Women’s Empower Hour Presents Stacey Edgar 7/12 At Met Capital Bank

As part of the "Women's Empower Hour" breakfast series, featured quarterly throughout the year at Metropolitan Capital Bank, located at 9 E. Ontario St., on Tuesday, July 12 from 7:30-8:45 a.m., Stacey Edgar, founder and president of fair-trade company Global Girlfriend, will discuss her new book "Global Girlfriends: How One Mom Made it Her Business to Help Women in Poverty Worldwide" and her work with women artisans globally.

Eight years ago, Stacey Edgar had a $2,000 tax return and a deep desire to help provide economic security for women in need. She knew that of the 1.3 billion people living on less than $1 per day, 70% were women. What she didn't have was a business plan, or a passport. That didn't stop her from creating a socially conscious business that has helped underprivileged women in five continents feed their families and send their children to school. Global Girlfriend has since grown into a multi-million dollar enterprise that specializes in handmade, fairly traded and eco-conscious apparel, accessories and gifts made by women in over 20 countries worldwide. Stacey recently launched the book "Global Girlfriends" as her passionate argument for simple actions we can all take to eliminate extreme poverty.

Metropolitan Capital Bank implemented the "Women's Empower Hour" series in 2007. These networking events offer informative workshops for proactive women in the Chicagoland area.

Continental breakfast will be served. To RSVP for this complimentary event, please contact Justyna Kucinska at (312) 640-2377 or e-mail events@metcapbank.com. For further information on the Bank, please call (312) 640-2300.

ABOUT STACEY EDGAR
A passionate advocate for women and children, Edgar has traveled the world providing market and business training to women's cooperatives and organizations. She used her 10 years in social work practice with women and children as a springboard to her role as a social entrepreneur and started Global Girlfriend in 2003 as a way to provide economic security for women in need by creating a sustainable market for their products.

She oversees all aspects of Global Girlfriend's success including: building valued lasting relationships with the women artisan cooperatives and hand-selecting fashion forward products to grow the brand online, as well as via catalog, premier boutiques and retail locations nationwide such as Whole Foods Market and Target.com.

Edgar was honored with Microsoft Corp.'s "Start Something Amazing Awards" and was featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, Denver Business Journal as a "40 Under 40″ business leader, Multichannel Merchant as a "Maven of Merchandise" and Organic Style as one of its 2005 "Women with Organic Style." Edgar holds a Master of Social Work Degree from the University of Illinois and a Bachelor of Social Work from Western Illinois University. For more information, visit www.staceyedgar.com or globalgirlfriend.com.

ABOUT METROPOLITAN CAPITAL BANK
This distinctive FDIC-insured bank occupies the entire North Annex of Chicago's Tree Studios, which were built between 1894 and 1913 by Judge Lambert Tree, one of Chicago's greatest art patrons. Metropolitan Capital Bank is the only bank in Chicago specifically designed for the metropolitan professional. At Metropolitan Capital Bank, each client is provided with relationship-based, integrated financial services that are custom-tailored to a level typically reserved for only the wealthiest customers at most banks, if they are available at all.

Steeped in history, Metropolitan Capital Bank's offices feature a red brick structure with 7,700 square feet of space, which is fully restored. This stand-alone structure is adorned with extensive terra cotta reliefs and houses four great rooms, each with a working fireplace and 18-foot ceilings, which are framed by four 12-foot picture windows that face Ontario Street. Original period finishes, railings, bay windows and built-in cabinets are found throughout this structure's 24 additional rooms including three conference rooms on the first floor, mezzanine offices for the bank's private capital managers that overlook the bank's main and second floors and a grand conference room in one of the second floor great rooms.

Metropolitan Capital Bank occupies the entire North Annex of the historic Tree Studios, a workshop to many of Chicago's great artists over the past century. In addition to preserving the physical building, Metropolitan Capital Bank intends to preserve this building's artistic spirit through a strong tie to the art community. The Bank's program "Art Works Chicago" features rotating exhibitions of work by prominent Chicago artists displayed in the workplace setting.

Founder and CEO of Metropolitan Capital Bank Michael Rose says, "We have a truly unique niche in the banking industry and our office reflects that. We are proud to provide a venue for talented Chicago artists to inspire and educate."

Metropolitan Capital Bank is located at 9 E. Ontario St. in the North Annex of the historic Tree Studios. Business hours are weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. or after hours by appointment. For more information, call (312) 640-2327.

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