Pleasanton, CA — Sept. 14, 2011 — Melinda Garcia, managing shareholder of the Pleasanton business law firm Garcia & Gurney A Law Corporation, has been named Woman Entrepreneur of the Year by the Bay Area nonprofit Women's Initiative for Self-Employment.

The award recognizes women business owners who:

  • Have been successful despite the barriers that exist for woman business owners
  • Exemplify how business ownership and leadership is beneficial for women and their families
  • Have a positive impact on local community or the community at large and/or
  • Advance their business through innovation.

"This award means a lot to me because Women's Initiative for Self Employment does such a great job in promoting women entrepreneurship," said Garcia. "I applaud their fine work and congratulate the other winners who make such positive contributions to their local economies and communities."

More than 600 Bay Area women were nominated and 42 received the award. A complete list of winners is available here.

About Women's Initiative

Women's Initiative for Self Employment is the largest microenterprise training and funding organization in the country. For more than 20 years, the Bay Area nonprofit has been providing low-income women with the business training, access to funding, and ongoing support to start and grow their own businesses and become financially self-sufficient.