Who We Are
Quantum Leaps, Inc., is a non-profit organization created to promote women in business globally. Quantum Leaps helps women in businesses make big economic strides by connecting key stakeholders, distributing timely information and best practices within and across countries, and linking effective programs with resources.

What We Do
Quantum Leaps and its powerful global network of leaders help to advance women in business through best practices exchanges, online forums, videoconferencing, study tours, expert roundtables, and eLearning forums. We also conduct research, and develop publications, templates and metrics that can be shared.

We influence research, policies, programs and practices that support women in business by concentrating on the following 6 core strategies for business growth at all stages of development:
  1) Research, data and statistics,
  2) Entrepreneurial education and training,
  3) Access to microcredit, debt and equity finance,
  4) Access to networks and to corporate, government and international markets,
  5) Technology as an entrepreneurial enabler, and
  6) Advocacy and constituency building, including fundraising.

We also focus on how these factors interact to spur growth.

How We Started
Quantum Leaps was born out of two influential international conferences organized by the prestigious Organization for Economic Development (OECD) in Paris in 1997 and 2000, for which Quantum Leaps' Co-Founder and CEO served as Senior Advisor.

As the 2000 best practices exchange was ending, participants asked, "How do we keep the momentum going? What happens next?"

After months of planning, we received a seed grant from the Kauffman Foundation, and formally launched as Project Tsunami Incorporated in fall of 2002. On February 2, 2005, we changed our name to Quantum Leaps, Inc., with a continued commitment to accelerating women in business globally.

Recent Initiatives
Quantum Leaps works with a large and influential international network of women business leaders, policymakers, researchers, advocates, and international institutions interested in women in business from microenterprises to small and medium-sized businesses. Examples of current and recent projects include:

2006 - 2007

Working on the creation of a Strategic Framework for women in business in the United States Working with the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council WBENC on the development of their global strategy Working with the Organization and Economic Cooperation Development OECD on initiatives to promote women in business in the Middle East and North Africa Working with PROWESS on co-hosting the third UK Study Tour to the US on best practices for women in business Working with IBM on educating women in business on how to use technology as a strategy for growth Spoke with members of the Business & Professional Women of Cyprus BPW about strategies for success at a meeting hosted by the US Embassy in Cyprus

2005

Co-organized the Organization and Economic Cooperation Development OECD workshop at the OECD Istanbul Center for Entrepreneurship in Turkey on "Fostering Women's Entrepreneurship: A Roadmap for Economic Growth, Job Creation and Social Inclusion in the Greater Middle East" Collaborated with the National Association of Women Business Owners NAWBO, its Institute for Entrepreneurial Development, and the National Women's Business Council NWBC on launching the development of a "U.S. Strategic Framework for Women's Entrepreneurship" to help spur growth at all stages of business development Worked with the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council WBENC on a global supply chain initiative to increase the number of women-owned businesses who sell products and services to multinational corporations, and spoke at their annual conference in Las Vegas, Nevada Co-hosted a second UK Study Tour to the US on best practices for women’s entrepreneurship in partnership with PROWESS, the women entrepreneurial umbrella organization in the UK Provided advocacy training in London for members of PROWESS Conducted Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation and Development Women’s eBusiness Network APWEBIZ research on "Women and eBusiness" Facilitated "Women and Technology Expert Roundtables" hosted by IBM in Asia and Europe, and will host additional events in North America Spoke at a series of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation and Development APEC events on the topic of "Women in Business" in Seoul, South Korea Spoke at the International Counsel for Small Business ICSB World Conference on the topic of "Women’s Entrepreneurship" in Washington, DC Spoke at the African Growth Opportunity Act AGOA Trade and Development Conference on the topic of "Women and AOGA" in Senegal, Dakar Spoke at Canada’s Economic Forum on Women’s Entrepreneurship on the topic of "Best Practices for Communications, Knowledge-Sharing, Networking and Advocacy" in Ottawa Spoke at the National Association of Women Business Owners NAWBO annual conference on the topic of "Going Global" in Orlando, Florida Spoke at the 2005 International Symposium on "Women in SMEs and MEs across the Global Community" in Taipei, Taiwan, organized by the Foundation of Women Rights Promotion and Development

2004

Organized a global best practices exchange for the OECD in Istanbul on Accelerating Women's Entrepreneurship, which took place in parallel with the OECD Ministerial Conference for ministers of industry from 80 countries. Program Collaborated with the National Women's Business Council on five projects, including identifying criteria and organizations to feature in a Council publication, Best Practices in Supporting Women's Entrepreneurship in the United States. Compendium Organized an experts roundtable on women's access to corporate, government and international markets with the US Department of Commerce. Report Organized an experts roundtable on entrepreneurial education and training along the business growth continuum, with Georgia Tech's graduate management program. Report Organized an experts roundtable on high-growth women-owned businesses at Stanford University. Report Organized a Trilateral online forum, videoconference and study tour to the United States for representatives of Her Majesty's Treasury, the Small Business Service, and heads of economic development programs around the UK, in collaboration with US and Canadian partners and experts. Report Hosted the first UK Study Tour to the US on best practices for women’s entrepreneurship. Report Mapped the resource base of donors supporting women's entrepreneurship in the US, for the Kauffman Foundation