Prominent Internet Entrepreneur Joins National Commission On Entrepreneurship

Business Wire, Oct 24, 2000

Business Editors

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 25, 2000

Paula Jagemann, president and CEO of ECI2, joins NCOE, vows to promote

women in entrepreneurship

The National Commission on Entrepreneurship (NCOE) today announced that Paula Jagemann, president and CEO of eCommerce Industries, Inc. (ECI2), was unanimously inducted as the ninth NCOE Commissioner.

Jagemann, one of the nation's most successful entrepreneurs and a national leader in promoting economic development, said she intends to work with the NCOE to foster the continued growth of women-owned businesses across the country.

The NCOE, funded by the Kansas City-based Kauffman Foundation, is comprised of prominent entrepreneurs from around the country. Their mission is to inform the policy debate at all levels and promote political, educational, and commercial changes to strengthen entrepreneurship and continued economic growth.

"Paula Jagemann represents the ideal of an entrepreneur in America today," said Patrick Von Bargen, NCOE executive director. "She started ECI2 in her "spare time" while working full time at UUNET, the world's largest ISP, and going to school full time. She understands the obstacles that entrepreneurs face. She is also an intelligent and outspoken leader in the effort to help more people, especially women, create fast-growing companies. It's an honor to welcome Paula and her wisdom and expertise to the NCOE."

"It's no mystery that entrepreneurship is booming in this country. So much of this boom, however, is concentrated in specific geographic regions. Our challenge is to work with business leaders and policymakers and map a strategy to expand entrepreneurship, especially among women and minorities, in more communities across the country," Jagemann said.

About ECI2

ECI2 is the parent company of Distribution Data Management Systems (DDMS) and its sister companies, Silver Plus and O/PUS; ECI International; Internet Office Solutions and Services (IOS2); Online Office Supplies Company (OOSC); OPDXchange, and United Business Computers (UBC). In just two short years under Jagemann's leadership, the company has grown from a simple online superstore for office products to become the leading provider of information technology solutions to the office products industry. Through the development and application of leading edge e-commerce technologies, the company is changing how office products are bought and sold. ECI2 is based in Vienna, Virginia and is privately held. For more information, visit http://www.eci2.com, call 888-499-ECI2, or send email to info@eci2.com .

About NCOE

Started by and for entrepreneurs, the National Commission on Entrepreneurship is the first and only organization to represent the nation's innovative, high-growth interests in the public policy arena. The NCOE's commissioners, along with Jagemann, are chairman Doug Mellinger, partner with Interactive Capital Partners.; Bob Beyster, CEO of Science Applications International Corp.; Patricia Cloherty, special limited partner, Patricof and Co. Ventures, Inc.; Jonathan Ledecky, managing partner, Ironbound Capital and co-owner of the Washington Capitals hockey club; William Mays, president, Mays Chemical Co.; Mario Morino, chairman, Morino Institute; and Daniel Villanueva, chairman, Bastion Capital Fund and co-founder of Univision television network.