Nashville women chosen for entrepreneur program
Two Nashville women, consultant Beth Chase and real estate developer Britnie Turner, were chosen for a North American executive leadership program along with 11 other U.S. and Canadian women running companies.
The Entrepreneurial Winning Women program, run by London-based tax and advisory services firm EY, supports women-owned businesses and recognized Chase, CEO of management company c3/consulting, and Turner, CEO of real estate firm Aerial Development Group.
The program helps women entrepreneurs grow their business and seeks to bridge the scale gap that exists between businesses owned by men and women. According to EY, women-led businesses employ 18 million workers and generate as much as $3 trillion annually but rarely operate at the scale achieved by companies owned by men.
The program focuses on growing business relationships, developing leadership skills and increasing company visibility. Since 2008, the program has helped more than 70 companies grow at an average revenue growth rate of 20 percent annually. Graduates include Stella & Dot CEO Jessica Herrin, LearnVest CEO Alexa Van Tobel and Aden + Anais founder Raegan Moya-Jones.
"I am thrilled to be named an EY Entrepreneurial Winning Woman and look forward to taking advantage of this unique opportunity to challenge my own thinking and widen the lens of possibilities," Chase said in a statement. "It is an extraordinary opportunity to learn from people who have been there before me and have vital lessons to share."
C3/consulting counsels Fortune 1000 and growth companies on mergers and acquisitions, growth strategy, regulation and infrastructure needs, often in conjunction with private equity firms. Founded in 2005, it employs 100 people and its revenue has doubled in the past three years.
Aerial Development, now in three other cities, has grown to $30 million in revenue with $90 million in assets in its first five years under Turner's leadership. The EY describes Turner as a "real estate visionary who is revitalizing Nashville's urban core."
"Women entrepreneurs play a huge role in shaping our nation, and the success of our previous winners is a true illustration of how women-owned business can influence the economy," Kerrie MacPherson, Entrepreneurial Winning Women North American executive sponsor at Ernst & Young, said in a statement.
Reach Jamie McGee at 615-259-8071 and on Twitter @JamieMcGee_.