Kitchener-Waterloo – Women are starting businesses at twice the rate of men yet only a fraction of business and entrepreneurship blogs are written from a female perspective. Determined to provide more resources and support to women entrepreneurs, Natalie MacNeil started She Takes On The World (www.shetakesontheworld.com) in March 2008.

MacNeil’s determination is being recognized with the announcement of She Takes On The World as a finalist for Blog of the Year in the media and marketing category for the 6th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business. It is the only Canadian blog honoured as a finalist.

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, and the companies they run – worldwide. The Stevie Awards have been hailed as the world’s premier business awards.

Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word “crowned,” winners will be announced during a gala event at the Marriott Marquis hotel in New York on Friday, November 13. Nominated women executives and entrepreneurs from the U.S.A and several other countries are expected to attend. The presentations will be broadcast live on radio in the U.S.A. by the Business TalkRadio Network.

MacNeil is thrilled to be heading to New York for the gala event. “It is an honour to receive recognition like this alongside so many incredible businesswomen and entrepreneurs, many whom I greatly admire,” she says. She Takes On The World provides women with valuable resources, articles, and support to start and grow a business. A highlight of the blog is MacNeil’s interview series, In Her Heels, which features the success stories of women in business and entrepreneurship.

Finalists were chosen by business professionals worldwide during preliminary judging. Members of the Awards' Board of Distinguished Judges & Advisors and their staffs will select Stevie Award winners from among the Finalists during final judging.

“Being named a Finalist in The Stevie Awards for Women in Business is an important achievement,” said Michael Gallagher, president of the Stevie Awards. “It means that independent business executives have agreed that the nominee is worthy of recognition. We congratulate all of the Finalists on their achievement and wish them well in the competition.”

More than 1,100 entries were submitted this year for consideration in 54 categories. Details about The Stevie Awards for Women in Business and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at www.stevieawards.com/women.