Thunderbird School of Global Management Adds “Financing Your Dream” Module to DreamBuilder Program
Freeport-McMoRan Foundation’s International Women Entrepreneurs Training Program Expands with a companion course to DreamBuilder

Glendale, Ariz., March 8, 2017 – In conjunction with International Women’s Day on March 8, the Thunderbird School of Global Management, a unit of the ASU Knowledge Enterprise at Arizona State University, is launching an additional module regarding access to capital entitled “Financing Your Dream”, a companion course to the English-language version of the Freeport-McMoRan DreamBuilder (www.dreambuilder.org) program. This new, stand-alone, module will guide students through the process of creating a Capital Action Plan to obtain the funds needed for their businesses.

The Financing Your Dream course is free and available to current DreamBuilder students as well as graduates. It can be accessed anytime, anywhere at www.dreambuilder.org. The course provides an overview of the types of funding available and how to obtain it.

“In the communities where we operate around the globe, we see firsthand that small business development is a powerful driver of economic empowerment for women and the growth of both rural and urban economies,” said Tracy Bame, President of the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation. “Training is critical but it only goes so far. Women need support in identifying and accessing a range of sources of capital for which they can actually qualify.”

Launched in 2015, the English-language version of DreamBuilder is designed for women entrepreneurs who want to start or grow a small business. Since its inception, the online learning tool has enrolled nearly 9,000 learners. The 13-module program is funded and initiated by the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, supported by Bluedrop Performance Learning, and implemented by Thunderbird School of Global Management through its department focused on social embeddedness, Thunderbird for Good. Thunderbird’s partnership with the Small Business Administration’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership has led to an increase in enrollment.

“In working with our partner organizations and students of DreamBuilder, we’ve found that the lack of capital is a barrier to success. Through the Financing Your Dream module, women entrepreneurs get a step-by-step guide on how to obtain funding needed for their businesses. We are grateful for the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation’s vision to overcome this obstacle,” said Kellie Kreiser, Executive Director of Thunderbird for Good.

By working with partners, including the Small Business Administration, the English and Spanish-language version of DreamBuilder have enrolled more than 18,000 students. Twenty-seven customized, branded DreamBuilder landing pages are offered to clients at 34 Women’s Business Center sites, or nearly 1/3 of the Small Business Administration’s Women’s Business Centers, in 19 states. Learn more about DreamBuilder at: https://www.youtube.com/user/DreamBuilderFCX

“We believe that investing in women in general, and this program specifically, is an accelerator to overall community economic development. When women own businesses and increase their incomes, the overall economy of a region grows, creating healthier, prosperous and sustainable communities,” Bame added.

The English-language DreamBuilder is part of a 2013 Commitment to Action made by the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation at the Clinton Global Initiative and a federal commitment announced at the 2013 Equal Futures Partnership meeting in New York.

About Thunderbird School of Global Management
Since its inception in 1946, Thunderbird has focused exclusively on educating global leaders in the intricacies of international business and management. Now a unit of the Arizona State University Knowledge Enterprise, today Thunderbird is strengthened by the resources of America’s largest and most innovative public university. Thunderbird offers both graduate and undergraduate degrees as well as executive education in locations around the globe, with its main campus in Glendale, Arizona and offices in Geneva, Dubai, and Moscow. Visit: www.Thunderbird.asu.edu

About the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation
The Freeport-McMoRan Foundation is focused on partnering with communities to cultivate sustainable programs and projects that contribute to their enduring success. Its role is to facilitate productive dialogue, assist communities in self-defining priority issues, catalyze or participate in discussions on possible solutions, forge collaborations and offer opportunities for funding that contribute to a community’s long-term success. The Foundation’s efforts in community engagement are considered “Transforming Tomorrow Together.” In order to transform tomorrow, the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation focuses on comprehensive sustainable social development including robust engagement, sharing expertise, social investing, volunteerism, and creating opportunities through our business. Further, the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation believes that creating vibrant communities will take all kinds of partners working together- communities, schools, nonprofits, stakeholder groups and its own employees. Visit: http://www.freeportinmycommunity.com

About Bluedrop Performance Learning
Bluedrop Performance Learning Inc. (TSX-V: BPL) is an innovator in both the development of workplace e-learning and simulation as well as the way large organizations deliver, track and manage training. Bluedrop Learning Networks, a subsidiary of Bluedrop Performance Learning, is a training management platform that delivers and validates skills and credentials across multi-stakeholder workforce ecosystems. The Bluedrop360 platform enables workers to upgrade their skills on demand, validate their on the job competencies and keep their credentials as they move jobs. Visit: bluedroplearningnetworks.com.