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Urban Entrepreneur Partnership Awarded Grants to Continue Entrepreneurial Education and Coaching Model

Kauffman Foundation Program Gains Support From Houston and Louisiana

The Urban Entrepreneur Partnership Inc. (UEP), a national program of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, has been awarded two new grants benefiting entrepreneurs in Louisiana and Houston.

A $500,000 award from the State of Louisiana's Office of Community Development Disaster Recovery Unit will facilitate expansion of the UEP's unique one-to-one entrepreneurial coaching program in communities still recovering from the economic fallout of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The new funding recognizes the UEP's successful execution of a previous grant from Louisiana Economic Development (LED), used to assist low- and moderate-income businesses immediately after the storms through the UEP Gulf Coast Inc.

In addition, Houston Endowment has granted the UEP $227,000 to identify, analyze and recommend potential strategies and programs that will transform Houston area nonprofit organizations into more sustainable and entrepreneurial organizations. The grant will also fund development of a plan to improve the viability, profitability and scalability of minority businesses.

"The UEP is pleased to accept these significant awards, which will enable us to expand our business and community-building efforts in the Gulf Coast, while also developing programs to help Houston's nonprofits and minority entrepreneurs start and grow more successful businesses," said Daryl Williams, UEP CEO.

The UEP offers entrepreneurs a unique and comprehensive approach that combines intensive business education and one-to-one coaching by UEP staff and other experienced entrepreneurs. The program also uses a sophisticated, real-time data collection process to: assess business strengths and challenges; monitor business growth, development and profitability; track measurable outcomes; and report trends. Entrepreneurs participating in UEP programs also receive a personalized development plan incorporating relevant goals and outcomes for their businesses.

Entrepreneurs can access these UEP services through a choice of delivery systems -- video coaching, a traditional brick-and-mortar model, or a hybrid of the two. Distinguished by a unique and innovative one-to-one coaching model, the UEP offers a suite of business solutions that help entrepreneurs grow their businesses, create new jobs and help to revitalize the economy.

Operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the UEP is a program of the Kauffman Foundation and is supported by public, private and nonprofit-sector resources. For additional information on Urban Entrepreneur Partnership programs, contact Lena T. Rodriguez at (816) 581-2900 or LRodriguez@uepkauffman.org or visit .

About the Kauffman Foundation
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a private nonpartisan foundation that works to harness the power of entrepreneurship and innovation to grow economies and improve human welfare. Through its research and other initiatives, the Kauffman Foundation aims to open young people's eyes to the possibility of entrepreneurship, promote entrepreneurship education, raise awareness of entrepreneurship-friendly policies, and find alternative pathways for the commercialization of new knowledge and technologies. In addition, the Foundation focuses on initiatives in the Kansas City region to advance students' math and science skills, and improve the educational achievement of urban students, including the Ewing Marion Kauffman School, a college preparatory charter school for middle and high school students set to open in 2011. Founded by late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman, the Foundation is based in Kansas City, Mo. and has approximately $2 billion in assets. For more information, visit www.kauffman.org, and follow the Foundation on www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn