The Commonwealth Institute Launches its Women of Ethnic Diversity Initiative.

Business Editors

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 29, 2004

Women entrepreneurs of difference, with established businesses, will be interested to know about a three-year multicultural project, designed to provide resources to grow their enterprises and a forum to collaborate with

"The Power of Collaboration"

The Women of Ethnic Diversity Initiative will launch on Friday, April 16th at FleetBoston Financial headquarters with an interactive breakfast discussion focusing on "The Power Of Collaboration". The session takes place at Fleet's Long Lane Room from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at 100 Federal Street, 2nd floor, in downtown Boston. Admission is free. To attend, RSVP by April 2nd to: Val Thompson, WEDI Project Manager, at 617/859-0080 or e-mail her at vthompson@commonwealthinstitute.org .

Funded largely through the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, with major support from FleetBoston Financial and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the Women of Ethnic Diversity Initiative is designed to build community through face-to-face and online networking; transfer knowledge through mentoring and sharing of best practices; and enhance business opportunities through activities like accessing capital, and identifying new markets.

Gail Snowden, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of the Fleet Community Investment Group and President of the FleetBoston Financial Foundation joins the Kauffman Foundation in supporting the Women of Ethnic Diversity Initiative and will give welcoming remarks.

The program will also feature CEO's such as Donna Latson Gittens, of causemedia, inc., Radha Jalan, of ElectroChem, Inc., and Fran Oh, of Electronic Business Solutions, Inc. Each has effectively taken her company to a higher level, and will reflect on the critical success factors in forming alliances with other entrepreneurs, corporations or government organizations.

About The Commonwealth Institute

The Commonwealth Institute is a dynamic non-profit organization founded in 1997 to help women entrepreneurs, CEOs and senior corporate executives, build successful businesses. In working with hundreds of woman entrepreneurs in the Boston area, the goal is to reach women leaders during critical stages of their business careers and to provide them with the tools and resources they need for long-term, sustainable growth.

The Commonwealth is located at 69 Newbury Street, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02116. For more details call 617/859-0080 or visit www.commonwealthinstitute.org.