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OTEF Press Kit Page 1 9/6/2011

Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation (OTEF)Press Kit

OTEF Backgrounder

The Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation (OTEF) is a Phoenix, A-based 501c3non-profit organization dedicated to helping at-risk youth and adults improve their lives bycreating and growing entrepreneurial ventures. OTEF's dream is to make entrepreneurship areality to disadvantaged populations including laid-off workers, homeless persons, ex-offendersand victims of domestic violence. OTEF believes everyone deserves the access to the sameresources, connections and training given to Americas best and brightest entrepreneurs. Sincethe economic recession of 2008, our focus is on management and technical assistance to eligible

individuals and small disadvantaged businesses, businesses operating in areas of highunemployment or low-income or firms owned by low-income individuals.

Founded in 2005 by serial entrepreneurs, Francine Hardaway, Ed Nusbaum, and Rob Dunaway,OTEF is a now in its sixth successful year. The Organization is supported almost entirely by itsunique model of providing an easy vehicle for successful entrepreneurs to give back andbootstrap those with big ideas but little resources to bring them to life. The three founders areespecially proud of the successful annual conference the Arizona Entrepreneurship Conference they launched to support upcoming OTEF entrepreneurs while providing a forum for successfulentrepreneurs to network and learn. The Conference is now entering its sixth year and is still thelargest event of its kind in the region. Proceeds, sponsorships and donations from the Conferencesupport OTEF programs for at-risk populations throughout the year -- programs that make "all thedifference" in the lives of participants, their fledgling businesses and the community at large.

OTEF Success Stories

Roadmap to Launch 2011

Offered in conjunction with the City of Chandler Economic Development Department andGangplank, a non-profit collaborative workspace in downtown Chandler, this program gave localstart-ups the same cutting-edge Lean Startup methodology to which Silicon Valley's best andbrightest entrepreneurs have access: getting a minimum viable product out the door, discoveringthe product market fit, how to pivot and how to scale for success.

Participant Testimonial:"I recently attended Entrepreneurship Coaching, at Gangplank,

that was underwritten by the not for profit group, Opportunity Through EntrepreneurshipFoundation. I highly recommend visiting Gangplank and taking the opportunity to attendthe various free programs offered there...The sessions I attended covered pivoting, cash-flow, culture and funding. The material and ensuing discussions gave me valuableinformation that I put to use immediately! The tools and information are great for abusiness in the early stages. However, one of the best benefits is the networkingopportunity! The willingness of the attendees and the presenters to share resources tohelp one another to succeed was simply eye opening and amazing!"


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OTEF Success Stories - Continued

Southwest Autism Research and Rehabilitation Center (SARRC) 2010

OTEF donated professional services to help the Center set up sustainable business models forenterprises that trained and employed autistic young adults. The Southwest Autism Research andResource Centers Entrepreneurial Center for Special Abilities partners with Arizonas mostcelebrated chefs to create Culinary Works, an entrepreneurial venture to teach adults with autismspectrum disorders kitchen, marketing, sales and other business skills. OTEF zoomed in on theCulinary Works soup program which produces and sells soups based on local gourmet chefrecipes, teaming up with SARRC team to assess how it could be a revenue-generator for theprogram and how well it could serve as a training program. OTEF worked with SARRC leadershipto analyze the programs current features and explored ways that processes and procedurescould be enhanced to make the program more self-sufficient and effective.

Executive Testimonial: Jeri Kendle, President, Southwest Autism Research & ResourceCenterOur thanks go out to Phil Blackerby and Opportunity Through EntrepreneurshipFoundation (OTEF) for assisting SARRC with one of our newest social entrepreneurial

ventures, CulinaryWorks. As a start up company, it is often difficult to see the forest forthe trees and, as part of a growing non-profit, it can be tough just finding the time tocontemplate the trees! Phil was able to quickly grasp our challenges and opportunitiesand provide clear and practical advice and resources. He was also helpful in challengingour thinking about product delivery, providing cost-effective alternatives for packagingand insight on our sales and marketing strategies. It was a pleasure to learn fromsomeone with the depth of experience, wisdom and passion for entrepreneurship. Thankyou for helping us realize our dreams!

Blueprint for Survival 2009

OTEF partnered with Southwest Jobs Network to address head-on the unprecedented challenges

to the entrepreneurial community brought on by the 2008 financial crash, offering four Blueprintfor Survival workshops. OTEF developed a special program that focused on a new at-riskpopulation displaced workers who are the collateral damage of the continuing economicdownturn. Blueprint for Survival helps participants understand the practical requirements forbuilding a successful business, including how to take care of family obligations.

Attendees are encouraged to collaborate with each other, share resources and explore potentialpartnerships while receiving real-world advice on everything from existing support programs tohow to deal with the stress of being laid off in a difficult market. Participants in the program camefrom a wide range of industries, educational backgrounds, age groups and economicbackgrounds with one common characteristic that brought them togethera will to survive andthrive.

Executive Testimonial: Pat Elliott - Western Marketing GroupOTEF literally change lives for the better! Arizonas deep economic downturn has lefthundreds of highly skilled workers unemployed for long periods of time, with few optionsto return to previous jobs. Ive personally seen the impact of OTEFs Blueprint for Survivalworkshop in bringing these individuals new thinking and new resources. The workshophas been the spark that ignited new directions and entrepreneurial approaches andmoved talented people from despair to productivity, making a profound and long-lastingdifference in their lives and in the community.


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TumbleTees Tumbleweed T-shirts - 2008

OTEF partnered with the Tumbleweed Center for Youth Development, another non-profitdedicated to helping runaway youth. Together, they helped a group of young adults start theirown T-shirt printing business, TumbleTees, the business still growing steadily. During theentrepreneurial program, not only did the group learn how to start a successful business, theyalso began to supply other non-profits with branded T-shirts to help their causes. Counted amongthese non-profit customers is Tumbleweeds Drop-In Gallery (DIG) art gallery dedicated toexhibiting the artwork of runaway youth art. The art gallery even received proceeds from the T-shirt sales.

Executive Testimonial: Dick Geasland, LCSW, Executive Director, TumbleweedCenter for Youth DevelopmentBoth DIG and TumbleTees are growing steadilyBe watching for TumbleDogs, a hotdog care business, that is about to kick off. Thank you, OTEF, for all you have done tomake these entrepreneurial programs entrenched into our organizations culture.

SEEDS House Coffee Shop 2007

This OTEF program helped lay the foundation for a new entrepreneurial venture in Mesa, ArizonaCup O Karma Coffee Shop, still a thriving business to this day. OTEF helped the SEEDSHouse, a domestic violence half-way house, plan, open and run the coffee shop. The sheltersresidents wanted a place where they could work and develop their business and career skills in asafe environment. Five years later and counting, the shop is thriving.

The 12-week entrepreneurship program helped participants develop a business plan andprovided guidance in owning and operating a business. SEEDs residents operated the caf whilelearning employable skills such as customer service, community relations, marketing andoutreach, purchasing and management.

Executive Testimonial: MonaLou Callery, Founder and Executive Director, SEEDs

For me, the OTEF course not only helped our residents to gain entrepreneurial skills butalso brought our program to another level. When we began, the SEEDs program did nothave a business plan. Now, we too have a business plan that provides direction for thevery program that houses the women in our group homes and how to grow.

OTEF Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation (OTEF)?

Founded in 2005 in Phoenix, Arizona, The Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation

(OTEF) is a 5013c non-profit organization whose mission is to connect disadvantagedpopulations to the same resources, connections and training given to Americas best andbrightest entrepreneurs. Since the economic recession of 2008, our focus is on management andtechnical assistance to eligible individuals and small disadvantaged businesses, businessesoperating in areas of high unemployment or low-income or firms owned by low-incomeindividuals. OTEF helps at-risk youth and adults improve their lives by creating and growingentrepreneurial ventures. The organizations dream is to make entrepreneurship a reality todisadvantaged populations including laid-off workers, homeless persons, ex-offenders andvictims of domestic violence. OTEF believes everyone deserves the access to the sameresources, connections and training given to Americas best and brightest entrepreneurs.


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Who started OTEF?

Francine Hardaway, a former foster parent, her business partner and fellow entrepreneur, EdNusbaum, and their friend and attorney, Rob Dunaway, also an entrepreneur, originally startedOTEF in 2005 as a response to what they saw as an increasing need to help people in theircommunity whose careers were stagnant or who were stuck in dead-end jobs. Due to theeconomic downturn and other community trends, the organizations charter expanded to help agrowing group of disadvantaged populations including the homeless, ex-offenders and domesticviolence victims. Their mission is to deliver the same resources, connections and training to thesepopulations given to Americas best and brightest entrepreneurs. Thanks to their vast connectionsto the global entrepreneurial community and their extensive experience with business start-ups,they have been highly successful in achieving their mission over time.

How it OTEF funded?

OTEF is completely funded by the proceeds of the Arizona Entrepreneurship Conference. Now

entering its sixth year, the Conference has grown into the largest event of its kind in the region.The goal is always to make a slight profit on the Conference, and use that to fund OTEFsentrepreneurial programs for the disadvantaged. The organization is virtual and all boardmembers and staff serve as volunteers.

What area some of OTEFs largest accomplishments to date?

Year after year, OTEF has delivered highly successful entrepreneurial programs to the Arizonacommunity including:

2007 - Helped the women of SEEDS house, a domestic violence half-way house, plan,open, and run a coffee shop in Mesa, Arizona where they could work in a safeenvironment. The Cup OKarma Coffee Shop is still a flourishing business to this day.

2008 Partnered with a non-profit that helps runaway youth, OTEF helped a group ofyoung adults start a T-shirt printing business to supply other nonprofits and an art gallerywhere runaway youth could exhibit their art and receive part of the proceeds from sales.The TumbleTees T-shirt business is still a thriving business to this day.

2009 - Shifted gears for the recession, partnering with the Scottsdale Jobs network tooffer four Blueprint for Survival workshops to help laid off workers develop incomestreams through involuntary entrepreneurship.

2010 - Donated services to the Southwest Autism Research and Rehabilitation Center tohelp it set up sustainable business models for enterprises that trained and employedautistic young adults.

2011 - Ran a program called Roadmap to Launch for participants inStartupWeekendChandler, a joint program of the City of Chandler EconomicDevelopment Department and Gangplank, a non-profit collaborative workspace indowntown Chandler.


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OTEFExecutive Team

The Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation is a 501c3 non profit organization with alocal board of business leaders and a small dedicated team committed to serving our mission ofproviding training and support to help at-risk youth and adults improve their lives by creating andgrowing entrepreneurial ventures.

Board of Directors

Joan Koerber-Walker, Chairman of the BoardJoan brings to OTEF experience ranging from non-profit and entrepreneurialventures to the Fortune 500. In addition to her role of Chairman of the Boardhere at OTEF, Joan currently serves as President and CEO of of the ArizonaBioIndustry Association (AZBio). Joans resume includes board level andexecutive positions with for profit companies in the B2B and B2C space. She

also has served as the CEO of the Arizona Small Business Association (2006-2008), on theboard of trustees of the National Small Business Association in Washington D.C., on the board ofdirectors of the Arizona Technology Council and as chairman of the board of Parenting Arizona.(Google Profile)

Rob Dunaway, Board MemberRob has over 20 years of experience as a Silicon Valley technology attorneyand startup company management advisor, having represented publicclients and hundreds of startup companies. A co-author of popular books onstartup company management and legal protection of software andlicensing, he also has CEO experience and has started or co-foundedseveral companies and non-profits. (RobDunaway.com)

Ed Nusbaum, Board MemberEd is a cofounder and partner of Stealthmode Partners. Previously a boardmember of the Arizona Technology Council, Arizona Internet ProfessionalsAssociation, AeA, and TiE-Arizona. (EdNusbaum.com)

Merlin U. Ward, Board MemberMerlin lives and breathes the OTEF life and has an extreme passion forbusiness and marketing. He has started multiple ventures and consultedmany entrepreneurs in building their businesses to be successfulmachines. He is a man of many hats, even though you will only see him inthe one. (MerlinUWard.com)


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OTEF Team

Francine Hardaway, StrategistFrancine Hardaway, Ph.D., is the co-founder of StealthmodePartners, an accelerator for entrepreneurs, and a serial entrepreneur,angel investor, and blogger. Read her blog at FastCompany.com andHuffington Post. (Google Profile)

Phillip Blackerby, Entrepreneurial EducationPhillip Blackerby (www.blackerbyassoc.com) is a trainer at heart, focusing onentrepreneurship. As an entrepreneur himself, Phillip has started severalbusinesses and sold one, a travel agency. He is licensed to facilitate all theFastTrac entrepreneurship training programs offered by the KauffmanFoundation of Kansas City, the foundation of entrepreneurship. Withteammates Francine Hardaway and Ed Nusbaum, Phillip has trained over650 entrepreneurs and business owners in the greater Phoenix area. He has

also built business plans for companies in a wide variety of industries: onlinedating, gardening products, consumer finance, social networking,

convenience retail, food manufacturing and interior decorating. He has also helped cities andtowns develop their strategic plans. (Google Profile)

Paula Satow Community Support and DevelopmentPaula Satow is a back-to-basics brand marketing strategist, serialentrepreneur, speaker and author, dedicated to making the world a simpler,more grok-able place for everyone. She has over 30 years of experiencehelping people, companies and groups discover their message, define theirbrand and build their market presence. In 2002, she founded Scottsdale-based brand marketing consultancy, Satow Strategies (SatowStrategies.com),

to deliver big business brand strategies to small businesses and start-ups. In2009, she co-founded Buzzuka (Buzzuka.com), to help others create and

promote a powerful 30-second elevator pitch. Paula is author of the Ridiculously Easy Guide toGetting Along Better with Your Woman, part of her web-based publishing platform(RidiculouslyEasyGuide.com). Paula delivers free workshops on Personal Positioning and PowerNetworking to job seekers for community-based non-profits. She is a devoted wabi-sabiist,founder of the upcoming WabiSabiCafe.com and author of an upcoming book on wabi-sabi. Sheholds a BA in English and Film and an MA in Media Studies. ( www.PaulaSatow.com).

Press Contact:

Francine HardawayCell: [email protected]: @hardaway

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OTEF Press Kit_090511