Canku Ota - February 7, 2004 - Native American Youth Advocate Receives Entrepreneurship Award

Los Angeles, CA – The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) announced Jennifer Villalobos as this year's honoree for their "NCAIED Youth Entrepreneurship Award." Villalobos, a member of the Tohono O'odham Nation, and her consulting company, Varenchik & Associates, was chosen from a highly competitive field of nominees. She will be presented with the award at this year's Reservation Economic Summit on Thursday, February 12th in Las Vegas, NV at the Riviera Casino and Conference Center.

The NCAIED Youth Entrepreneurship Award is presented to a successful American Indian Youth Entrepreneur, American Indian Youth Entrepreneurship project or to an advisor, volunteer, or counselor working with American Indian youth on entrepreneurial endeavors.

"This is an incredible honor and quite honestly what I'm most excited about is the new doors this will open for Native American youth," says Jennifer Villalobos. "My consulting firm is absolutely committed to creating solutions for people to get out of poverty, take control of their future and build successful businesses."

Villalobos' consulting firm, Varenchik & Associates, specializes in bringing workshops to tribal communities and Native American urban centers. The workshops cover a number of important training topics like building healthy relationships, developing job readiness skills and entrepreneurship.

The NCAIED Youth Entrepreneurship Award is nominated by NCAIED stakeholders, which include our Resource Council and Board of Directors. The Resource Council is made up of about fifty Fortune 500 National Corporations who have a vested interest in the success of minority, specifically American Indian, businesses. The NCAIED
Board of Directors is 100% Native American and is also actively involved in nominating award recipients. Ultimately, an award selection committee is formed with representatives from the council, board, and staff who make the final award selection.

"American Indian opportunities for our youth are the focus of what we are trying to achieve economically in Indian Country," says Ken Robbins, President/CEO of the NCAIED. "The Youth Entrepreneurship Award is very significant because it's imperative that American Indian youth are aware of what obstacles and prospects they will
face in the business world. Jennifer Villalobos has portrayed excellent entrepreneurial spirit and we're honored that she will be recognized as the Youth Entrepreneur of the Year at RES 2004."

Villalobos has an extensive background in theater, a degree from St. Mary's College of California in Psychology and a significant amount of training in workshop development and public speaking. She volunteers as a mentor for the Southern California Indian Center's workshops in the southern California area and is looking for avenues
to bring that information to as many Native American communities as possible.

"With the assistance of some great strategic alliance partners and the encouragement of my mentors, I am working toward attacking poverty in our Native American community in a new way," says Villalobos.