Columbia, MD – February 16, 2009 – j-ref, a small business financier in Howard County, is planning its sixth annual fundraiser:

WHAT:             “Shoot for the Moon... an Entrepreneurial Voyage,”

                        An event to celebrate entrepreneurship

WHEN:             Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.

WHERE:           The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

                        Kossiakoff Center

                        11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel

COST:              $50 per ticket

WHO:              Hosted by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
                                    and j-ref’s Board of Directors

Media sponsorship is provided by The Business Monthly.

            Headquartered in the Center for Business & Technology Development in Columbia, Maryland, j-ref is a private, not-for-profit funding source for Howard County start-up and emerging companies. Support for the j-ref program (http://www.jref.org) is available through partnerships with Howard County government, Howard County Economic Development Authority, Howard County Chamber of Commerce, Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber of Commerce, Howard Community College, local financial institutions, and the local business community. In addition to offering business loans up to $250,000, j-ref works through its strategic partners to offer assistance to small and emerging companies in the areas of business advice, planning, and education.