10 a.m., Chicago It's time for a coffee break and a slice of Comfort Cake, "pound cake so good it feels like a hug." The cakes are a delicious symbol of Amy Hilliard's hard work and entrepreneurship. A Harvard MBA, she left a successful marketing career to follow her dream of starting a business. After being turned down by one bank that was not interested in funding start-ups, Amy found ShoreBank and a banker who was impressed with her marketing savvy and knew she had what it took to succeed. "ShoreBank understood the potential for Comfort Cakes," Amy says. "They were willing to bet on me. Selling cakes is very different than my previous job where I managed 12 employees and a $50 million budget, but my potential to reap the benefit of my efforts is much greater as an entrepreneur." Less than a year later, Comfort Cakes is an unqualified success. Amy's first customer was United Airlines, and the cakes are now served by Chicago Public Schools, and sold everywhere from Jewel Food Stores to the Home Shopping Network (where more than 900 cakes sold in 10 minutes). ShoreBank believes in supporting innovation and new ideas, enabling entrepreneurs to thrive and create new wealth for themselves and their communities.