For Nearly Two Dozen Business Leaders from Across the United States, a “Jump for Opportunity” Is More than an Adrenaline Rush, it’s a Means to End Global Poverty

Oak Brook, Ill., Feb. 16, 2011 — Opportunity International’s Young Ambassadors for Opportunity, a national network of passionate, globally-minded young professionals dedicated to providing economic opportunities for people living in chronic poverty, is sponsoring “Jump for Opportunity.” This fundraising event is scheduled to take place on Sat., Feb. 19 at the Skydive Space Center in Titusville, Fla.

What: Jump for Opportunity

When: Feb. 19, 2011 starting at 9:45 a.m. (ET). More details are available at the event Website.

Who: A group of nearly two dozen entrepreneurs and young professionals who are willing to face their fears while raising money to end global poverty.

Participants in “Jump for Opportunity” include Michael Simmons, a young, award-winning serial entrepreneur, bestselling author of The Student Success Manifesto and co-owner of the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour; Arel Moodie, recognized by New York Times and USA Today as a “Top Generation Y Entrepreneur,” bestselling author of Your Starting Point for Student Success, and co-owner of Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour; Sarah Green, Director of Events for Extreme Entrepreneurship Education, LLC.; Liesel Pritzer, co-founder of Young Ambassadors for Opportunity, Managing Director of IML Group, LLC, a family-owned investment firm, and Vice President and Director of Programming for the IDP Foundation, Inc., which is committed to supporting programs that are devoted to improving the quality of life for people and organizations in need; Bill Morgenstern, CEO of Opportunity International; Jennifer Mitrenga, Senior Vice President for Outreach and New Initiatives for Opportunity International; Ryan Allis, a technology and social entrepreneur who co-founded iContact, a leading e-mail marketing company; Jannalee Anderson, Director of Philanthropy, National Office, Opportunity International Canada; Abbi Antablin, a resident of Houston, Tex., and staff member for Young Lives, Young Life’s urban ministry for pregnant and parenting teens; Ann Donnelly, Director of Alumni Relations at Ohio Northern University; Catherine Duclos, YAO Coordinator for Opportunity International Canada; Jason Duff, Founder and CEO of Community Storage & Properties, Ltd., and COMSTOR Outdoor, Ltd. of Huntsville, Ohio; Doug Fath, a nationally acclaimed real estate entrepreneur based in the Philadelphia region; Yolanda Febles, a Syracuse, New York-based certified health coach and group fitness instructor licensed in Zumba, and founder of a Website that helps women make healthy choices; Bert Gervais, a.k.a. “The Mentor Guy” and national best-selling author of Who is Your Top Hive? Your Guide to Finding your Success Mentors; Ted Gonder, a University of Chicago student and co-founder of Moneythink.org, an organization dedicated to teaching financial literacy and entrepreneurship to urban youth; Ross Hamilton, CEO of Wilmington, NC-based Connected Investors, a social network for real estate investing; Travis Kiefer, Stanford University Student and Executive Director of Gumball Capital, a social enterprise that engages students with entrepreneurship in the pursuit of ending poverty; Raj Lahoti, CEO and Co-Founder, OnlineGuru.com, a Web development firm; Trevor Mauch, Chief Entrepreneurial Officer of Mach One Media an online media and publishing company, and Co-Founder of Automize, a software development venture focused on helping entrepreneurs Automate, Systemize, and Optimize their businesses and lifestyles; Chas Morgenstern, a Raleigh, NC-based analyst who works in the healthcare practice of Huron Consulting Group; Robert Nicholson, Executive Director, The Nicholson Center, a non-profit organization in Warren, Ohio that provides employment and training for adults with developmental disabilities or special needs in Trumbull County; Lance Scarborough, assistant administrator for Affiliated Dermatology in Dublin, Ohio; Jeremy Sloan, Operations Manager for Ohio Ready Mix, Inc. in Huntsville, Ohio; Ashley Sloan, teacher at Hilliker Y Child Development Center and facilitator for the YMCA’s Safehaven middle school program in Huntsville, Ohio; and, Brian Zackrocki, a resident of New York City.

Why: Participants in “Jump for Opportunity” will be raising money to help fund the financial programs and services that Opportunity International provides to the working poor in Tanzania.

Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world with approximately 90 percent of Tanzanians living on less than $2 per day, and 60 percent living on less than $1 per day. One out of every three Tanzanians is self-employed, yet less than five percent of the population has access to formal banking and financial services. Recognizing this great need, Opportunity International is building a bank, and since 2008, has doubled its outreach in Tanzania. The organization is currently in the process of converting into a deposit-taking institution.

Contributors to “Jump for Opportunity” will be helping to expand access to financial services so that more people in Tanzania will be able to secure their savings, borrow capital for their businesses, receive training to develop professional and life skills, and purchase insurance to protect their assets. With their help, Opportunity International can empower people to work their way out of chronic poverty, to transform their lives, their children’s futures and their communities.

Where: Skydive Space Center
476 N. Williams Dr.
Titusville, Fla. 32796

Information: For more information on the event, please visit the Jump for Opportunity Website at www.jumpforopportunity.com.

About Opportunity International

Opportunity International provides access to savings, small business loans, insurance and training to over five million people working their way out of poverty in the developing world. Clients in over 20 countries use these financial services to start or expand a business, provide for their families, create jobs for their neighbors and build a safety net for the future. For more information, visit http://www.opportunity.org or join the conversation at http://facebook.com/opportunityintl and http://twitter.com/opportunityintl.

Jennifer Anaya
iD8 Marketing/Opportunity International
714-335-5344
[email protected]

Christina Koliopoulos
VP of Communications 
+1312-242-4164
[email protected]