur center head

Women Are Opting Out Of Business?

In Fast Company (May)

I just received my FC issue and re-read the article "25 Top Women Business Builders." I had read it first while attending the Women Presidents' Organization (WPO) annual conference in Toronto last week where FC gave out complimentary pre-sale copies to everyone who attended the conference. As an added treat, many WPO members (for example, Taryn Rose) were featured in the article so it was a nice tie-in to the event.

Here's an interesting clip from it:

"You know the party line about women today: They're "opting out" of business, fleeing the confines of the corporation in droves, unwilling (or unable?) to make it in the big leagues. But if all these smart, ambitious, experienced women are leaving, we wondered, where are they going?"

The author of the article goes on to say:

"We think women, and their accomplishments, will inspire you: Each one's story offers lessons -- whether it's how to spot a marketable idea, how to distinguish yourself from the competition, how to hire and train the right people, or how to put customers front and center."

Here's the clincher:

"They haven't really left corporate America behind. They're just building their own version."

What's your take?

Delray business center to encourage women to start businesses

In PalmBeachPost.com

Women are starting businesses everywhere and they need help. The SBA opened its new Florida Women's Business Center -- which will be one of three -- earlier this month to encourage women to take the plunge, that is, start a business.

"This is a great day for the women of Southeast Florida," Sabelhaus said. "With the launch of the women's center, the impact on your local economy is going to be absolutely sensational."

Refresher Course

Ahhhh, just as you can smell spring in the air, you can also sense many people in the mood to try something new. The following article serves as a refresher course on why women are leaving corporate America for entrepreneurship.

Corporate Veterans Strike Out On Their Own