2012 CEO National Conference Chicago Program eBook by CEO

THANK YOU TO THE 2012 CEO CONFERENCE SPONSORS! John E. & Jeanne T. HUGHES FOUNDATION

DENENBERG FAMILY FOUNDATION

AL GROSSMAN

2012 NATIONAL CONFERENCE November 1, 2012 Dear Collegiate Entrepreneur,

Welcome to the 2012 National CEO Conference! This event is filled with opportunities to motivate, inspire, and enlighten you, and we know that you will actively participate to get the most out of this experience! Share in the excitement and tweet #CEONat2012! Our speakers will be sharing real life experiences about what people can do when they have a dream and take action. You will be able to participate in breakout sessions, workshops and mentoring sessions that will provide you with valuable tips and resources. Chapter development and leadership sessions are also available to show you how to start and grow your campus CEO chapter membership, organize events, and sponsor meetings featuring local entrepreneurs. Student leaders from CEO chapters throughout the nation will share what it takes to start or grow your CEO chapter. Ask questions, take notes, and share business cards! When you return to your campus, you will be amazed how many resources and connections you have. These contacts will be important as you pursue your entrepreneurial future. Keep in mind that who you know is just as important as what you know, so take the time to network with and meet the amazing speakers and your fellow students! CEO would like to thank John Hughes, the Coleman Foundation, and Northwestern Mutual for their generous support in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National CEO Conference. We would also like to thank the Coleman Fellows program, Dr. Timothy Stearns and California State University-Fresno for their work with the National Elevator Pitch Competition, and Bradley University for their overall conference support. Thank you to SEA for supporting the CEO Conference and hosting strong arts sessions and to USASBE for contributing to the faculty development sessions. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d also like to thank the CEO Faculty Advisory Council, Student Advisory Council, and Kevin Langley for all of their ongoing support. Our sincere gratitude goes out to all the individuals, faculty, speakers, students, and organizations that continue to help make CEO and our Annual Conferences a success! We hope you have a fantastic entrepreneurial conference weekend! Please remember to complete the conference evaluations so that we can continue to bring you the very best entrepreneurship experience!

With entrepreneurial spirit,

Gerald E. Hills CEO Co-Founder & Executive Director Bradley University

Katie Sowa Director of Operations

Michael Luchies National Growth & Programs Manager

3105 N. Ashland Avenue, Suite 228 | Chicago, IL 60657 | Ph: 773 -360-8426 | ceo@c -e-o.org | www.c -e-o.org

Carry out the entrepreneurial spirit of the 2012 National CEO Conference! Use your new experience and contacts to start making a difference.

HOW CAN YOU KEEP IN CONTACT WITH CEO TO USE OUR RESOURCES TO BENEFIT YOU? Join Our Community www.ceocommunity.ning.com A member benefit of CEO is the online community, which connects you with other entrepreneurial minded students and entrepreneurs including CEO conference speakers! Ask questions, start discussion threads, and more. Join now!

CEO Chapter Help & Event Information www.c-e-o.org Visit our website to get more information on CEO and to download the CEO Chapter Handbook or look at best practice videos from successful chapters to help with starting a chapter, improving engagement in your club, fundraising suggestions, and more.

Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter Follow us for new announcements and to stay up-to-date with CEO activities!

The 15 th Anniversary of CEO P I O NE E RI NG E F F O RT S S I N CE 1 9 8 3 In 1983, a student meeting was held in Chicago to discuss the development of a national entrepreneurship organization for college students. The meeting was facilitated by Gerald Hills, who at the time was a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Twelve students, representing seven area universities, along with John Hughes and Jean Thorne attended. At the time of the meeting, entrepreneurship as a field of study was a new concept and very few universities offered coursework in the subject. The students enthusiastically discussed their own entrepreneurial aspirations and how networking across campuses could be beneficial. This meeting planted the seed that led to the Collegiate Entrepreneurs of Illinois Conference in 1984. The conference exceeded expectations with attendance of nearly 300 students from 30 universities. UIC's Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies served as the conference headquarters, and faculty and students from DePaul, Loyola, the Illinois Institute of Technology and Northwestern University assisted in the planning and implementation. The Coleman Foundation contributed generously as a sponsor and has continued that support to date. In 1985, the name of the conference was changed to the Collegiate Entrepreneurs of the Midwest. After years of success and growth, Dr. Hills conducted research into the feasibility of creating a national/global organization. In 1997, the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ OrganizationSM (CEO) was officially launched as a membership organization. During the next two years, pilot conferences were held with attendance of more than 700 students representing nearly 100 universities. With the support of major sponsors, CEO was able to add full time staff, and chapters began to appear on more and more campuses across North America. Today, CEO is the premier entrepreneurship network with over 245 chapters on university campuses across North America, continuing to promote its mission “to inform, support and inspire college students to be entrepreneurial and seek opportunity through enterprise creation.”

CEO VISION The vision of CEO is to change the world through allowing and supporting college students to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams.

CEO MISSION

The Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization informs, supports, and inspires college students to be entrepreneurial and seek opportunity through enterprise creation.

www.c-e-o.org 3

KEY: Special Interest Track Sessions ARTS ENTREPRENEURSHIP SESSIONS: Sessions, although particularly interesting to arts related entrepreneurs, address topics of broad interest. Hosted by Self-Employment in the Arts (SEA). TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEURSHIP SESSIONS: Sessions, although of special interest to technologically oriented entrepreneurs, are also of general interest to everyone. FACULTY DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS: Sessions specifically address issues for entrepreneurship faculty. Hosted by Self-Employment in the Arts (SEA) and the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE). CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS: Sessions for current, new and potential CEO Chapter Leaders and Faculty. MENTOR ROOM: Walk in at any time to ask questions, get advice, and receive one-on-one or small group mentoring.

CEO EXPO BETTERBOO.COM

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MODEL COMPETITION

BLABFEED

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY

CEO

NACCE

CEO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CEO ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES SIGN-UP

NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL

DIGITAL DOSSIERS

SEA

DIGITAL TALENT AGENTS

SEEC

DR. SUKI JOHN, AUTHOR

STARTUP GENERATION

EXTREME ENTREPRENEURSHIP TOUR / EMPACT

THE RECORDING ACADEMY

GLOBAL VENTURES

WATERDROP SHOP

PITCHBURNER

USASBE

GSEAHR STRATEGIES PLUS LLC

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THURS DAY AG E NDA 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

REGISTRATION S100 Ballroom Foyer in the McCormick Convention Center

11:00 PM – 6:00 PM

COLEMAN FELLOWS SESSION Hyatt Conference Center Rooms Prairie B, CC10 A, B,C ,D

1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

CEO LEADERSHIP & CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS Hyatt Conference Center Rooms CC12CD, CC24BC, CC23BC, & CC22BC

1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

SEA PRE-CONFERENCE SESSIONS Hyatt Conference Center Rooms CC23A & CC24A

5:00 PM – 5:45 PM

ELEVATOR PITCH WORKSHOP Hyatt Conference Center Room CC23BC

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

CEO NETWORKING KICK-OFF EVENT W190 in the McCormick Convention Center

11:00 AM – 4:00 PM OR 9:00 PM –10:00 PM

EXHIBITOR SET-UP W190 in the McCormick Convention Center

CEO LE ADE RSHIP & CHAP TE R DE V E LO P MENT S E S S IONS 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM in Conference Center Room CC12CD OPENING REMARKS Gerald E. Hills, Bradley University / Co-Founder of CEO, Craig Earnshaw, Brigham Young University William Dougan, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

CE O CO NCURRE NT S E S S ION I 1:25 PM – 2:10 PM A)

The Digital Frontier - Curating, Managing and Empowering Your Digital Presence Dr. David Pistrui, Digital Dossiers, Inc. / Acumen Dynamics, LLC

CC22BC

The digital frontier is changing how we live, work and share personal and professional information. This interactive session will provide insights, methods, tools and frameworks to help students, faculty and CEO Chapters identify opportunities to empower their digital domains in new and innovative ways. This will be a “hands on workshop” where participants will develop a series of tools and insights. The primary objective is that participants have created some valuable output that they can use as a first step in developing, implementing and assessing digital strategies, both personally and organizationally. 5

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Creating Successful Cross-Campus Entrepreneurial Events & Pitch Competitions on Campus Chair: Judi Eyles, Iowa State University Diana Wright, Iowa State University Eric Duarte, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Jessica Smith, Eastern Michigan University Justin Zimpfer, Canisius College Kevin Walsh, Canisius College Matt McGunagle, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

CC23BC

Your campus club can be most successful when it can reach across campus to engage a variety of majors and perspectives. Learn how top CEO Chapters are creating successful entrepreneurial events on their campus, including how to host successful pitch competitions.

CC24BC Chapter Award Presentations: Best CEO Chapter Business Chairs: William Dougan, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater & Craig Earnshaw, Brigham Young University Finalists in the Best Chapter Awards will be presenting to demonstrate why they deserve the title of the Best CEO Chapter Business. The winner will be announced on Saturday, November 3 during the general keynote sessions.

CE O CO NCURRE NT S E S S ION II 2:20 PM â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3:05 PM

The New Entrepreneur: Don't Guess About Your Success Daniel Marsh, Brigham Young University

CC22BC

All of the newest trends in entrepreneurship are geared toward customer development and business model validation. This session will help you learn about this changing paradigm and share business model principles to help you become a more successful entrepreneur and decrease the time it takes you to reach that success. You will also be given an inside look at the workings of the International Business Model Competition and how to succeed at winning it. Invest a few hours into understanding business model principles and your life as an entrepreneur will change forever.

Getting It Off the Ground: Starting a CEO Chapter & Building Membership Chair: Farah Gheith, Louisiana State University / Geaux Guerrilla Alexandra Finn, Canisius College Ali Murphy, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Ashley Regan, Canisius College Dan Fink, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Steve Hopkins, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

CC23BC

Are you looking to start a CEO Chapter on your campus or are trying to develop or rejuvenate your club? Hear how successful chapters got their start and discover best practices for building and retaining membership.

CC24BC Chapter Award Presentations: Best CEO Fundraising Idea / Event Chairs: William Dougan, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater & Craig Earnshaw, Brigham Young Finalists in the Best Chapter Awards will be presenting to demonstrate why they deserve the title of the Best CEO Chapter Business. The winner will be announced on Saturday, November 3 during the general keynote sessions.

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CE O CO NCURRE NT S E S S ION II I 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM

CC22BC

Startup Generation Danny Beckett, Startup Generation Forest Pett, Startup Generation Zac Campbell, Startup Generation

Startups power the future and stability of our economy by encouraging innovation and job creation. As a student, startup companies can have a significant impact on you as a leader in the startup community and as a leader paving the way to impact the lives of others. Learn how to develop your strengths and work with a sense of purpose and excitement!

Engaging Alumni: How to Create an Alumni Association in Your Chapter Bennett Ng, Woodbury University / CEO Alumni Association Shawn Morey, Woodbury University / CEO Alumni Association

CC23BC

In this session, explore how to work with your alumni and how to start an Alumni Association at your chapter. Lean more about the National CEO Alumni Association and hear first-hand examples how Woodbury University has been able to develop a successful and active Alumni Association. Find out the how you can go back to your campus and create more meaningful interactions with alumni, students, and faculty!

CC24BC Chapter Award Presentations: Best Overall CEO Chapter Chairs: William Dougan, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater & Craig Earnshaw, Brigham Young University Finalists in the Best Chapter Awards will be presenting to demonstrate why they deserve the title of the Best CEO Chapter Business. The winner will be announced on Saturday, November 3 during the general keynote sessions.

CE O LE ADE RSHIP KE Y NO TE 4:05 PM – 5:00 PM in Conference Center Room CC12CD KEYNOTE Henry Givray, SmithBucklin The Passion of Leadership According to Henry Givray, leadership is the uniquely consistent and defining force behind great, enduring organizations. But what is leadership? We know when we see it. We can measure its impact. And we can feel how it inspires us. However, leadership is an elusive concept for which there are no simple formulas or playbooks. That’s why leadership can't be taught – it must be learned through a process of personal, active engagement and self-discovery. Henry’s presentation is designed to help others identify opportunities to grow as leaders, while also building their commitment to continuous learning in this area. During the session, Henry shares essential foundational principles and concepts around leadership, introduces a working framework to help others better understand and ultimately measure leadership capacity and performance, and offers practical ideas and tools for everyday use.

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S E A P RE - CO NFE RE NCE S E SS IO NS 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM in Conference Center Room CC23A Hosted by Self-Employment in the Arts (SEA)

OPENING REMARKS Amy Rogers, Self-Employment in the Arts

S E A CO NCURRE NT S E S S IO N I 1:25 PM – 2:10 PM A)

CC23A

Life into Lemonade Kara Kurcz, Motiv8 Media / Solas Fashion

This session will take a look at the bumps you encounter on the road to success and how to turn your lessons into a profit! It will also discuss how to structure and market YOUR personal story and make sure you are in the business of "YOU."

1st Steps Elizabeth Russell, Russell Law Gary Vaughan, Lawrence University Philip Brown, Brown Music Studios Susan Mulder, Kendall College of Art and Design

CC24A

Chair: SEA Before jumping in with both feet, it is important to make sure you have a basic understanding of what you are getting into. This session will touch on the importance of researching similar artistic businesses, creating and protecting your art business identity, as well as the early legal and accounting steps you need to take. This is a basic look at what needs to be done to get started.

S E A CO NCURRE NT S E S S IO N II 2:20 PM – 3:05 PM A)

CC23A

My Life As a Public Artist Lynn Basa, Basa Projects, LLC

Join Lynn Basa as she discusses her career as a public artist. What is the daily grind like? How does her work load change over the course of the year? What additional art projects does she do to create a sustainable income?

CC24A

My Life in Music Greta Pope, Greta Pope Entertainment, Inc. Joel Fenelon, Muzime, Inc. Matthew Hennessy, VSOP Productions Mike Veny, Mike Veny, Inc. Philip Brown, Brown Music Studios Chair: SEA

Join these musicians as they discuss their lives as musicians. What is the daily grind like? How does their work load change over the course of the year? What different activities do they do to create a sustainable income? 8

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S E A CO NCURRE NT S E S S IO N III 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM

CC23A

The Law. In 45 Minutes. Elizabeth Russell, Russell Law

In business, legal problems can make the difference between success and failure. Arts entrepreneurs need to be proactive (rather than reactive) by spotting issues and knowing when to seek counsel before trouble knocks on the door. You won’t learn everything you need to know in our 45-minute session, but we will bring some of the big ticket issues to your attention. In your arts-focused business you have to understand copyright. So we’ll spend the first half of this session covering copyright basics. In the remaining time, we’ll talk briefly about trademarks, business entity options and financing issues. The time will fly, so try not to blink.

Time Management Dawn Gray, Gray Talent Group Greta Pope, Greta Pope Entertainment, Inc. Elaine Luther, Studio 925 / All Things Metal Clay Mike Veny, Mike Veny, Inc.

CC24A

Chair: SEA As a self-employed artist you wear many hats - creator, bookkeeper, marketer, and even janitor. How do you manage all of these tasks? This session will take a look at good time management strategies to help you succeed. We will also discuss steps that students can take right now including practices that you can implement into your art creation now that will help make the transition to being a self-employed artist in the future easier.

S E A CLO S ING KE Y NO TE 4:05 PM – 5:00 PM in Conference Center Room CC23A KEYNOTE Jade Simmons, Jade Media Are You a Victim of Artistic Identity Theft? Jade encourages artists to regain control of their artistic destinies by first re-examining the type of artist they truly want to be and the type of art they truly want to make. Ideally, she asks artists to recreate themselves based on their past successes, current passions and future desires. She challenges them to do it outside of the confines of whatever the traditional definition of their art form might be.

NE TWO RKIN G KICK - O FF E V E NT 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM in McCormick Place W190

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RE G IS TRATIO N 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM in the S100 Foyer

WE LCO ME KEY NO TE S ES S IO N 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM in the South Ballroom – S100 Emcee: Duane Spires, Extreme Youth Sports, Representing the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour

OPENING REMARKS Gerald E. Hills, Bradley University / Co-Founder of CEO Michael Hennessy, President of The Coleman Foundation Amy Rogers, Self-Employment in the Arts (SEA) KEYNOTES Duane Spires, Extreme Youth Sports Presented by: Austin Taylor, Brigham Young University

Jack DeBoer, Consolidated Holdings, Inc. Presented by: Kelsey McClintick, Texas Christian University

FOUNDERS AWARD TRIBUTE Recognition of John E. Hughes

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NETWORKING BREAK & VISIT THE EXHIBITS

10:35 AM – 10:45 AM in W190

BRE AKO UT S ES S IO N 1 10:45 AM – 11:35 AM 1.1

What Matters Most in a Startup Michael DeLazzer, Founding Member of Redbox

W196A

Moderator: Diana Wright, Iowa State University What are the crucial components for the average startup? Learn from a seasoned entrepreneur the secrets to market selection, leadership, financing, and project management. Gain insight into how to go about building your team and what things any founder should consider when choosing team members. This session will also cover leadership and what issues a leader will face, as well as how to go about looking for sources of financing and innovative ways to get financing without losing any equity. Find out what it really takes to be a good entrepreneur!

1.2

A Winning Formula for Sustainable Entrepreneur Success Tom Walter, Tasty Catering

W196C

Moderator: Brock Cutler, Brigham Young University Why do entrepreneurs with a unique product, market share and funding fail? This session is focused towards the emerging entrepreneur that wants sustainable success. Learn from evidence based research coupled with over 40 years of experience of starting companies. How does success become more quickly attained? What sustains success? How is high performance achieved? What is not taught in textbooks? What sequence is important to sustainable success: customers, staff, leadership, systems, ethics, culture?

1.3

W192A

Business Plan: Legal and Financial Issues Michael Foltz, Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC Moderator: Jenna Trinchini, Bryant University

In this session, issues concerning formation of the business and on-going legal considerations will be examined. Initial formation considerations such as entity type and accommodation of business activities will be reviewed. Ongoing considerations such as intellectual property protection, personal asset protection, worker classification and owner deadlock will be explored. Financial considerations for the entrepreneur include sufficient working capital, business asset protection, proper insurance and working with financially-strong customers.

1.4

W192B

Understanding Venture Capital Troy Henikoff, Excelerate Labs Moderator: Michael Anadiotis, University of South Florida St. Petersburg

Before considering raising professional money from a VC, you must understand how they work and what they are looking for. This session will give you an overview of the venture capital industry so that you are better positioned to raise money (or choose not to) from them.

1.5

W192C

Conducting an Effective Career Search Erika Jacobi, Northwestern Mutual Moderator: Keila Hampton, University of Tampa

Are you ‘looking for a job’ or ‘effectively searching for your career’? In this 50 minute interactive workshop, all audience participants are involved by completing numerous exercises in the areas of self-analysis, networking, prioritizing, and more! Participants will learn more about themselves which contributes to maximizing their own career search.

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1.6

How to Find Your Passion Through Tech Entrepreneurship Mike McGee & Neal Sales-Griffin, The Starter League TECHNOLOGY SESSION

W196B

Moderator: Hashim Ali, DePaul University It’s easier than ever to start a business online, but how many people know how to actually make their ideas real through software development? Learn from Neal & Mike of The Starter League (formerly Code Academy) to see how you can build web applications to do passionate work and solve meaningful problems.

1.7

Financial Management for Artists Thaddeus Shalek, Smart Online, Inc. / University of North Carolina at Greensboro Gary Vaughan, Lawrence University ARTS SESSION, HOSTED BY SEA

W195A

Moderator: Kimberly Williams, Syracuse University You know what you want to do, but aren't sure of the financial steps you need to take to get started. This session will touch on different funding options, for profit vs. non-profit, bookkeeping, as well as tips for surviving tough times.

1.8

W194B

Yes, Creativity Can Be Taught Dr. Eden Blair, Bradley University FACULTY DEVELOPMENT SESSION, HOSTED BY USASBE Moderator: Dr. Rebecca White, University of Tampa

As entrepreneurship programs are moving away from business plans towards generating more innovate ideas and business models, faculty are developing courses in entrepreneurial creativity to help students in the ideation phase of the process. However, challenges exits – what are appropriate frameworks to use? How do you evaluate one student's creativity over another? What textbooks are out there? This interactive faculty session will attempt to answer these questions and learn from each other!

1.9

CEO Elevator Pitch Competition Round 1: Group 1

W193A

1.10

CEO Elevator Pitch Competition Round 1: Group 2

W193B

Chairs: Dr. Timothy Stearns, University of California, Fresno Genelle Taylor, University of California, Fresno Dr. David Pistrui, Digital Dossiers, Inc. / Acumen Dynamics, LLC Group 1 Distinguished Judges Adam Robinson, Hireology Jack DeBoer, Consolidated Holdings, Inc. Nick Chmura, BetterBoo.com Tim Heitmann, Popcorn Palace

Group 2 Distinguished Judges Dan Arriola, iD Commerce and Logistics / Inktel Rishi Shah, ContextMedia Inc. Seth Kravitz, Technori Tim Padgett, Pepper Group / Teer1

Previously selected students were invited to participate in one of today’s 6 Competition Sessions. The top 3 winners from each will be invited to participate in Saturday’s Elimination Round. The top 6 chosen from the Elimination Round will be invited to participate in Saturday’s Final Round session. The top winners of the Final Round will be announced at the conclusion of the conference on Saturday. The competition presents students with a great opportunity to pitch their business venture or idea in an environment that promotes new venture creation and the spirit of entrepreneurship to a panel of judges. Students can showcase their talent and passion by pitching their idea or current company and can be awarded with cash prizes. Come listen in and then compete next year!

1.11

W194A

CEO Mentor Room

John E. Hughes, John E. Hughes and Co; Fannie May Candies; The Hughes Foundation; Hughes Enterprises Where else can you sit down one-on-one with some of the conferences’ amazing entrepreneurs to get their honest advice and guidance on your business, idea or just to help with your emerging quest as an entrepreneur? No matter where your entrepreneurial career is headed, this is the place you need to be! The mentor room is an informal place to network, so come and go or stay as long as you’d like. Join John Hughes for this first mentor session to start the conversations that will lead to new relationships that can change your life. 12

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NETWORKING BREAK & VISIT THE EXHIBITS

11:35 AM – 11:50 AM in W190

BRE AKO UT S ES S IO N 2 11:50 AM – 12:40 PM 2.1

W196A

How to Change the World Daniel Gómez Iñiguez, Solben Moderator: Gabrielle Agers, Oklahoma State University

As a young entrepreneur, how do you create a business that can change the world? Daniel will share his insight and experience, teaching you the tools you can use to become a successful young entrepreneur today, creating a company with a global impact.

2.2

What Do Great Entrepreneurs Have in Common? Seth Kravitz, Technori

W192A

Moderator: Luke Otteson, Texas Christian University Pulling from dozens of two hour long in-depth interviews with some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the Midwest, this session will highlight some of the shared traits, secrets to success, and inner-workings of these entrepreneurs’ minds.

2.3

W196C

The Small Giants Panel Tom Walter, Tasty Catering Jamie Pritscher, That’s Caring / Erin Walter, nuphorIQ Moderator: Paul Spiegelman, The Beryl Companies

What is a Small Giant? What is “business mojo” and how does it define success? Hear from a panel of Small Giants, companies who define success by not only their bottom line, but by their contributions to their community, dedication to great customer service and the creation and preservation of workplace cultures of excellence.

2.4

The Inspiration of Mad Men – How do you make your brand relevant across generations? Alison Gutterman, Jelmar, llc

W192B

Moderator: Anabella Rojas, DePaul University Using the success and popularity of Mad Men as a timely example, learn how brands evolve over time as we take you through the journey of Jelmar's CLR and Tarn-X brands. During this session we will examine the creation of “Key Outlet Marketing” and how its use has been expanded to other brands today. Additionally, we will look at how three generations of family entrepreneurship has defined the evolution of our brands and how our marketing programs have enabled us to engage a new generation of purchasers.

2.5

Why Lean Startup & Business Models Are Turning Entrepreneurship Upside Down Raman Chadha, The Junto Institute / DePaul University.

W194B

Moderator: Michael Smith, Syracuse University In this session, learn how entrepreneurs are doing startups today. Rather than feasibility studies, business plans, and spreadsheet forecasts, entrepreneurs are increasingly using tools and techniques such as lean startup, customer discovery, and business model canvases. Whether you are a student or faculty, you will learn the fundamentals of these concepts and engage in an exercise to see their power.

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2.6

The Importance of Business Insurance & Coverages to Consider Anna Maria Viti-Welch, The Viti Companies

W192C

Moderator: Jenova Velasquez, Reedley College Self-employed people often wonder if their business venture requires business insurance. For some businesses, insurance is a necessity and not an option. For other businesses, having insurance is not a requirement but is strongly recommended to protect against unexpected events. To identify the type of business insurance your business needs, you must consider several factors and Anna Maria will explain them in this session.

2.7

Internet CEO- Chief EXECUTION Officer Chad Folkening, eCorp / Domain Holdings / Global Ventures TECHNOLOGY SESSION

W196B

Moderator: Axel Hawker, Texas Christian University This session will discuss entrepreneur execution strategies and opportunities for today’s startups in the app driven ecosystem. Topics include concepts, time optimization, challenge planning, technology, process flow, results based structures and much more.

2.8

SEA Opportunities on Campus Dianne Welsh, University of North Carolina Greensboro Rebecca White, University of Tampa Sara Cochran, Drury University FACULTY DEVELOPMENT / ARTS SESSION, HOSTED BY SEA

W195A

Moderator: Amy Rogers, SEA One of SEA's goals is to help bring arts entrepreneurship to campuses across the country. This can be done in a variety of ways. Join Dianne Welsh from the University of North Carolina Greensboro as she discusses how she worked with SEA to start regional events at both The University of Tampa and UNCG. Other regional directors will be on hand to share their experiences as well. In addition to regional events, SEA can be brought to campus clubs or workshops.

2.9

CEO Elevator Pitch Competition Round 1: Group 3

W193A

2.10

CEO Elevator Pitch Competition Round 1: Group 4

W193B

Chairs: Dr. Timothy Stearns, University of California, Fresno Genelle Taylor, University of California, Fresno Dr. David Pistrui, Digital Dossiers, Inc. / Acumen Dynamics, LLC Group 3 Distinguished Judges Derek Henze, Toppers Pizza Michael DeLazzer, Founding Member of Redbox Nick Chmura, BetterBoo.com Tim Heitmann, Popcorn Palace

2.11

Group 4 Distinguished Judges Dan Heuertz, Food & Beverage Partners Sarah Exley, Northwestern Mutual Tim Padgett, Pepper Group / Teer1 Troy Henikoff, Excelerate Labs

W194A

CEO Mentor Room Chris Stevens, Keurig Dan Arriola, iD Commerce and Logistics / Inktel Jack DeBoer, Consolidated Holdings, Inc. Michael Foltz, Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC

Where else can you sit down one-on-one with some of the conferences’ amazing entrepreneurs to get their honest advice and guidance on your business, idea or just to help with your emerging quest as an entrepreneur? No matter where your entrepreneurial career is headed, this is the place you need to be! The mentor room is an informal place to network, so come and go or stay as long as you’d like. Join these expert entrepreneurs in this mentor session to start the conversations that will lead to new relationships that can change your life.

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LUNCHE O N KE Y NO TE S ES S IO N 12:45 PM – 2:30 PM in the South Ballroom – S100

CEO STARTUP SIMULATION CHALLENGE RECOGNITION 2012 Winner Recognition: University of South Florida St. Petersburg, Louisiana State University, University of Nebraska-Omaha

KEYNOTES Chris Stevens, Keurig

Presented by: Evin Robinson, Syracuse University

Duane Abel, Corkey Comics Publishing

Presented by: SEA [Session will start in S100 for lunch and at 1:30pm will move to room W195]

NETWORKING BREAK & VISIT THE EXHIBITS

2:30 PM – 2:45 PM in W190

BRE AKO UT S ES S IO N 3 2:45 PM – 3:35 PM 3.1

Marketing Magic: How to Look Like a Million Without Spending a Million Kate Koziol, K Squared Communications

W196A

Moderator: Alison Murphy, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Imagine customers beating a line to your door. What if you had more business than you knew what to do with? Whether you a solopreneur or part of larger office, what can you do to drive this kind of additional demand for your services? In this session you will hear proven tips and the latest trends that successful companies are using, including: what you can do to get the word out about your company, how to convince people to use your services, and how you can your name in the papers! Drawing from a range of marketing, public relations, social media and media relations tactics, this session will give you fresh ideas, get you motivated, and give you a game plan for success!

3.2

7 Steps to Start Your Business in College Now, Without a Dime Frank Klesitz, Vyral Marketing

W192B

Moderator: Suela Cela, University of Nebraska-Omaha You'll learn the 7 steps to start your own business now in college without a dime, or without an idea. There are these exact same strategies that Frank used to start Vyral Marketing just out of college, as a CEO member. This session is packed with 'how-to' tips to get customers and make money within 2 weeks of the CEO event. Be prepared to take notes, and get ready to learn how to sell. You'll learn exactly how!

3.3

How to Finance Seed-Stage Companies as a First Time Founder Rishi Shah, ContextMedia Inc.

W196C

Moderator: Francisco Amos Godinez Rodriguez, University of Texas - Pan American As a first time founder, navigating the financing of turning your dream into reality can be daunting. During this session, successful entrepreneur, Rishi Shah, will walk through the various financing opportunities available, from angel financing and debt/bank financing to accelerators and incubators. In addition, Rishi will review key skills first time founders should master when securing financing – how to build credibility as a first time founder and how to meet prospective investors. 15

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3.4

You’re Not Alone! Key Secrets to Building a GREAT Power Team to Make Your Business Successful! Kimberly Benjamin, HR Strategies Plus LLC

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Moderator: Brittney Thompson, University of Nebraska-Omaha Whether you are building your business, leading a school club, or working in a class project, Kimberly Benjamin will share over 20 years of HR expertise to teach you how you build a team that will be successful! During this session, learn how to develop your leadership skills, key character traits of a successful power team member, key tips in building your power team, secrets to making your team successful, and resources for new CEO’s and first time managers!

3.5

Getting Mobile APPtuit Ray Land, Fabulous Coach Lines / Totuit Mobile Application Architects Jordan Johnson, Totuit Mobile Application Architects TECHNOLOGY SESSION

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Moderator: Lazar Anderson, University of South Florida St. Petersburg This workshop will be an interactive and entertaining narrative on the development process from idea to implementation of mobile applications. In today’s software environment, mobile apps are the family breadwinner. Totuit provides solutions for clients to work on custom development projects across various industries, but the principals to successful mobile apps are universal. Let’s build!

3.6

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How to Find and Work with Clients Evelyn Bandoh, EAB Creative Kara Kurcz, Motiv8 Media / Solas Fashion Lynn Basa, Basa Projects, LLC Matthew Hennessy, VSOP Productions ARTS SESSION, HOSTED BY SEA Moderator: SEA

This discussion will help you to better understand who your potential clients are, where they are, and the message you want to deliver. We will discuss how to research to find clients and how best to bring the message to them. In addition to talking about how to find clients, we'll also discuss how to work with them. Learn how important it is to understand who you are creating for, outline clear objectives, determine the decision maker, maintain relationships, and recognize when a client relationship isn't working.

3.7

Beyond the Classroom: Taking Learning to the Streets Doan Winkel, Illinois State University Michael Issa, Quipu Applications FACULTY DEVELOPMENT SESSION, HOSTED BY USASBE

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Moderator: Becky Gann, USASBE Participants will play the role of students in this experiential session. In this role, experience a condensed version of the course delivered at Illinois State University by Dr. Doan Winkel. As does Dr. Winkel’s course, this workshop will utilize Quipu, co-founded by Michael Issa, which is an entrepreneur education application for mobile and web that permits professors to leverage the prevailing methods of creating an experiential entrepreneurship classroom environments. Participants will engage in the lean startup methodology to go from idea generation to implementation in just over 30 minutes! Experience the cutting edge of entrepreneurship education and leave with a toolkit that your students can utilize in (and outside) your classroom.

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3.8

CEO Elevator Pitch Competition Round 1: Group 5

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3.9

CEO Elevator Pitch Competition Round 1: Group 6

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Chairs: Dr. Timothy Stearns, University of California, Fresno Genelle Taylor, University of California, Fresno Dr. David Pistrui, Digital Dossiers, Inc. / Acumen Dynamics, LLC Group 5 Distinguished Judges Ajay Goel, Jangomail Derek Henze, Toppers Pizza John Lustig, Advanced Medical Certification LLC Paul Spiegelman, The Beryl Companies

3.10

Group 6 Distinguished Judges Chris Stevens, Keurig Daniel Gómez Iñiguez, Solben Erika Jacobi, Northwestern Mutual Karl F. Disque, National Healthcare Provider Solutions LLC

Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA)

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The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) is a catalyst that inspires students and young people to start and grow entrepreneurial ventures. The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards are a program of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO).GSEA operates as an international series of competitions for student entrepreneurs who are attending a recognized high school, college, or university, who own a for-profit business, are principally responsible for its operation and have been generating revenue for a minimum of six consecutive months. The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards at the CEO Annual National Conference is a regional competition that will feed the 2012 GSEA Global Finals. The winner of the CEO Conference Regional competition will attend the Global Finals at the New York Stock Exchange on November 15-16, 2012. Judges for this competition include EO members, media members and sponsors. Each GSEA student competitor will present their business and participate in a question-and-answer session. The winner will then be announced at the Hall of Fame Dinner Keynote.

3.11

CEO Mentor Room: Student Entrepreneurs & Real Estate

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Andrew Forster, Cguros Inc. Dan Stanek, Castle Party Rental Kaitlyn Caraway, 360º Mobility Kenny Nguyen, Big Fish Presentations Matt McCormick, McCormick Real Estate Inc Nick Chmura, BetterBoo.com Where else can you sit down one-on-one with some of the conferences’ amazing entrepreneurs to get their honest advice and guidance on your business, idea or just to help with your emerging quest as an entrepreneur? No matter where your entrepreneurial career is headed, this is the place you need to be! The mentor room is an informal place to network, so come and go or stay as long as you’d like. This session will consist of real estate entrepreneurs and student entrepreneurs who have been there and done what you are going through or looking to do.

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NETWORKING BREAK & VISIT THE EXHIBITS

3:35 PM – 3:50 PM in W190

BRE AKO UT S ES S IO N 4 3:50 PM – 4:40 PM 4.1

Stand for Something: When Profit and Social Impact Unite David Simnick, SoapBox Soaps, LLC

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Moderator: Jake Allee, Colorado Mesa University Are you passionate about making an impact and giving back to a certain cause? David Simnick started SoapBox Soaps with little business experience and no soap making experience. However, with his leadership and passion for a social mission, he helped transform this idea into a for-profit company with a global reach, working with clients like Whole Foods. In this session, learn how you can start your own social entrepreneurship venture, attach a meaningful social mission to your business idea, and assemble the right team to make an impact while being profitable.

4.2

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Speedy Startups Andrew Forster, Cguros Inc. Dan Stanek, Castle Party Rental Kaitlyn Caraway, 360º Mobility Matt McCormick, McCormick Real Estate Inc Moderator: Trent Crane, Brigham Young University

This workshop is a great introduction to giving an efficient and effective elevator pitch. Mentors from the McKelvey Entrepreneurial Scholars group will mentor this process as small teams adapt to a simulated startup and present an elevator pitch to compete for a prize. The beginning of the workshop teaches the fundamentals of an effective elevator pitch, followed by the simulation, and an open discussion with the panel.

4.3

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Turning Presentations into Experiences Kenny Nguyen, Big Fish Presentations Moderator: Molly Johnson, Texas Christian University

Learn how to turn your next presentation into an experience! Using simple techniques that you can implement, Kenny will share how you can combine storytelling, simplistic design, and passion to create an amazing and memorable presentation!

4.4

Choosing the Right People: How to Pick a Business Partner & Employees Jamie Pritscher, That’s Caring / nuphorIQ Erin Walter, nuphorIQ

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Moderator: Kevin Yap, Oklahoma State University Finding the right business partner and employees can add value to your growing enterprise. The wrong people can destroy your vision of wealth before it even starts. In this session, lifelong friends, Jamie and Erin, will share why they choose to work with each other, the importance of finding the right employees and tips on building a cohesive team to help your business flourish.

4.5

Surviving Your First Year in Business: How to Prevent Your Startup From Failing Chris-Tia Donaldson, Thank God I’m Natural (tgin)

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Moderator: Lara Marto, Syracuse University Research shows that many businesses fail in their first year due to inadequate planning. From money mismanagement to miscalculated market potential, plenty of pitfalls can sink a startup before it reaches its full potential. This session will explore the common stumbling blocks entrepreneurs encounter and provide practical advice for how to avoid them. 18

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4.6

Is There An Angel On Your Shoulder? De-Mystifying Angel and Venture Capital Financing Jude Conway, Entrepreneurial Advisors, Inc.

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Moderator: Scott Herren, Iowa State University “Is There an Angel on Your Shoulder” will help you understand the investment process, what angel and venture investors are looking for in a business, whether your company is right for angel or venture investors and whether they are right for you .It will also give you some ideas on how to access the angel and venture network.

4.7

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Founding a Technology Startup Domingo Meneses, CrowdNoize, LLC TECHNOLOGY SESSION Moderator: Matt McGunagle, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Being a "non-technical" founder has its ups and downs. During this session, Domingo will share his experience starting his first technology company and the early stages of recruiting, managing and getting a tech business off the ground without having to write a single line of code.

4.8

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How to Negotiate Contracts and Gigs Dawn Gray, Gray Talent Group Elizabeth Russell, Russell Law Greta Pope, Greta Pope Entertainment, Inc. Philip Brown, Brown Music Studios ARTS SESSION, HOSTED BY SEA Moderator: SEA

Panelists will discuss what is negotiable in a contract, what specifics need to be in a contract, and the basic components of a contract from both the creator of the contract and the signee.

4.9

Creating an Entrepreneurial Team - From Startup to Succession Dan Fink, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Eric Tucker, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Farah Gheith, Louisiana State University / Geaux Guerrilla Kristin Kenney, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Reed Schmidt, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT SESSION

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Chair: Dr. Michael Lehman, Lehigh University The key to creating any successful organization is having a strong leadership team. Learn best practices from top CEO Chapters across the nation in regards to what it takes to develop a leadership team that contains the qualities needed for success. Whether you are starting a club or trying to maintain momentum through leadership succession, this is the session for you!

4.10

Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA)

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4.11

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CEO Mentor Room Daniel Gómez Iñiguez, Solben Jade Simmons, Jade Media Jeff Hoffman, Founder and CEO in the Priceline.com Family of Companies Paul Spiegelman, The Beryl Companies Philip Brown, Brown Music Studios

NETWORKING BREAK & VISIT THE EXHIBITS

4:40 PM – 4:55 PM in W190

FE ATURE D LE G E NDS P ILLAR S E S S IO N 4:55 PM – 5:45 PM

5.1

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Saying Yes To Life Evelyn Echols, Echols Consulting Ltd Moderator: Jamie Lahiere, Texas State University

Evelyn Echols has built her career on a reputation for accomplishing the impossible. After becoming one of the first highly successful female entrepreneurs in the U.S. with her company, International Travel service, she continued to break boundaries. Evelyn was the first woman to join Rotary International. As a 97 year old entrepreneur, Evelyn will share her experiences, thoughts and insight on what it takes to be a revolutionary entrepreneur.

5.2

Entrepreneurial Leadership Kevin Langley, Ellis Construction, Inc. / Former Chairman of EO

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Moderator: Chevon Hines, Georgia State University As a college student, you typically don’t spend time asking yourself the most important questions – how will you use your passions, strengths and resources to create meaning and a life of purpose? In this session, learn how to start establishing a life of purpose as an entrepreneur and leader.

5.3

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The Choices Beyond the Spreadsheets Paul Spiegelman, The Beryl Companies Moderator: Habeebah Mazyck, DePaul University

Paul Spiegelman has created a successful entrepreneurial career around culture and the things that make a company great beyond the bottom line. As a sought-after speaker and author on executive leadership, entrepreneurship, corporate culture, customer relationships and employee engagement, Paul’s company BerylHealth has won 9 “best place to work” awards, including being voted the #2 Best Medium Sized Company to Work for in America. In this session, Paul will show you how culture and communication (and the things not typically talked in your entrepreneurial courses) lead to entrepreneurial excellence.

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5.4

Mindset: Eight Life Lessons From Unlikely Entrepreneurs Gary Schoeniger, The Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative

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Moderator: Jared Cullivan, Bryant University How do entrepreneurs with limited resources manage to succeed? This session provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and implementing an entrepreneurial mindset. Drawing on more than ten years of research and 300 hours of oncamera interviews with successful entrepreneurs, ELI founder Gary Schoeniger offers keen insight and a powerful message that captures the essence of an entrepreneurial mindset and the unlimited opportunities it can provide.

5.5

Always Bet on the Fastest Horse Bill Stringfellow, Genesis, Inc./R-O International

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Moderator: Sara Amiri, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Serial entrepreneur Bill Stringfellow will share his experiences and the benefits of being in business for yourself. Learn how to enjoy life and have time to do what you love, while still working hard in your business. From starting off by going bankrupt because he didn’t know you shouldn’t spend more than you take in, to now having expanded his entrepreneurial interests into horse racing, learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur and keep your sanity at the same time!

5.6

Improvising Your Life: 7+ Tools for Today's Leader Dionna Griffin-Irons, Second City ARTS SESSION, HOSTED BY SEA

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Moderator: Parrish Smith, Syracuse University Improvising your Life, is a creative workshop for student leaders and adults that uses sensory awareness, environment, and risk taking to connect, engage people of multiple backgrounds and disciplines. Using theatre exercises and improvisation as the point of concentration, participants discover their best asset using awareness, spontaneity, collaboration and fun! For more career tips, visit Dionna's blog http://outreachdi.tumblr.com/.

5.7

Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA)

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5.8

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CEO Mentor Room: Legal Office Hours Northwestern Entrepreneurship Law Center Allie Hastings, Brian Hill, Carlos Ramirez, Gabe Altman, Jennifer Yoon, Simon Root, Willow Yang Advisors: Esther Barron & Steve Reed

Where else can you sit down one-on-one with some of the conferences’ amazing entrepreneurs to get their honest advice and guidance on your business, idea or just to help with your emerging quest as an entrepreneur? No matter where your entrepreneurial career is headed, this is the place you need to be! The mentor room is an informal place to network, so come and go or stay as long as you’d like. Join law students from the Northwestern Entrepreneurial Law Center in this mentor session to ask and explore your legal questions or get the legal advice you’ve been looking for.

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HALL O F FAM E DINNE R CE RE MO NY 6:05 PM – 8:30 PM in the South Ballroom – S100 GLOBAL STUDENT ENTREPRNEUR AWARDS Adam Robinson, EO Chicago and GSEA Sub-Committee chair CEO HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY Young Entrepreneur of the Year Mike Evans, GrubHub Lifetime Achievement Award Brian Scudamore, 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

FRIDAY NIG HT P ARTY

9:00 PM – 11:00 PM in the South Ballroom – S100 Party with DJ Rokn Ry for a fun night with CEO students and entrepreneurs! Free to all attendees. Come join us for some music, games, dancing and good times!

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RE G IS TRATIO N 7:30 AM – 12:00 PM in the S100 Foyer

MO RNING KE YNO TE S E SS IO N 8:30 AM – 10:20 AM in the South Ballroom – S100 Emcee: Duane Spires, Extreme Youth Sports, Representing the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour

OPENING REMARKS Gerald E. Hills, Bradley University / Co-Founder of CEO Duane Spires, Extreme Youth Sports, Representing Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour KEYNOTES Lisa Nicole Bell, Inspired Life Media Group Presented by: Stephanie Curtis, Iowa State University

John E. Hughes, John E. Hughes and Co; Fannie May Candies; The Hughes Foundation; Hughes Enterprises Presented by: Harris Roberts, Bryant University

CHAPTER AWARDS PRESENTATION Katie Sowa, Director of Operations of CEO Michael Luchies, National Growth and Programs Manager of CEO

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NETWORKING BREAK & VISIT THE EXHIBITS

10:20 AM – 10:35 AM in W190

BRE AKO UT S ES S IO N 6 10:35 AM – 11:25 AM

6.1

Business Model Generation – A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers Joseph Warren, Brainstorm Weekly LLC

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Moderator: Colbie Bauer, Brigham Young University Startup ventures become successful because of viable business models NOT because of 40-page business plans. The goal of every startup founder is to search for and find a successful business model (repeatable sales model) for their new venture! In this presentation, learn how to identify your niche customer segments, analyze the economic model of your venture, and relate this to your strategic decisions. If you’re building a million-dollar business, you don’t want to miss this!

6.2

Hiring 101 for Entrepreneurs: How to Hire the Right People for your Business Adam Robinson, Hireology

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Moderator: Dan Fink, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Fewer than 10% of all companies follow any sort of pre-defined process for selecting new employees. In this interactive, fastpaced presentation, Hireology CEO and serial entrepreneur Adam Robinson will present his research-based, patent-pending approach to helping entrepreneurial firms hire the right people. You’ll learn why traditional hiring methods measure the wrong things, and how to ensure that your company’s managers know what to look for in that next hire. It’s a must-attend session!

6.3

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Perfecting Your Pitch Angle Bush, Your15Minutes Radio Network Moderator: Abby Blankenship, University of Nebraska-Omaha

Lights, Camera, Action! Just as you wouldn’t go into an investors meeting unprepared neither would you go to a media interview unprepared. Perfecting Your Pitch Preparing for The Interview Seminar™ is an interactive workshop that will prepare you with the interview skills needed to discuss your product/service to various media outlets. Getting the word out about your product or service is important and we want to assist you in being prepared to clearly discuss it to a nationwide audience. Learn tips, tools, and techniques to prepare yourself for the media!

6.4

From Raising Cash to Making Cash John Lustig, Advanced Medical Certification LLC

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Moderator: Hunter O'Brien, Bryant University So you’re looking for funding? Not sure what kind you might need? This session will save you time and help you make more money by giving you secrets to success in raising cash! Learn the realities of outside funding, including common mistakes to avoid. Discover where to look for it, what you need to do, and if you really need it. There are certain lessons that aren’t worth learning the hard way, so learn about this now!

6.5

Franchising: The secret sauce to Big Entrepreneurs! Derek Henze, Toppers Pizza

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Moderator: Brandon Van Asten, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Why franchising? I’m an entrepreneur with my own ideas?! There’s always the question as whether to pay someone else royalties for their idea or to just start your own business with no “fees.” But it always comes down to the value proposition…is it worth the money for the support, guidance, systems, knowledge, and proven business model? There are several things to look for to and take in consideration. Come find out for yourself some of the expectations you should have when considering franchising, how to search and what to look out for. You’ll leave knowing if a franchise is the right entrepreneurial path you. 24

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6.6

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International Trade Part 1: Exporting Al Grossman, Con-Tech Lighting Moderator: Zack Edwards, Elgin Community College

This session is based on experience in founding, building, and finally selling a business. Al will share his insight on how his company made products, assembled or imported them, at his facility in Northbrook, IL.

6.7

Internet Marketing Strategies for the Newly Launched Jeet Banerjee, StatFuse

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Moderator: Chris McNeil, Oklahoma State University Entrepreneurs often face the tough challenge of promoting and marketing a newly launched business. With little to no funding available for marketing, it can be a daunting task to promote a new company. Go in-depth with Jeet Banerjee as he provides some of the most cost-effective strategies for newly launched startups to use in hopes of marketing their business.

6.8

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The Art of Self-Sabotage Pitfalls to Avoid Lynn Basa, Basa Projects, LLC ARTS SESSION, HOSTED BY SEA Moderator: Jenna Warner, Millikin University

Most artists are well-versed in the outside forces arrayed against us, but what are the obstacles we throw in front of ourselves – and that are within our power to remove? Lynn Basa posed this question to hundreds of artists and arts administrators and got back a mind-boggling variety of answers. She will share some of them in a convivial, interactive session where participants will have a chance to respond by adding their own examples of self-sabotage.

6.9

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Marketing 101: Organize and Execute Axel Hawker, Texas Christian University Kelsey McClintick, Texas Christian University Luke Otteson, Texas Christian University CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT SESSION Moderator: Bennett Ng, Woodbury University / CEO Alumni Association

Achieve a “standing room only” event, while still keeping costs low, and do this on a regular basis! Learn from the success of Texas Christian University, an award-winning CEO Chapter and host school of last year’s 2011 National CEO Conference. TCU’s Chapter leaders will share their secrets to success and the systems they use to organize, execute, and repeat! Learn how your club can leverage the resources to have to establish a system as a multiplier of success!

6.10

CEO Elevator Pitch Competition Semi-Final Round

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Chairs: Dr. Timothy Stearns, University of California, Fresno Genelle Taylor, University of California, Fresno Dr. David Pistrui, Digital Dossiers, Inc. / Acumen Dynamics, LLC Distinguished Judges Ash Kumra, DreamItAlive.com Gary Schoeniger, The Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative Kevin Langley, Ellis Construction, Inc. / Former Chairman of EO Lisa Nicole Bell, Inspired Life Media Group Ray Land, Totuit Mobile Application Architects / Fabulous Coach Lines The top six (6) chosen from the Semi-Final Elimination Round will be invited to participate in Saturday’s Final Round session. The top winners of the Final Round will be announced at the conclusion of the conference on Saturday. The competition presents students with a great opportunity to pitch their business venture or idea in an environment that promotes new venture creation and the spirit of entrepreneurship to a panel of judges. The competition gives students a chance to showcase their talent and passion for entrepreneurship. Students will be awarded on the merits of presenting their idea with a chance to win cash prizes. Participants are students with an idea to start a company or who have started a company. Come listen in and then compete next year! 25

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6.11

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CEO Mentor Room: Financing and Pitching Diane Melville, Transfer Bootcamp Jason Lucash, OrigAudio, a division of Forty Four Group LLC John Rood, Next Step Test Preparation Jude Conway, Entrepreneurial Advisors, Inc.

Where else can you sit down one-on-one with some of the conferences’ amazing entrepreneurs to get their honest advice and guidance on your business, idea or just to help with your emerging quest as an entrepreneur? No matter where your entrepreneurial career is headed, this is the place you need to be! The mentor room is an informal place to network, so come and go or stay as long as you’d like. Join these expert entrepreneurs to help you with all of your financing, funding, and pitching questions!

NETWORKING BREAK & VISIT THE EXHIBITS

11:25 AM – 11:40 AM in W190

BRE AKO UT S ES S IO N 7 11:40 AM – 12:30 PM

7.1

"E," What's It All About? Me, Him and You. John E. Hughes, Fannie May Candies; The Hughes Foundation; Hughes Enterprises Gerald E. Hills, Co-Founder of CEO, Bradley University

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Moderator: Michael Hennessy, The Coleman Foundation This session will involve Q&A between the co-founders of CEO, John Hughes and Gerry Hills, practitioner vs faculty! Issues will be identified and then we will open up for Q&A with the audience. Illustrative issues will include: how did CEO evolve in the earliest days; what strategies were used to build credibility and attract a faculty base; how did Mr. Hughes influence the development of CEO over the years; how has the market changed in recent years?

7.2

An idea for turning trash into speakers sparks a multi-million dollar company! Jason Lucash, OrigAudio, a division of Forty Four Group LLC

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Moderator: Jillian Jaccard, Loyola Marymount University Jason Lucash, 28-year old founder of OrigAudio (Time Magazine’s” 50 Best Inventions of the Year” and winner of ABC’s hit startup business show “Shark Tank”) shares the story of his success. This wild ride teaches attendees how to bootstrap a product creation, launch it into mass retail, and achieve success in doing so. Lucash encourages the young leaders of the future to pursue their ideas and dreams in his session, because the future is now.

7.3

Bootstrapped to Profitability in Under 6 Months John Rood, Next Step Test Preparation

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Moderator: Bryson Hill, Brigham Young University - Idaho Learn the secrets to this repeatable system for building a company designed to be profitable in less than 6 months, without VC or angel investment. John used this process to identify a niche and start a company that began operating profitably and generating significant cash flow in its third month! You can take these ideas and start creating a business as soon as you home!

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7.4

You Can Do It: Now Is the Best Time to Become an Entrepreneur Stella Fayman, Entrepreneurs Unpluggd / FeeFighters

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Moderator: Zachary Clarey, Iowa State University Stella Fayman joined an early stage startup 3 months after college. As a founding marketing member, she wore almost every hat as the company grew, went through two fundraising rounds, and was ultimately acquired by Groupon. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll talk about her journey as well as share why she thinks college is the best time to be an entrepreneur.

7.5

"Is your dress just a dress?" Fashion That Builds Economies and Encourages Change Jennifer Moran, GREENOLA Style

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Moderator: Josephine Nguyen, Iowa State University Join founder and CEO, Jen Moran for a look into the world of Revolutionary Fashion. Through lively conversations, you will be given a transparent view into sourcing, design, cause marketing and economy building style. Learn revolutionary, socially minded business thoughts that will help you think differently about your business vision. Having founded her business while studying at DePaul University, Moran will share her challenges and successes as a student entrepreneur and give insight on entrepreneurial life after graduation.

7.6

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International Trade Part 2: Importing Al Grossman, Con-Tech Lighting Moderator: Luis Alejandro Einaudi, University of Texas at El Paso

7.7

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Get the Right People in the Right Seat Jared Sutton, GFG Moderator: Vance Zider, Texas State University

Explore the dynamics of an entrepreneurial partnership and learn from real world examples how you can leverage your strengths and determine what attributes are most critical in other team members to satisfy the roles needed in a new and growing business. You will leave this session with the ability to ask the right questions when starting a business, know how to find the right partners, and know how to work through disagreements!

7.8

An i/entrepreneurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide to designing and evolving business models Bruce Starcher, Starcher Group llc TECHNOLOGY SESSION

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Moderator: Brook Larson, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater This session is intended to provide a short primer on business models for i/entrepreneurs. The goal is to raise awareness of what business models are, the role they play in the success of startup ventures, a getting started guide and guidance on where to find additional information.

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7.9

Faculty Best Practices: Cross-Campus Arts Integration Mixing Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Unique Venture Development FACULTY DEVELOPMENT / ARTS SESSION, HOSTED BY SEA

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Chair: Joe Roberts, Webster University

Presenters Alejandro Excia, School of Architecture of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico Alejandro Mieses, School of Architecture of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico Jorge Ortiz, School of Architecture of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico Jose Caban, School of Architecture of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico Juan Panelli, School of Architecture of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico Natasha Loyola, School of Architecture of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico Norelys Santiago, School of Architecture of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico Students and faculty from the school of Architecture of the Pontifical Catholic University in Puerto Rico showcase the creative methods of innovation together with the entrepreneurial development process that resulted in a unique venture whose products have received the very best of reviews. The presentation highlights the challenges and opportunities of designing, prototyping, fabricating and installing very unique furniture from recyclable corrugated cardboard at the reading room of the featured exhibit of a top art museum. The resulting business opportunities and future plans are also presented. The lessons learned in this process are shared in the session, as they have been of great value for the School of Architecture’s unique approach to infusing entrepreneurship for the benefit of its students’ learning experience.

7.10

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CEO Mentor Room Adam Robinson, Hireology Angel Bush, Your15Minutes Radio Network Greta Pope, Greta Pope Entertainment, Inc. Kimberly Benjamin, HR Strategies Plus LLC Shradha Agarwal, ContextMedia Inc.

HR and Media entrepreneurs in this mentor session to start the conversations that will lead to life-changing relationships.

LUNCHE O N KE Y NO TE S ES S IO N 12:35 PM – 2:10 PM in the South Ballroom – S100 YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR KEYNOTE PANEL Aaron Steed, Meathead Movers, Inc. Desiree Vargas Wrigley, GiveForward.com Jade Simmons, Jade Media Jason Lucash, OrigAudio, a division of Forty Four Group LLC Nancy Nguyen, Sweet T Salon / The Networking Diary CHAPTER AWARDS PRESENTATION Katie Sowa, Director of Operations of CEO Michael Luchies, National Growth and Programs Manager of CEO 28

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NETWORKING BREAK & VISIT THE EXHIBITS

2:10 PM – 2:25 PM in W190

BRE AKO UT S ES S IO N 8 2:25 PM – 3:15 PM 8.1

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From Meatheads to Millionaires! Aaron Steed, Meathead Movers, Inc. Moderator: Fash Fadaei, Oklahoma State University

Find out how two teen-age brothers started from nothing and became millionaires and transformed an industry, and how you can do it, too! Aaron started with a pager, muscles, friends with muscles, and the willingness to work harder than anyone else out there, turning it into a multi-million dollar business. Learn first-hand how to turn your passion into an innovative, successful business that is able to market itself and stay ahead of the competition!

8.2

Massive Cash Flow of Niche Dr. Karl F. Disque, National Healthcare Provider Solutions LLC

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Moderator: Will Allen, Bryant University

8.3

People rarely notice the market opportunity that is usually right in front of them. In this session, learn to identify a niche market that is right for you. Develop a pre-startup checklist to define what is worth your time and learn tips on how to be the executioner you need to be to create a successful startup.

The Path to Networking Success Nancy Nguyen, Sweet T Salon / The Networking Diary

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Moderator: Karina Chavez, Iowa State University Networking allows you to be in a position to win and be in with the decision makers who are making things happen. If you want to master networking success, learn and apply the simple networking secrets reveled in The Networking Diary. Learn their secrets of what successful networks do to get an edge when networking to grow your business!

8.4

I have no special talent, I am only passionately curious. Shradha Agarwal, ContextMedia Inc.

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Moderator: Vanessa Linares, Merced Community College You don’t need a special talent to become a successful entrepreneur, but it does take more than a great idea. To build a successful company you need to create a vision and align that vision with your team. During this session, successful entrepreneur Shradha Agarwal will discuss the three key attributes needed to create this alignment and turn that great idea into a reality – passion, energy and self-awareness.

8.5

W193B

Technology Bootstrapping Diane Melville, Transfer Bootcamp TECHNOLOGY SESSION Moderator: Rayshon Mason, Syracuse University

This session will focus on starting a company with little to no external financing. Diane will discuss creative ways that entrepreneurs can validate their business concepts, attract early customers, and launch their businesses all without ever having to raise capital.

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8.6

S100 Ballroom

Arts Round Tables ARTS DEVELOPMENT SESSION, HOSTED BY SEA

Round Table discussions provide the opportunity for a casual setting where you can participate in an open dialogue on a specific topic. A discussion leader from the specified field will be on hand to help lead the discussion as well as answer questions on the topic. Please look for table cards on the back tables in the ballroom indicating the following discussion areas: Art Management with Greta Pope Building an Audience with Jade Simmons Business Plans with Gary Vaughan and Philip Brown Getting Your Music Heard with Joel Fenelon

8.7

Legal Q & A with Elizabeth Russell Networking with Mike Veny Writing an Artist Statement with Susan Mulder Owning your own Music Business with Matthew Hennessy

Life's a Pitch: Best Practices For Running a Great Competition Ethan Meyer, Managing Director of PitchBurner Joseph Knecht, Chairman of PitchBurner FACULTY DEVELOPMENT SESSION, HOSTED BY USASBE

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Moderator: Becky Gann, USASBE In this session, explore proven best practices and experiences to learn tangible tips and tools for running a great competition, such as proven techniques for effective marketing and promotions, processes to help you manage and grow your event, and how to leverage the latest technology. These creative and actionable ideas will ensure your next quick pitch, business plan, or idea event is a success! Leave with a proven event checklist and best practices that have been utilized by successful competitions worldwide!

8.8

CEO Elevator Pitch Final Competition Round

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Chairs: Dr. Timothy Stearns, University of California, Fresno Genelle Taylor, University of California, Fresno Dr. David Pistrui, Digital Dossiers, Inc. / Acumen Dynamics, LLC Distinguished Judges Chad Folkening, eCorp/Domain Holdings/Global Ventures David Gardner, ColorJar Jason Lucash, OrigAudio, a division of Forty Four Group LLC Jeff Hoffman, Founder and CEO in the Priceline.com Family of Companies Jon Hennessy, The Hughes Foundation Jude Conway, Entrepreneurial Advisors, Inc.

8.9

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CEO Mentor Room The John Marshall Law School Cate Curtis, Denise Sakuta, Kayleigh Thomas, Scott Camp Advisor: Matthew Hug

Where else can you sit down one-on-one with some of the conferences’ amazing entrepreneurs to get their honest advice and guidance on your business, idea or just to help with your emerging quest as an entrepreneur? No matter where your entrepreneurial career is headed, this is the place you need to be! The mentor room is an informal place to network, so come and go or stay as long as you’d like. Join law students from The John Marshall Law School in this mentor session to ask and explore your legal questions or get the legal advice you’ve been looking for!

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BRE AKO UT S ES S IO N 9 3:30 PM – 4:20 PM

9.1

Not an Entrepreneurship Major? The things you’ll need to know when starting your business. Nick Chmura, BetterBoo.com

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Moderator: Daniel Marsh, Brigham Young University Having been a finance major, Nick had to learn a lot of things on the fly and through an associate’s degree from the school of Hard Knocks. In this session, Nick will share his insight and teach you a wide array of things that you may not learn in your classes if you are not an entrepreneurship major…or even if you are!

9.2

Dream Smart” (Finding the right “Dream” to Create) Ash Kmura, DreamItAlive.com

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Moderator: Matthew Weber, Fresno State As entrepreneurs, we dream big and see a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But what exactly are you dreaming about? What tools are you using to live out those dreams? And how are you making it happen now? “Dreaming Smart” is making this all happen while creating your own luck. "Dreaming smart is what I like to call the process of methodically identifying and developing ideas -- so they become profitable, realistic businesses, that manifest what you truly “Dream” and want to see happen. This session will help you learn how to “Dream Smart” and find the desired dream that you truly want to focus on!

9.3

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How to find your Golden Purpose David Gardner, ColorJar Moderator: Steve Hofmann, Texas Christian University

This session will reveal ColorJar’s methodology for crafting a winning positioning strategy. Razor sharp and crisply defined positioning strategy is required for a startup to march in the right direction and to convey value to the world. Once positioning is understood a startup must next articulate its messaging, and then translate it into a digital experience.

9.4

Hiring Your First Employee(s)? – Proven System to Insure Success! Kris Swanson, Flex Execs Management Solutions

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Moderator: Mariah Mueller, Syracuse University Hiring great employees is an art as well as a science. Whether you are hiring your first employee, or your 1,000th, this session will outline a proven process to help you identify the right qualities and skills needed for the successful operation and expansion of your business, to give you the tools to consistently hire the right talent for the right jobs at the right time!

9.5

W193B

Navigating Your Leadership Path Annette Fischer, Northwestern Mutual Moderator: Kembia Munsanje, California University of Pennsylvania

Navigating Your Career Path guides a valuable discussion on building leadership ability. Topics will include what qualities will make you an outstanding leader; choosing a leadership style that fits with your personality and how to lead with purpose.

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9.6

10 Real World Uses of Mobile Technology That Can Amplify Your Business Jonathan Ozeran, RECSOLU TECHNOLOGY SESSION

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Moderator: Connor Pastoor, Loyola Marymount University At some point in your business lifecycle, you’ll likely consider designing and building mobile applications for particular classes of users. In this session, Jonathan Ozeran will highlight key design and technical considerations that should factor into your product development and team-building efforts. He’ll also share a number of tips based on his experiences designing and shipping mobile applications across many industries including manufacturing, energy services, construction, media, professional sports and more.

9.7

Alternative Income Options for Artists Greta Pope, Greta Pope Entertainment, Inc. Mike Veny, Mike Veny, Inc. Susan Mulder, Kendall College of Art and Design ARTS SESSION, HOSTED BY SEA

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Moderator: Joe Roberts, Webster University As an artist, you have a unique gift which you can turn into an alternative income source. This session will take a look at additional ways you can use your art to make money. We'll discuss giving lessons/teaching and how to create relationships with businesses and organizations in your area to get started.

9.8

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CEO Mentor Room Bruce Starcher, Starcher Group llc Gary Vaughan, Lawrence University Joel Fenelon, Muzime, Inc. Joseph Warren, Brainstorm Weekly LLC

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CLO S ING KE YNO TE

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM in the South Ballroom – S100 NATIONAL ELEVATOR PITCH AWARDS Chairs: Dr. Timothy Stearns, University of California, Fresno Genelle Taylor, University of California, Fresno Dr. David Pistrui, Digital Dossiers, Inc. / Acumen Dynamics, LLC KEYNOTE Jeff Hoffman, Founder and CEO in the Priceline.com Family of Companies Presented by: James Zebrowski, University of Tampa

CHAPTER AWARDS PRESENTATION Katie Sowa, Director of Operations of CEO Michael Luchies, National Growth and Programs Manager of CEO CLOSING REMARKS Gerald E. Hills, Bradley University / Co-Founder of CEO Duane Spires, Extreme Youth Sports

Please complete the conference evaluation and return it to CEO Staff before leaving.

SPEAKER BIOS ( A-Z)

S P E AKE R & JUDG E BIO S Alphabetical Order by First Name *Indicates CEO Alum

AARON STEED, Meathead Movers, Inc. Aaron Steed started Meathead Movers at 17 years old with his brother Evan with only a pager and $100.00. As a competitive high school wrestler, he needed to figure out a way to make money while going to school and competing across the county. Aaron turned down a wrestling scholarship to focus on growing Meathead Movers and compete in mixed martial arts competitions. Since 1997, Aaron has grown Meathead Movers to become one of the largest independent moving companies in the USA and has been nationally recognized as an emerging entrepreneur.

ADAM ROBINSON, Hireology Adam Robinson is a noted recruiting industry expert, speaker, and author. He launched his current business, Hireology, (www.Hireology.com) with the mission to help growing companies make better hiring decisions using data. He holds a patent pending proprietary approach to candidate risk analysis. Previously, Adam was the founder and CEO of Illuma, a provider of highvolume recruitment outsourcing programs, and the creator of the Ionix Hiring System, a full suite of interview and assessment tools. From 2000-2004 Adam was Senior Director of Professional Services at Chicago-based Click Commerce, managing a $30M implementation portfolio for this NASDAQ-traded enterprise software provider. Adam is passionate about entrepreneurship and serves on the Board of Directors for Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), where he helped to develop and launch a national program that teaches core business skills to early-stage entrepreneurs. Adam is also on the Board of Advisors for DePaul University’s Coleman Entrepreneurship Center, and an instructor at MIT’s Entrepreneurial Master’s Program. Adam has a BA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received his MBA from DePaul University in Chicago, IL.

AJAY GOEL, JangoMail Ajay Goel is the CEO of JangoMail, a software company that makes a popular email marketing system. He grew up in Dayton, Ohio and graduated with a degree in computer science from Case Western. Ajay started his first company, a web development shop, in 1998. Today Ajay is a resident of Chicago, and when he is not running JangoMail, Ajay enjoys playing tennis, reading, coaching young entrepreneurs, and traveling.

AL GROSSMAN, Con-Tech Lighting Al Grossman spent many years in the electrical/lighting industry. In the last years of his business career he was Co-founder, President and CEO of Con-Tech Lighting, a business manufacturing and importing commercial lighting products sold through wholesalers throughout North America. Earlier, he owned and operated a manufacturer’s sales representation firm, initially started his business career advancing through sales, product development, and general management for Air King Corp, a Chicago based manufacturing firm producing residential and commercial ventilation and lighting products. Al has and continues to be active in the community, serves on various boards, philanthropic organizations and has been a SCORE Counselor. Al is an award recipient of the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame.

ALISON GUTTERNMAN, Jelmar, llc Alison Gutterman is president of Jelmar, LLC, a unique, family-owned cleaning products manufacturer that has been in business for more than 60 years. Passed down through generations of the Gutterman family, Alison became president in 2007. Honored by this, Alison has embraced the idea of women’s leadership and business, involving herself in community organizations dedicated to serving women in business and creating a sense of community around those who lead their respective industries. Alison surrounds herself with other strong women in the business sector, serving as a member of NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners), WIPP (Women Impacting Public Policy), WBENC (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council) and on the Advisory Board of Directors for SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise), member of WPO (Women’s Presidents Organization) and NEW (network of executive women). As much as she is proud of her “day job”, her most important job is raising her two adopted children, Michaela and Eli.

ANDREW FORSTER, Cguros Inc. Andrew Forster is currently working as founder of Cguros Inc., a cloud based software company with headquarters in Raleigh, NC. Cguros, an application built with the concept of information technology greatly improving efficiency with added transparency within the medical industry. He has an extensive background in the real estate industry, and has worked as a contractor (Owner Carolina Renovations), agent (Keller Williams), and investor (Bottom Line Financial) working to build and renovate homes in the popular Raleigh Durham region of North Carolina. 34

SPEAKER BIOS ( A-Z)

ANGLE BUSH, Your15Minutes Radio Network Angle S. Bush serves as the Executive Producer of Your15Minutes Radio Network™, where she has interviewed entrepreneurs, government officials, and thought leaders from across the globe. Her experience traveling extensively throughout the U.S. presenting keynote addresses and workshops at the top colleges and universities coupled with her enthusiasm for entrepreneurs led to the development of Perfecting Your Pitch Preparing for The Interview Seminar™ an interactive workshop designed to equip you with the interview skills needed to discuss your product/service to various media outlets. Angle holds a M.S. Degree in Administration from Central Michigan University and will begin her studies at Harvard University in 2013.

ANNA MARIA VITI-WELCH, The Viti Companies Anna Maria Viti-Welch, President of Guy Viti Insurance Agency, Inc., joined the agency in 1985, which was started by her grandfather and father and has successfully grown and paved the way for the company to offer unparalleled customer service and insurance to their clients. In 2010, she was named a BizOver Honoree as well as a Cystic Fibrosis Great Strides Team Leader. Guy Viti Insurance was recognized by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) with the Corporate Partner of the Year award in 2007, 2008, and 2010 and was also one of the four finalists for the 2009 Illinois Family Business of the Year award. In 2009, Guy Viti Insurance was also named the number one agency for Society Insurance Company, after being ranked in the top ten the previous year. Among these prestigious awards, Guy Viti Insurance is certified by the Green Business League and has recently been certified as Workers’ Compensation Specialists. Anna Maria has extensive experience the restaurant and night club industry with special attention to the three stages of building a restaurant; from lease, to remodel, to opening the doors.

ANNETTE FISCHER, Program Manager, Northwestern Mutual Annette Fischer is a Program Manager with Northwestern Mutual. In this role, she manages multiple leadership development programs designed to build and enhance critical leadership skills. Additionally, Annette manages key projects impacting the company’s recruiting initiatives and the nationally recognized internship program. Annette began her career with Northwestern Mutual in 1990 and has held various positions throughout the company. Annette is a graduate from Carroll University in Wisconsin with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Journalism.

ASH KUMRA, DreamItAlive.com Ash Kumra is an award winning entrepreneur and public speaker recently recognized by the White House as one of the top 100 young entrepreneurs making an impact for America. Ash is currently co-founder of DreamItAlive.com, an online community dedicated to guiding people to create, believe and live out their dreams using virtual dream boards. Please visit AshKumra.com to receive free daily entrepreneurship advice and information on his upcoming “Entrepreneurship” book.

BILL STRINGFELLOW, Genesis, Inc. / R-O International Bill Stringfellow started in business when he was twenty-five and has been a serial entrepreneur for over thirty years. He is the founder and CEO Genesis, Inc, a precision sheet-metal-forming and fabrication business, which is now actively run by his sons. He also started R-O International, a leader in coin-operated vending machinery. Bill also runs Shamrock Hill Farm, a race horsing stable. He is a founding member of UIC's Family Business Council.

BRIAN SCUDAMORE, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Brian Scudamore is the Founder & CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?. He is an entrepreneur recognized for his passion, vision, and faith in people. Brian is widely known as the pioneer of the professional junk removal industry in North America. Brian started his business in Vancouver, Canada at the age of 18, and later went on to franchise 1-800-GOT-JUNK? as a way to expand operations. Today, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? has1000 trucks on the road throughout some 180 locations in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Brian has received wide recognition in the media and business community. 1-800-GOT-JUNK? has celebrated appearances on Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers, Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, CNN, ABC Nightline, Good Morning America, the Today Show, George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, The View; and Brian was a guest on the Oprah show in 2003. His story has been told in Fortune Magazine, Business Week, New York Times, Huffington Post, and Wall Street Journal, to name a few. 1-800GOT-JUNK? is currently the starring junk removal attraction on the hit A&E reality show, Hoarders. Other television appearances include Canada Sings and Undercover Boss. In 2004, Brian was inducted into the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) and served as a board member for the Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization (YEO). In 2007, Brian was honored to have been named the International Franchise Association’s Entrepreneur of the Year. Other accolades include Fortune Small Business’ Best Bosses Award, Globe & Mail’s Top 40 under 40, and a three-time winner of a prestigious “Best Company To Work For” award. As a public speaker, Brian has brought his entrepreneurial success story to many conference stages, including the Fortune Small Business Magazine’s national conference. A strong believer in personal and professional development, Brian graduated from MIT's four-year Birthing of Giants program. He is also a participant in a nine-year executive education program at Harvard University through YPO Presidents’ University. 35

SPEAKER BIOS ( A-Z)

BRUCE STARCHER, Starcher Group llc Bruce Starcher is a creative problem solver with 25 years of experience in the technology sector working with senior managers across a broad set of business issues. Over the past 10 years, he has developed an expertise in Business Model Innovation and worked across a number of industries. Bruce has identified a cumulative $2.5B of value in projects ranging from $1M to $1B covering start-ups to mature businesses. He is currently Managing Director at Starcher Group llc, a consultancy specializing in business model innovation and using business model thinking to solve critical business issues.

CHAD FOLKENING, eCorp / Domain Holdings / Global Ventures Chad Folkening is founder of Global Ventures, a world leading premium domain asset holding and development company. Investments include Mergers.com, Domain Holdings, Referrals.com and many others. Born in Indiana, at age 14 Chad founded Student Services, Inc.(SSI) a home services management company. In 1995, he sold SSI and developed and managed Aberrations, a successful art/cafe in Charleston, SC. After selling the company a year later, Chad began his next venture in 1996 called eCorp that focused on Internet Real Estate, Technology and Applications. Selling a majority stake in 2011, Chad now runs Global Ventures and its 17,000 premium domain assets out of its 26,000 ft. extreme home office, Kesslermansion.com. Chad attended Butler University and Ball State University.

CHRIS STEVENS, Keurig Chris Stevens is one the original four team members to develop and launch the Keurig Premium Coffee System in 1998. Chris is responsible for all aspects of Keurig’s Corporate Responsibility initiatives as part of GMCR’s commitment to donate at least 5% of its pre-tax profits to environmental and social causes. Joining the co-founders in 1996, Chris developed the Keurig brand, sales, distribution and marketing strategies for the Company. He brought to Keurig more than 20 years of experience in consumer goods sales and marketing as well as general management from consumer companies such as Procter & Gamble and Anheuser-Busch. Chris received his BS from Notre Dame, where he has also taught in the Mendoza College of Business. Chris has been an angel investor in several start-ups, has done acting, broadcasting and voice-over work and is the executive producer of the movie “Three Days” set for Fall, 2012 release. Chris is also the author of "Fighting to Give" a book he selfpublished last year about an ND classmate who died after a courageous battle against ALS. 100% of the proceeds go to research for Lou Gehrig's Disease with the goal of raising $1 million. The book is on amazon.com. Chris is a father of five and lives in the Boston area where Keurig started and still maintains its corporate offices.

CHRIS-TIA DONALDSON, Thank God I’m Natural (tgin) Chris-Tia Donaldson, by day, provides legal advice to executives at one of the world's largest Fortune 100 companies, and by night, the Harvard educated lawyer is inspiring women from Chicago to South Africa to adopt healthier greener lifestyles through tgin, her all natural line of products for the hair, body and home. Chris-Tia has appeared on ABCNews, FoxNews and WGNNews for her thoughts on African American women, beauty issues, and healthy living. From green smoothies to sulfatefree shampoos, Chris-Tia’s mission is to show Americans that eating healthy, exercising, and living well doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Follow Chris-Tia on Twitter @tginatural.

DAN ARRIOLA, iD Commerce & Logistics / Inktel Dan Arriola is the Co-Founder of Inktel & iD Commerce & Logistics. His firms provide business processing outsourcing for Fortune 500 companies and Government agencies with offices in Chicago, Miami, & Ft Lauderdale. Mr. Arriola’s firms have consistently been awarded “Best Places To Work” in Illinois & Florida. He is a graduate of Xavier University and a past recipient of a Johnson & Johnson scholarship to attend Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management’s NMSDC Advanced Management Education Program. He is a 2010 graduate of the “Owner/President Management” Program at Harvard Business School. Dan is actively involved in the Chicago community as a member of the Chicago chapter of Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO), where he serves as a mentor in the EO Accelerator Program, coaching first-stage entrepreneurs. In addition, Dan is a board member of X-Labs, a business competition at his alma mater Xavier University Williams College of Business; where he identifies, coaches, and develops entrepreneurs who have the most aspiring ideas.

DAN HEUERTZ, Food & Beverage Partners Dan Heuertz is the President and CEO of Food & Beverage Partners. With over 27 years of hands on management experience in the hospitality industry ranging from boutique restaurants to live music venues, Dan has developed, consulted, and managed over 100 restaurant operations. He was the President and primary driver of PRMG Clubs from its inception in 2008, growing it from a single club to over 60 clubs in 13 states. Dan is a member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO).

SPEAKER BIOS ( A-Z)

DAN STANEK, Castle Party Rental Dan Stanek has been an entrepreneur ever since he can remember. His early ventures consisted of selling fruits/vegetables from his family's garden door to door, running a lemonade stand, selling sea shells gathered on family vacation, etc. His latest venture is Castle Party Rental, which began during his sophomore year of high school. Dan was awarded the McKelvey Scholarship in 2009 which helped him to get into and pay for school at the University of Chicago where he is currently a 4th year studying political science and planning to attend grad school at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

DANIEL GOMEZ INIGUEZ, Solben Daniel Gómez Iñiguez is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of SOLBEN, a multi-million dollar company manufacturer of biodiesel and alternative energy solutions. In addition to being an undergraduate student at Monterrey Institute of Technology, majoring in Chemical Engineering and minoring in Industrial Engineering, Daniel also helped to found Mexico's first renewable energy cluster that is home to a number of alternative energy projects and companies. Daniel placed 2nd in the 2010 Global Student Entrepreneur Awards, and he has received many other recognitions, including, being awarded at the New York Stock Exchange as the most innovative out of the top 50 student created companies and named to Inc. Magazine’s 2011 30 Under 30 list.

DAVID GARDNER, ColorJar David Gardner is the co-founder of ColorJar, an agency of strategists, designers, and technology developers who produce select projects they fall in love with. In 2011, David was honored at the White House winning the Empact100 as one of the “Top 100 entrepreneurs under 30 in the US.” He’s a member of the Young Entrepreneurs Council (YEC) and is a mentor at Excelerate Labs. He co-founded his first startup as a student at Dartmouth College, received a partnership offer from AOL for his startup in India, and was an All Ivy League basketball player who played professionally in Germany.

DAVID SIMNICK, SoapBox Soaps, LLC David Simnick is a social entrepreneur and co-founder of SoapBox Soaps. As an Eagle Scout, Dave’s dream was to found for-profit companies with a social mission at their core. Since then, he has worked as a consultant to USAID, the U.S. Army, Michelle Rhee, the U.S. Senate, and was a Teach for America educator in Northern Philadelphia. He founded SoapBox Soaps, a company whose mission is to donate bars of aid soap for every bar sold, stopping global epidemics in their tracks. Dave has a house full of notebooks; he doesn’t like to let ideas get away from him! He’s worked on various sides of the startup industry: helping companies expand, getting the ball rolling with funding and publicity, making connections, and putting ideas together from the ground up.

DAWN GRAY, Gray Talent Group Dawn Gray has been a talent agent for the past ten years, placing actors in such high visibility films and television shows as Contagion, Boss, The Chicago Code, and Shameless as well as in national commercials and Broadway shows. Prior to that she produced the film, Stray Dogs, which is available on Netflix. Dawn previously ran a successful business, MOMents Inc, which provided support to working mothers and also has extensive experience in public relations and marketing. A proud graduate of Northwestern University, and a former child actor, Dawn is delighted to pursue her passion of helping actors find success in this wonderful, wacky business.

DEREK HENZE*, Toppers Pizza Derek Henze, 30, is a franchisee with Toppers Pizza. He is the developing area Franchisee for all the stores in Minneapolis, MN market, expecting to open his third restaurant in January 2013. Derek served in the US Army for eight years as a Field Artillery Specialist and Army Paralegal, serving one tour in Iraq from 2003-2004. He is a college graduate from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater double majoring in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. While in college, he worked full time for the past 5 years at Toppers Pizza corporate office, headquartered in Whitewater, WI, as their national marketing coordinator and spent a couple years as their franchise development representative. He is also a participant in the International Franchise Associations VetFran program. He has started several non-profit businesses while in college and was the founding president of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater CEO Chapter.

DESIREE VARGAS WRIGLEY, GiveForward.com Desiree Vargas Wrigley, CEO and Co-Founder of GiveForward, graduated from Yale University in 2004. Prior to founding GiveForward in 2008 with co-founder Ethan Austin, she worked as a specialist in collegiate entrepreneurship at the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City and as an independent consultant for Arabella Philanthropic Investment Advisors. She is passionate about philanthropy and the role that small-scale donors can have on our communities. When not working, she spends time with her amazing family and inventing recipes that don’t always work.

SPEAKER BIOS ( A-Z)

DIANE MELVILLE, Transfer Bootcamp Diane Melville is an experienced education professional and entrepreneur. She’s spent years advocating for college financial aid reform and has years of experience as a private financial aid consultant. As an entrepreneur, Diane has focused on solving student-facing needs in education. Her first company, ScholarPRO, is an online common application for scholarships. ScholarPRO was a member of Chicago’s very own Excelerate Labs inaugural class of 2010. Diane is the author of the upcoming book “A Guide to Community College” which ties into her latest venture in the community college guidance market. Her newest venture, Transfer Bootcamp, provides an online guidance program designed specifically for community college transfer students.

DIANNE WELSH, University of North Carolina Greensboro Dianne H.B. Welsh is the architect of the entrepreneurship program at The University of North Carolina-Greensboro, including the cross-disciplinary Entrepreneurship program with 40 courses in 20 departments that has won major international awards. Dianne is the Hayes Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and is President of Family First International, Inc. She founded two successful SEA Conferences in Tampa, Florida and Greensboro, North Carolina.

DIONNA GRIFFIN-IRONS, Second City Dionna Griffin-Irons is a Second City Detroit alumnus. In her 10+ years working with the legendary Second City, she has performed with Improv All Stars, Theatre on the Lake, Chicago resident stages and produced numerous shows for the company's corporate division. Her Outreach and Diversity work has taken her abroad to Norway and Latvia where she collaborated with the United States Embassy to teach workshops in the region. Her background includes stage performance, talent identification, teaching and producing. Read her blog www.tumblr.com/blog/outreachdi for career tips and fun ways to improvise your life!

DOMINGO MENESES, CrowdNoize, LLC Domingo Meneses is a recent graduate of DePaul University’s Entrepreneurship and Management Information System programs. Domingo has a background in sport and entertainment management, event production, brand marketing, team development, sponsorships, and change management. Domingo is currently the Co-Founder of CrowdNoize, LLC, a music technology startup that focuses on live music discovery and digital commerce, which is his second entertainment venture.

DUANE ABEL, Corkey Comics Publishing Duane Abel is the cartoonist of the comic strip series ZED and because of the four key fundamentals, was able to become the youngest syndicated cartoonist in the world at age 15. Harnessing the power of those four words also allowed him to accept a full tuition scholarship to the University of Akron and sign his first book deal...on the SAME day! He has since gone on to form CORKEY COMICS PUBLISHING which distributes ZED to weekly newspapers and publishes annual book collections. He is also a popular speaker at schools nationwide where he not only inspires and motivates, he also gets to do the two things that always got him into trouble when he was in school - talk too much and draw cartoons!

DUANE SPIRES, Extreme Youth Sports Inc. Duane Spires is a national motivational speaker, business coach, and the CEO of Extreme Youth Sports Inc. Duane is the recipient of the 2011 Empact 100 award, where he was invited to speak at the White House in front of members of Congress and other important decision makers about the importance of teaching entrepreneurship to young adults. Duane started his first company, Extreme Youth Sports Inc., when he was 19 years old while attending the University of South Florida and it currently generates over one million dollars per year from its youth sports summer camps and after school programs.

ELAINE LUTHER, Studio 925 / All Things Metal Clay Elaine Luther is an artist who has worked with metal since 1990 and with paper, glue and contact paper since she can remember. After 20 years of making jewelry, her newest passion is mixed media painting. In her paintings she uses image transfer, metal photographs, images she hunts down and thrift store finds. She has taught since 1992 at a number of art centers including Lillstreet Art Center and the Indianapolis Art Center. Her sculptures have been exhibited at those art centers and Gallery I/O in New Orleans and Womanmade Gallery in Chicago.

ELIZABETH RUSSELL, Russell Law Elizabeth Russell's company Russell Law represents individuals and businesses in the arts and entertainment industry. Her clients have included national music, art and design foundations, museums, authors, visual artists, filmmakers, musicians and dramatists. She holds an undergraduate degree in music, has professional experience as an arts administrator, and is remarkably fluent in plain English. 38

SPEAKER BIOS ( A-Z)

ERIKA JACOBI, Program Consultant, Northwestern Mutual Erika is a Program Consultant at Northwestern Mutual. She has lead different project and program initiatives that impact the growth of the company within Leadership Development, Recruiting and Retention and College Marketing. Erika began her career with Northwestern Mutual in 2000, and has held various positions throughout the company. Erika is a graduate from Alverno College with a bachelor’s degree in International Business. She lives in Milwaukee with her husband Brian and enjoys traveling, hiking, kayaking and cooking.

ERIN WALTER, nuphorIQ Erin Walter has a lot of notches on her belt, often to the surprise of many who are unfamiliar with the incredible work ethic and determination that has found her success at a relatively young age. Erin is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of nuphorIQ, a small business marketing company that chooses to remain small in stature but giant in talent, ability, and potential. In further affirmation to her credibility, Erin graduated from DePaul University with a Bachelor’s in Management and Marketing and an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Marketing Planning and Strategy. She played two seasons in the Women’s Professional Soccer league for the St. Louis Athletica, while simultaneously maintaining her position as Director of Marketing for Tasty Catering.

EVELYN BANDOH, EAB Creative Evelyn Bandoh is an SBA award winning writer, speaker, trainer, creative business coach and founder of her second business EAB Creative Planning Services. She uses her real world skills in financial and business planning along with her intuitive talents to help artist, crafters, creative professionals and anyone searching for life satisfaction, to embrace their inner entrepreneur, find their clear and creative genius and build successful creative enterprises. Evelyn writes the blogs Fiscally Fit Fashionista and Artist as Entrepreneur and makes healing jewelry. Evelyn’s newest venture is a digital and print media publishing company focusing on content to empower, inspire and motivate people to use entrepreneurial and financial freedom tools to live and lead satisfied lives. Learn more at http://eabplannng.com.

EVELYN ECHOLS, Echols Consulting Ltd Evelyn Echols became one of the first highly successful women entrepreneurs in the United States when she established International Travel Service. This was a commercial agency that within a year had already attracted several major accounts, including Pepsi-Cola, NBC, RCA, and Westinghouse. She sold the agency and established Echols International Travel and Hotel School, which became known as the best travel school in the United States operating in Chicago, Washington DC, Los Angeles and San Francisco with about 40,000 graduates. In the 1990s, both the New York Business Owners and Chicago Business Owners named Evelyn Entrepreneur of the Year. She is a member of the CEO Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, and has received awards from many foreign countries for her work in creating good will among nations through the medium of travel. In addition to having served on the boards of several organizations and having hosted a TV series, she wrote a book titled “They Said I Couldn’t Do It, But I Did.” She was the country's first woman to join Rotary International. At the age of 97, Evelyn is still going strong and has built her career on a reputation for accomplishing the impossible.

FRANK KLESITZ*, Vyral Marketing Frank Klesitz is a 27 year old founder of Vyral Marketing, a social media and video marketing start up. Named 40 under 40 and Top 100 Entrepreneurs Under 30, Frank is a marketing and sales specialist to starting service-based companies without any financing, and without an idea. Vyral Marketing is projected to surpass $1 million in revenues by 2013, started from scratch in 2009 without any financing or insider connections.

GARY SCHOENIGER, The Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative Gary Schoeniger, is an author and entrepreneur who has emerged as a nationally recognized thought leader in the field of entrepreneurship education. He is the co-author and chief architect of the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program, a powerful and dynamic learning program that is redefining entrepreneurship education in classrooms and communities throughout the US and beyond. Sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program has been widely embraced by educators and entrepreneurs featured on CNN Money, NPR, Inc. Magazine and the Huffington Post.

GARY VAUGHAN, Lawrence University Gary Vaughan has a passion for helping business owners through his consulting firm where he specializes in financial sustainability and growth. He currently serves on several civic committees and nonprofit boards. He has also been a judge for the Wisconsin Governor's Business Plan Contest for the past several years. Vaughan is a lecturer of economics/entrepreneurship at Lawrence University.

SPEAKER BIOS ( A-Z)

GERALD E. HILLS, Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization / Bradley University Dr. Gerald Hills is a co-founder of CEO and is a pioneer in the development of the entrepreneurship discipline. He holds the endowed Turner Chair in Entrepreneurship at Bradley University. Prior to Bradley, he developed an entrepreneurship program at University of Illinois at Chicago. He has written and edited more than 100 entrepreneurship articles and 25 books, was the co-founder and first president of the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship and president of the International Council for Small Business. He chaired an advisory board of the U.S. SBA under President Reagan, and advanced entrepreneurship in Poland through a congressional commission project. Dr. Hills earned his bachelor’s degree from Rochester Institute of Technology and his master’s and doctorate from Indiana University.

GRETA POPE, Greta Pope Entertainment, Inc. Greta Pope is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed entertainer. She has delighted audiences throughout Europe, the Far East, South America and the Caribbean, as well as the U.S. and Canada. Pope has been touted as one of the great voices of our time; she performs with ease all styles, from country to opera, and from rhythm and blues to Broadway. She has shared the stage with such well-known performers as Wynonna Judd, Dick Van Dyke, Stanley Clarke, Ramsey Lewis, Rich Little, Penn & Teller and many others. Her voice is featured on commercials and voice-overs, including those for McDonald's, Whirlpool, Allstate, Lexus, Estee Lauder and others.

HENRY GIVRAY, SmithBucklin Henry Givray is President, CEO and Chairman of SmithBucklin, the world’s largest association management and professional services company. Since Henry joined SmithBucklin as its CEO in August 2002, the company has shattered every performance record in its history. This includes growth, client retention, new-client acquisition, employee satisfaction and financial performance. Henry has authored numerous articles on leadership, several of which have been published in BusinessWeek and Crain’s Chicago Business. In addition, Henry’s thoughts on leadership and building strong organizational cultures are featured in several books, including the aforementioned “Results Rule!” and “On My Honor, I Will: The Blueprint for IntegrityDriven Leadership,” both by Randy G. Pennington, and many more! Henry is also among 25 leaders featured in Dr. Susan Smith Kuczmarski and Thomas D. Kuczmarski’s book “Apples are Square – Thinking Differently About Leadership,” which reveals characteristics of the ideal 21st century leader.

JACK DEBOER, Chairman of Consolidated Holdings, Inc. Jack DeBoer’s career started in Kalamazoo, Michigan, when he began selling real estate during the summers while in high school. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in business in 1952, and following two years as a military police officer during the Korean War, he teamed up with his father to build homes in southern Michigan. By 1966, he was building apartments. By 1973, his company had built more than 16,000 apartments in 30 cities across 25 states. So impressive was this accomplishment that National Real Estate Investor magazine recognized DeBoer as the “second-largest multi-family developer in the United States.” But it is the concept of the “extended-stay hotel” and the creation of three iconic hotel brands that is DeBoer’s biggest contribution to the hospitality industry, as he is recognized as the pioneer of the extended-stay and allsuite hotel concepts. He designed and built the first Residence Inn, an all-suite hotel, in downtown Wichita, Kansas, in 1975, and built or franchised 100 more properties before selling it to Marriott Corporation in 1987. In 1988, he co-founded Summerfield Hotel Corporation, a second-generation upscale all-suite hotel chain, which was sold to Hyatt. In 1995, he founded the Candlewood Hotel Company, which was purchased by InterContinental Hotels Group in December 2003. In June 2002, DeBoer created Value Place, a short-term apartment concept that continues to expand with more than 177 locations. He also developed the Grand Champions Club, a world-class tennis facility and health club in Aspen, Colorado, where Maroon Creek Golf Course and residential lots were later added. Today, DeBoer serves as Hix Corporation’s chairman of the board. He also serves as chairman of Consolidated Holdings, Inc., which he founded in 1989. In addition to his many successful business ventures, DeBoer’s contributions outside of his business interests have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Wichita Area Chamber of Commerce’s highest honor—The Uncommon Citizen Award—in 1992; induction into the Wichita Business Hall of Fame in 1997; UCLA’s hotel industry Lifetime Achievement Award in January 2001; and Michigan State University’s Distinguished Alumni Award in October 2001, to name a few. Jack DeBoer is an active pilot and currently holds the 3 kilometer world speed record for jet aircraft under 18,000 pounds. In 1988, DeBoer and his wife, Marilyn, completed a 4 month trip around the world, and as a result of his experiences he authored a book titled Risk Only Money to benefit World Vision-Burma.

SPEAKER BIOS ( A-Z)

JADE SIMMONS, Jade Media Jade Simmons is easily one of the most exciting and versatile artists on the scene today. Demonstrating an uncommon display of passion and innovation at every turn, she been called a musical force of nature by Yamaha. From the White House to the Miss America stage, to hosting the webcasts of both the Cliburn and Tchaikovsky competitions, Jade has carved out an impossibly diverse career as a self-managed artist that includes performances with orchestra, solo recitals, and artist residencies at prestigious universities. She also provides career building assistance to emerging artists via an online platform called Emerge Already! and has released the Ultimate Guide to Career Building for Emerging Artists. Jade is the founder of the Impulse Artist Series (501c3) which provides performance opportunities and career building assistance to emerging musicians and most recently Superwoman Records, a label devoted to “adventurous music by adventurous women.” Fall 2012 featured her in a September release called Playing with Fire, a release party at the Apple store in Soho and featured in the October issue of Essence garnering an Icon Award alongside Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas. A resident of Houston, Jade was named Best Arts Ambassador by the Houston Press.

JAMIE PRITSCHER, That’s Caring / nuphorIQ Jamie Pritscher holds several prestigious positions in a variety of local Chicago companies, including Director of Communications at Tasty Catering, Co-Founder and CEO of online eco-friendly gift company That’s Caring, and Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer of creative marketing agency nuphorIQ. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications with minors in Psychology and Visual Communication from Illinois State University, as well as a Master’s in Integrated Marketing Communication from Roosevelt University. Jamie been presented with national awards for her green and leadership efforts, including holding a place as a finalist in 2010 in the “30 Under 30 for Sustainability,” and the “Top 100 Under 50 Emerging Leaders” by Diversity MBA magazine in 2011.

JARED SUTTON, GFG Jared Sutton has created and nurtured successful business relationships since being involved with founding an internet company in the mid-90s and its subsequent sale in early 2001. He has since leveraged that experience in other lucrative business ventures within the areas of internet-based startups and financial risk management. His background in finance and computer science provides unique perspective for understanding both the feasibility and implementation of projects with enough depth to ask the right questions and design optimized solutions.

JASON LUCASH, OrigAudio, a division of Forty Four Group LLC Jason Lucash is an inventor and entrepreneur most notably known for founding Origaudio. His first product called “Fold n’ Play,” are foldable speakers made from recycled materials and require zero external power, making the product eco-friendly; these speakers landed Lucash a spot on Time Magazine's prestigious "Top 50 Inventions of 2009" list. Lucash was featured in second and third seasons of ABC's show Shark Tank, where he received an investment from billionaire Robert Herjavec. In 2012, Lucash was named to the OC Metro magazine 40 under 40 list for being one of the most innovative people in Orange County.

JEET BANERJEE, StatFuse Jeet Banerjee is a 19 year old serial entrepreneur and college student who loves to help others on their entrepreneurial journey. He created his first company at the age of 17 and went on to sell the company two years later. Driven by his love for entrepreneurship, he is currently the co-founder of StatFuse, a free web application to help high school students transition into college, which received more than 12,000 users without a dollar put into marketing within a few weeks of launching. Jeet is also the founder of Vintelli and is extremely close to launching a third startup.

JEFF HOFFMAN, Founder and CEO in the Priceline.com Family of Companies Jeff Hoffman is an internationally renowned entrepreneur, mentor, and speaker. As a serial entrepreneur in the internet, technology, and entertainment industries, Jeff is well-known as founder and CEO in the Priceline.com family of companies. His entrepreneurial experience of founding, co-founding and being CEO spans numerous start-ups and larger companies, having led his companies through acquisitions and public offerings (Priceline.com, uBid.com, CTI, and others). In 2010, Jeff was inducted into the CEO Hall of Fame for his Lifetime Achievement in entrepreneurship. Currently, Jeff is a partner and cofounder in RightTurn.com, a new e-commerce company launching in 2012. Jeff is also a co-founder and partner at ColorJar, the idea accelerator that helps entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses. Jeff has also produced feature films (Cabin Fever), hosted music concerts and tours (Elton John, Boyz II Men, etc.), and sponsored charity events (NSYNC, Evander Holyfield, etc.), and serves on boards of businesses and non-profits in the US, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

SPEAKER BIOS ( A-Z)

JENNIFER MORAN, GREENOLA Style Jennifer Moran is a social entrepreneur and Founder/CEO of the Chicago-based, revolutionary fashion brand GREENOLA Style (www.greenolastyle.com). Founded in 2009, GREENOLA Style has been recognized in Crain's Chicago Business Week, DePaul Alumni Publications, The Stoneyfield Entrepreneurship Institute, and will be hosting a Lab for Chicago Ideas Week 2012. Working directly with 55 women entrepreneurs, Moran's designs are ethically made in Bolivia using environmentally friendly practices. Competing in a mainstream fashion market, the GREENOLA Style line is sold in over 180 boutiques nationwide, online, and at their store in the Andersonville, Chicago community.

JOEL FENELON, Muzime, Inc. Joel Fenelon is the founder and CEO of Muzime, Inc. He has a Master Degree in Music Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Bachelor Degree in Music Performance with a minor in Business Management from the University of Tampa. Joel is an accomplished orchestral conductor, tube player, and businessman.

JOHN E. HUGHES John E. Hughes and Co; Fannie May Candies; The Hughes Foundation; Hughes Enterprises Age 85 (Born February 27, 1927) Non-Traditional Academic Path, 1947 – 2003 G.E.D. (Hyde Park High School, Chicago); Qualified Parachutist (The Parachute School, U.S. Army, Ft. Benning, GA); NonCommissioned Officers School (Ft. Benning, GA); Accounting Diploma (LaSalle Extension University); Undergraduate School (Wilson Jr. College, now Kennedy King Community College, and Northwestern University, Chicago); CPA Certificate (University of Illinois); University of Hard Knocks – Success without an Undergrad Degree (Alderson-Broaddus College, W. VA); Doctor of Humane Letters – 2003 (DePaul University, Chicago, IL) Career History, 1938 – 2010 Self-Employed/Independent Contractor – Scrap collection sales; Yard and sidewalk maintenance service; Newspaper carrier; C.P.A. firms; Retailing; Manufacturing; Livestock; Private Clubs; Independent Professional Baseball; Fine Arts and Sports Memorabilia Collector; CEO and CFO; Educator; Financial Management Services; Corporate Director; Trustee; Private Charitable Foundations and Philanthropist Significant Awards, 1988 – 2012 First Annual Outstanding Alumnus, City Colleges of Chicago – 1988; National Best Supporter of Entrepreneurship, Inc. Magazine – 1991; National Retail Entrepreneur of the Year, Retail Executive Magazine – 1991; Distinguished Management Service, DePaul University, Chicago – 1991; Lifetime Achievement in Entrepreneurship, DePaul University, Chicago – 2007; Lifetime Achievement, University of Illinois/Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame – 1994; University of Illinois at Chicago, Collegiate Entrepreneurship Organization Hall of Fame - 2003; Outstanding Supporter of Entrepreneurship Education, USASBE – 2003; Lifetime Achievement in Entrepreneurship, Beloit College – 2008; Chartered Global Management Accountant designation - 2012 Military (Volunteer Draftee), 1945 – 1946 U.S. Army Parachute Wings, 1945; U.S. Army Honorable Discharge, 1946; Good Conduct Medal; American Campaign Medal WW II; Victory Medal WW II; Cold War Victory Medal; Airborne and Air Assault Medal; Meritorious Unit Citation – 82nd Airborne Division; Presidential Unit Citation – 504th P.I.R.; Special Forces; Marksman Award; Letter from the White House, Harry S. Truman (President) recognition of WW II Military Service. Personal to Present John and Jeanne Hughes have been married for 64 years. He has a daughter, son-in-law, two grandsons, a granddaughter-inlaw, and a great-grandson.

JOHN LUSTIG, Advanced Medical Certification LLC John Lustig is a serial entrepreneur whose professional history spans developing new enzyme technology for biofuels, to continuing medical education programs for health care professionals. As one of 9 kids raised on a teacher salary, John has been an entrepreneur since birth starting to sell vegetables at the age of 4. At the age of 19, he dropped out of Purdue with a 3.8 GPA and 3 majors for a VC offer and to start his first company. Now at 23, John has left VC and is on his second multimillion dollar start-up in the last 12 months.

JOHN ROOD, Next Step Test Preparation John Rood is the Founder of Next Step Test Preparation. Next Step provides one-on-one tutoring and admissions consulting services for students and professional headed to graduate school. Founded in 2009, Next Step employs 50 part-time instructors and operates in 15 regional markets as well as online. Before founding Next Step, Mr. Rood was an innovation and new product development consultant for three years in Chicago. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago and Michigan State University. 42

SPEAKER BIOS ( A-Z)

JON HENNESSY, The Hughes Foundation / VSOPProductions Jon Hennessy is the Director of the Hughes Foundation. The Hughes Foundation supports education with a focus on entrepreneurship, cancer care, and Chicago community support. Jon is also an independent investor and stand-alone trader. He co-founded VSOP Productions in association with VSOP Studios, which specializes in the production and recording of music, media and entertainment.

JONATHAN OZERAN, RECSOLU Jonathan Ozeran is VP, Product & Mobile at RECSOLU, a custom recruiting software company whose clients include more than 100 major corporations. Additionally, he is a mentor at Code Academy, a co-organizer of Mobile Monday Chicago and an advisor to Chicago-based startups and Catapult Chicago. Previously, he served as a mobile technology strategist and led the design team for Lextech Global Services. Earlier, Jonathan established the mobile applications unit for the Tribune Company within its interactive division. Jonathan has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Michigan and a master's degree in computer & information systems from Northwestern University.

JORDAN JOHNSON, Totuit Mobile Application Architects Jordan Johnson brings project management and leadership experience from his tenure in GE’s Financial Management Program and experience running large-scale organizations. At GE, he experienced 3 different businesses in Connecticut, New York and Washington, D.C. in six-month rotations. As part of the rigorous development program, he developed the ability to analyze and solve complex and unique financial problems faced by various GE businesses. He also learned how to quickly and effectively contribute to different teams in a large-scale organization. While he was at UF, he was active on campus and served as Student Body President in 2009. Here, he led 20 full-time staff members and over 300 student cabinet secretaries, agency directors and their respective teams to put the students’ $16MM budget to good use. Today, Johnson spends his time managing development projects and day-to-day operations at Totuit.

JOSEPH WARREN, Brainstorm Weekly LLC Joseph Warren opened a professional fundraising company for national non-profit organizations such as The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at the age of 19. Within the first 12 months, he grew his venture into a 50-person startup doing $2M+ in revenue. Over the next 24 months, he scaled the business into multiple locations and tripled its revenue. Currently, he is a college lecturer and professional speaker. Joseph Warren (along with renowned speaker and author Dr. Alexander Osterwalder and 470 other practitioners) co-created the groundbreaking and best-selling book, “Business Model Generation – A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers.”

JUDE CONWAY, Entrepreneurial Advisors, Inc. Jude Conway is the author of the book “The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Understanding Angel and Venture Investing” and has spent over 20 years managing venture capital funds in Iowa and Illinois. He also taught entrepreneurial finance at Bradley University and formed an advisory service for entrepreneurs. Currently Mr. Conway is raising a new early stage venture fund that will focus on agricultural biotechnology in the Midwest. Mr. Conway is a frequent speaker at regional and national conferences.

KAITLYN CARAWAY*, 360º Mobility Kaitlyn Caraway has been an entrepreneur since the age of 13 when she opened her first business. Throughout high school she operated the business and made her first international sales at the age of 15. Upon graduating high school she was awarded the McKelvey Entrepreneurial Scholarship and attended Ball State University to study entrepreneurship. While in college, she owned and operated an academic tutoring firm while also working in tech-transfer with the US Navy. Throughout her senior year she competed in 6 business plan and elevator pitch competitions all over the US and is now the owner of a her newest start-up 360º Mobility, which is sponsored by the US Navy through a licensing partnership.

KARA KURCZ, Motiv8 Media / Solas Fashion Kara Kurcz's career in entertainment started right out of college with the television show 'America's Most Wanted.' Soon after, Kara found herself at E! Entertainment. There she received accolades in TV Guide and People Magazine for producing and directing, 'Dirty Dancing - The E! True Hollywood Story.' She then went on to produce and direct for a wide range of shows and networks ranging from NBC to TruTV and shows such as EXTRA, The Tyra Banks Show, the Oxygen hit series 'Girl's Behaving Badly' and 'Busted' for MTV. In 2004, she launched her first handbag line, Solas Fashion, with her husband Brian Lee. Her clutch designs have been featured in several national publications and are worn by celebrities such as Fergie, Carrie Underwood and Chelsea Handler. In 2011, she completed her first Documentary feature film, big TIME, "There is no such thing as an overnight success." The movie was praised the "Secret for Business" by MSNBC and was featured on EXTRA and Fox News.

SPEAKER BIOS ( A-Z)

KARL F DISQUE, PhD, National Healthcare Provider Solutions LLC Dr. Karl F. Disque is a serial entrepreneur that looks to maximize assets. He grew up in Southern Indiana into a family that had a carpet business and dovetailed with property acquisition and management. He was told to “go to school and get a good job so you don’t have to work so hard.” So as a dutiful son, he went to pharmacy and to medical school and is now an anesthesiologist. However, he realized along the way that he was positioning himself as an employee, which just didn’t fit his personality. Luckily, over the past decade, he has had plenty of free time to explore entrepreneurship and has been involved in dozens of companies. His latest venture is NHCPS, an online medical education company that generates 2+million in revenue annually.

KATE KOZIOL, K Squared Communications Kate Koziol, president of Chicago-headquartered K Squared Communications, brings 20 years of experience to her work in public relations, social networking and marketing. Ms. Koziol has worked side-by-side with young Kenyan business owners in a U.S. State department program based in Nyahruhru, Kenya, she has been to the White House in Washington, DC to accept the Women Business Owner Star by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council in recognition of entrepreneurial leadership and professional excellence and works locally as an Executive in Residence for University of Chicago at Illinois’ Institute. Ms. Koziol is also on the board of directors for the Fetal Alcohol Support Team and is on the Allied Council for the Chicago Business Travel Association board. She is also a member of Public Relations Society of America, Women President’s Organization, and Independent Writers of Chicago.

KENNY NGUYEN*, Big Fish Presentations Kenny Nguyen is the CEO/Founder of Big Fish Presentations, a company whose mantra is “turning presentations into experiences.” Kenny and his team work with clients nationwide by providing customized presentation design, presentation training workshops, and commercial video. His presentation tips have been featured on popular news outlets and blogs such as YFS Magazine, Under30CEO, WorkAwesome, EO Overdrive and MO.com. Kenny was also a regional finalist at 2011 Global Student Entrepreneur Awards and honored in Silicon Bayou’s Top 100 list of Louisiana growing entrepreneurs. His company Big Fish Presentations was also featured on Inc Magazine’s Coolest College Startups of 2012 list.

KEVIN LANGLEY, Ellis Construction, Inc. / Former Chairman of EO Kevin Langley has been an entrepreneur since his days as a student at Louisiana State University. Since then, as a serial entrepreneur, he has successfully founded and grown several businesses, including two of New Orleans-area’s top 100 largest privately held businesses. Langley is the CEO and co-owner of Ellis Construction, Inc., a regional commercial contractor based in New Orleans. He also owns other companies in real estate, construction, and energy. Langley and his companies have received many awards including: Inc magazine’s Inner City 100, New Orleans’ City Business magazine’s Power Generation award, and the Junior Achievement’s Rising Star award. Langley is the past Chairman 2011-2012 of the Global Board for the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO). In his role as returning EO New Orleans chapter President, he successfully led the recovery of the chapter after Hurricane Katrina and organized and launched EO’s Accelerator program in New Orleans. He served as chair of EO’s Global Student Entrepreneur Awards. In 2009, he represented the United States at the G8 Youth Entrepreneurship Summit in Stressa, Italy. He represented the U.S. at the 2010 G20 Youth Entrepreneurship Summit in Ottawa, Canada; Nice, France, November 2011; and Mexico City, Mexico June 2012. He is serving on the Global Entrepreneurship Week Advisory Board, Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry, the Louisiana Innovation Council, the LSU Honors College Advisory Board, the LSU Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute and the Xavier University Business Advisory Council.

KIMBERLY BENJAMIN, HR Strategies Plus Kimberly A. Benjamin, PHR started Be Blessed Career Consulting Inc. and HR Strategies Plus LLC to be a resource to people who need assistance in career planning, goal setting and new business development. Kimberly is also the Executive Director of A Purposed Transition, a non-profit organization designed to assist people in discovering their purpose through career and entrepreneurship exploration. Kimberly's has over 20 years of human resource experience working for Fortune 500 Companies such as General Motors, Ford Motor Company, ITT Industries, Wal-mart, Toys-R-Us, University of Michigan, Cornerstone Schools and the Michigan Primary Care Association. She teaches human resource management and entrepreneurship classes at University of Michigan College of Business, Wayne County Community College, Concordia University, and the Kingdom Business Institute. Ms. Kimberly Benjamin is also the Author of How to Be Highly Favored and Empowered to Prosper in Your Job Search Book and Workbook and Producer of Has God Given You a Business Idea Workshop 50-Part CD, DVD andMP3 Series and Founder of The Online Business Training Institute™.

SPEAKER BIOS ( A-Z)

KRIS SWANSON, Flex Execs Management Solutions Kris Swanson co-founded Flex Execs Management Solutions in 1990. Flex Execs is an Interim Management and Recruiting services firm headquartered in Chicago. Kris is past President of the Illinois Search & Staffing Association and has served on committees with the American Staffing Association. Prior to founding Flex Execs, Kris spent 17 years with a group of entrepreneurial firms in the fields of real estate, transportation and logistics. Kris is a member of the Women’s President Organization, and is active in the Human Resources Management Association of Chicago.

LISA NICOLE BELL, Inspired Life Media Group Lisa Nicole Bell brings more than 10 years of relevant business experience to her role as the CEO of Inspired Life Media Group. Named a Woman Making A Difference by the Los Angeles Business Journal, Lisa and her team create media projects designed to move the social progress agenda forward. Partnering with brands like K-Swiss, Luna, and Bellaboo, Lisa is an international speaker, author, and contributor to the Business Beware television show reaching more than 23 million homes. American Entertainment magazine named Lisa a Speaker to Watch, and numerous outlets have honored her accomplishments. She holds a degree with honors in Business Law. Lisa and her work have been featured in dozens of media outlets including the Huffington Post, Forbes Woman, PBS, Under 30 CEO, FOX Small Business, and more. Learn more about Lisa at www.lisanicolebell.com.

LYNN BASA, Basa Projects, LLC Lynn Basa is a Chicago artist who divides her practice between painting and large-scale public art commissions around the country. To date, she has completed 55 public and private site-specific commissions. Her work is included in over 100 corporate, private, and museum collections such as the Rhode Island School of Design Museum and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. She is the author of The Artist’s Guide to Public Art, and teaches a class in the Sculpture department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago on public art professional practices. She is the former chair of the public art committee of the Seattle Arts Commission and founding director and curator of the University of Washington Medical Center’s 1000-piece art collection.

MATT HENNESSY, VSOP Productions Matt Hennessy is a Chicago based Producer, Mix Engineer and Studio Owner with strong roots in the Chicago Urban Music Scene. He received formal training at Berklee College of Music, studying both Jazz Performance and Production. In 2000, after returning to his native Chicago, Hennessy joined the staff of Chicago Trax/The Chocolate Factory to engineer projects for R. Kelly, Jay-Z, Twista, Kanye West, DMX, and many others. The coming years would ﬁnd Hennessy behind the boards for a diverse group of artists from Disturbed to Mariah Carey. Teaming up with Grammy Award Winner/Producer Maurice Joshua, Hennessy has worked on many production and remix projects for Beyonce (Destiny's Child), Omarion, John Legend, Shakira and the late Curtis Mayﬁeld. In 2009 Matt opened VSOP Studios in Chicago. In 2004 Matt began getting more involved with the Chicago NARAS chapter helping with events or Grammy Awards related projects; in 2010 he was elected to the board of Governors and was made Chair of the Midwest Producers and Engineers Wing.

MATT MCCORMICK*, McCormick Real Estate Inc Matt McCormick is an unending entrepreneur. He started a lawn care business in 6th grade that he sold in 2009. He purchased his first real estate investment at age 15. He is currently launching a business that “accelerates the assimilation process of Chinese students as they come to study in the US.” He was a recipient of the McKelvey Entrepreneurship Scholarship. He graduated from Miami University (Ohio) in May 2012 with a degree in entrepreneurship. Some of his unique work includes: teaching English in Thailand, Zamboni driver, TV deconstruction expert. He enjoys traveling, sports & volunteering.

MICHAEL DELAZZER, An Original Founding Member of Redbox Mike DeLazzer, after 25 years and 7 business ventures, was inducted into the Chicago Entrepreneur Hall of Fame in 2006 and into the CEO Hall of Fame in 2010. His entrepreneurial path started in 1996 when he started Kodel Corporation, an industrial design and importing company that still provides custom products designed by Kodel and manufactured by its sister facilities in Taipei and Shenzhen, China. In 2001, Mike founded GETAMOVIE, Inc. and developed a revolutionary new DVD robotic vending kiosk. GETAMOVIE merged with McDonald’s Ventures, a subsidiary of McDonald’s Corporation, in July, 2005. The merged venture was re-launched as redbox, LLC. In 2005, Mike founded SafeGuard Shutters, a manufacturer and installer of hurricane shutters in Florida and quickly signed an exclusive contract to sell and install shutters for Home Depot. Building on past success, he co-founded New Retail Ltd., which is a licensee of redbox.This company will deploy redbox machines throughout the UK and Europe. Wanting to seed future entrepreneurial expertise, Mike founded and funded Gaton Ltd., a non-profit organization that fosters entrepreneurship in Ghana, West Africa by supplying micro credit to pastors in that country through rice distributions they in turn sell, as a self-sustaining method to cover their living expenses in the mission field. Prior to these launches, Mike was partner and Vice President at International Importers Incorporated, a company that developed custom mechanical and electronic products in Asia that were later sold to large OEM’s in the U.S. Mike graduated from Valparaiso University in 1977 with a BS in Marketing, earned an Associate Degree in Electronic Engineering, and has several patents. 45

SPEAKER BIOS ( A-Z)

MICHAEL FOLTZ, Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC Michael Foltz is a founder and Principal of Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC, a fee-only, independent wealth management Firm in Itasca, Illinois that currently manages approximately $2.0 billion of assets. He left Price Waterhouse over 25 years ago to start the Firm and now heads the Firm’s Business Owner Service Team. Michael was engaged in the practice of law for over 20 years and has extensive experience in all types of legal and business financing matters. He is a CPA and Certified Financial Planner with over 25 years of experience.

MICHAEL HENNESSY, The Coleman Foundation Michael Hennessy joined the Fannie May Candy Company in Chicago at an upper management level following a career in secondary education and counseling. He was Chief Operating Officer of Fannie May at the time of the company's sale in late 1991 and also served as a Director for the Coleman Foundation. He phased out of the candy company in 1992 to carry out the day-to-day operations of the Foundation and assumed the Presidency in 1993. Michael built upon the Foundation’s inaugural entrepreneurship education programs to promote youth Entrepreneurship, cross campus Entrepreneurship for non-business majors, community college and community outreach programs. He has advocated increasing the applied and experiential qualities of E education to support innovative programs that help create and sustain the next generation of business owners.

MIKE EVANS (2012 Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Hall of Fame Inductee), GrubHub Mike Evans is the co-founder and COO of GrubHub. Mike Evans graduated MIT in 2000 with a pile of degrees and an equally impressive pile of debt. Following along the dotcom bandwagon, Mike moved to Chicago to work at Apartments.com. While there he came to understand the value of lead generation Internet advertising. In 2004, Mike wrote version one of GrubHub.com because he was frustrated with futilely searching for delivery restaurants and grumbling through inaccurate orders. After refining the website, he jumped ship and went full time to pursue making GrubHub.com a real business. Armed with a “Sales for Dummies” book, Mike and co-founder Matt Maloney bootstrapped the business for two years. In 2006, GrubHub won the University of Chicago's New Venture Challenge. The company’s rapid growth has led to five rounds of investment funding, totaling $84.1 million.

MIKE MCGEE, The Starter League Mike McGee’s greatest claim to fame (before The Starter League) was that his High School mascot was a pretzel. He went to Northwestern for four years where he spent two years being a student and two years in student government, miraculously becoming Student Body President Senior year. In Spring 2011, Mike decided to turn down Obama for America (his first real job offer) to co-found The Starter League (formerly Code Academy), a beginner web development and web design school in Chicago.

MIKE VENY, Mike Veny, Inc. Mike Veny is a drummer, entrepreneur, speaker, consultant, and he has been able to parlay his love of music, and of drumming in particular, into multiple successful career paths and charitable endeavors. Mike is the founder and owner of FastDrumSkills.Com, MusicLessonBusiness.Com, and SupportMusicEducation.Com. His entrepreneurial skills, leadership skills and people skills have made him an in-demand speaker and a consultant to some of the top businesses in the world. As for charitable endeavors, Mike is on the Board of Directors for the Fender Music Foundation and a member of the NAMM Foundation’s SupportMusic Coalition, which seeks to strengthen community commitment and support for quality music education in schools.

NANCY NGUYEN, Sweet T Salon / The Networking Diary Nancy T. Nguyen, MBA is a First Generation American trilingual entrepreneur and the author of The Networking Diary. After earning a B.A. in Spanish at NC State University, Nancy established her career at the Chicago White Sox and City of Chicago while serving as an Ambassador for DePaul’s Graduate School of Business. She’s studied business and networked in Japan and Peru. Nancy founded Sweet T Salon in Raleigh, NC. She is a lifelong advocate of Locks-of-Love, SPCA, ArtReach 4 Kids, and Alpha Kappa Psi Co-ed Business Fraternity. Crowned as Ms. Corporate America in 2011, she works to inspire entrepreneurs throughout the world.

NEAL SALES-GRIFFIN, The Starter League Neal Sales-Griffin is currently the founder and CEO of The Starter League (formerly Code Academy), a beginner web design and development school in Chicago. Neal has worked and consulted with numerous startups and not-for-profits across Chicago. He has had the privilege of working with OCA Ventures and Sandbox Industries, two prominent venture firms in Chicago. Neal also serves as a board member of the Chicago chapter of International Game Developers Association.

SPEAKER BIOS ( A-Z)

NICK CHMURA*, BetterBoo.com Nick Chmura, originally a corn fed Midwesterner, spent the first 18 years of his life in Oberlin, Ohio before moving to Tampa, Florida to start his college education. His mind was blown away by the sexiness of entrepreneurship, which led him to launch 3 companies while in college. His current project BetterBoo.com was featured as one of Inc. Magazine’s 2012 Coolest College Startups. He was a finalist in CEO’s National Elevator Pitch Competition in 2010, which led to his raising of first round funding to start his business. He loves traveling, adventures and helping others pursue their dreams.

PAUL SPIEGELMAN, The Beryl Companies Paul Spiegelman is founder and CEO of The Beryl Companies, which includes: BerylHealth, a patient experience company dedicated to improving relationships between healthcare providers and consumers; The Beryl Institute, a membership organization that serves as the premier thought leader on improving the patient experience in healthcare; The Circle, a training company that helps businesses enhance employee engagement; and The Small Giants Community, a global organization that brings together leaders who are focused on values-based business principles. Paul is leading a unique, people-centric culture that has remarkably high employee and customer retention rates. BerylHealth has won 9 “best place to work” awards, including the #2 Best Medium Sized Company to Work for in America. He was honored with the Ernst & Young 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year award. Paul is a sought-after speaker and author on executive leadership, entrepreneurship, corporate culture, customer relationships and employee engagement. His views have been published in Entrepreneur, The Dallas Morning News, Inc Magazine., Healthcare Financial Management, Leadership Excellence and many other noteworthy publications, as well as in his first internationally published book “Why is Everyone Smiling? The Secret Behind Passion, Productivity and Profit.” His current book, due in March 2013, is called “Patients Come Second: Leading Change by Changing the Way you Lead.” Paul practiced law for two years prior to founding Beryl. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA and a law degree from Southwestern University. To learn more about Paul, please visit www.paulspiegelman.com.

PHILIP BROWN, Brown Music Studios Philip Brown is a sought after trombonist and educator in the Chicago area. He has performed with many professional orchestras, including the South Bend Symphony, Rockford Symphony, Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Salt Creek Ballet company. He also has performed with many jazz and jobbing bands in the area, including Rob Parton’s jazz tech big band and John Records Landecker. Because of his passion for educating musicians, he maintains one of the largest teaching studios in the country, teaching 70 private low brass students on a weekly basis in the Chicago suburbs. Many of his students are members of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, which has been recognized as one of the world’s most prestigious youth orchestras. Mr. Brown regularly judges Illinois Music Educator Association and Illinois High School Association events. Mr. Brown offers master-classes in brass performance and brass pedagogy.

RAMAN CHADHA, The Junto Institute / DePaul University Raman Chadha is the founder of The Junto Institute, a new "school" which develops emotional intelligence, leadership capabilities, and management skills of startup founders. In addition to being an education entrepreneur, Raman is an entrepreneurship educator. For the past 10 years, he has taught at DePaul University, where he also launched and led the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center for eight of those years. He is a frequent speaker and blogger, has an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, and has a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

RAY LAND, Fabulous Coach Lines / Totuit Mobile Application Architects Ray Land is proprietor of Branford-based, Fabulous Coach Lines, specializing in luxury motorcoach, sedan and limousine transportation across the Southeast. Today, Land is president of the Florida Motorcoach Association and stays very active in young entrepreneurial circles as well as the travel industry. He was recognized in 2009 as the BusRide Magazine Operator of the Year and in 2007 as a Metro's Top Innovative Operator. Fabulous Coach is the product of the industry’s youngest proprietor, Ray Land, established at age 17 and is among BusinessWeek’s 2010 Top 25 Under 25 Best Young Entrepreneurs. Outstanding equipment and cheerful customer service make Fabulous the preferred travel company for organizations with the highest expectations for excellence.

RISHI SHAH, ContextMedia Inc. Rishi Shah is the CEO and Founder of ContextMedia, whose products help patients with chronic conditions live healthier through contextually relevant media services. ContextMedia’s point-of-care and mobile media offerings are used by millions of patients monthly and count over half of the 20 largest pharmaceutical companies as clients. As a successful entrepreneur and investor, Rishi has received many accolades, including Crain's 40 under 40. He serves on the boards of many early stage companies and civic organizations including the Chamber of Commerce, the Institute for Student Business Education at Northwestern University and as a mentor at Chicago's start-up incubator Excelerate Labs. 47

SPEAKER BIOS ( A-Z)

SARAH EXLEY, Program Consultant, Northwestern Mutual Sarah Exley is a Program Consultant at Northwestern Mutual. She has led various project and program initiatives related to the growth of the company in regards to full-time and internship recruiting, leadership development, and marketing. She is currently leading the company’s NCAA recruiting initiative. Sarah began her career with Northwestern Mutual in 2008 as a Communications Specialist, and has held various positions throughout the company, including consulting roles in organizational, corporate and executive communications. Prior to Northwestern Mutual, she worked in marketing for a financial services company in Orlando, FL, as well as in the publishing industry in Chicago. Sarah is a graduate of Ball State University with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism.

SETH KRAVITZ, Technori Seth Kravitz is the cofounder of Technori (a publication that celebrates entrepreneurship) and Bow Truss (a premium coffee roasting company). After falling in love with the Chicago entrepreneur community, Seth started mentoring at the Coleman Center at DePaul University, the Knapp Center at IIT, Excelerate Labs, and Code Academy. Seth started a web design firm out of his dorm room at Ohio State when he was 19 before co-founding InsuranceAgents.com in 2004. The company grew to a 65person operation and reached number 24 on the Inc. 500 before being acquired by Bankrate (NYSE: RATE) in 2012.

SHRADHA AGARWAL, ContextMedia Inc. Shradha Agarwal, ContextMedia co-founder, has always had a passion for communication. She helped brand the company as for-benefit, marrying the concept of a successful for-profit enterprise that exists for social benefit. While merging her expertise in marketing and media, Shradha makes sure ContextMedia keeps up with the latest in product development strategies throughout various technologies. Shradha speaks often on the topics of entrepreneurship and organizational development and enjoys mentoring and investing in dreamers and achievers. She most recently spoke to students at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management Entrepreneurship Day.

STELLA FAYMAN, Entrepreneurs Unpluggd / FeeFighters Stella Fayman is a serial entrepreneur based in Chicago. She was a founding member of venture backed payments startup FeeFighters, which was acquired by Groupon in the spring of 2012. Her current startup “matchist” connects entrepreneurs with quality freelance developers. She is also a full time student at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and is a Herman Fellow. Stella is an active member of the Chicago startup community and has served as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Excelerate Labs. She is a member of the Community Advisory Board for the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center.

SUSAN MULDER, Kendall College of Art and Design Susan Mulder is an artist. Defining just what that is a little tricky because it can mean different things on different days. Does she have an MFA? Check. Does she create? Check. Does she have a day job? Check. What it boils down to is that she creates art and loves interacting with-and helping others-who are in the same boat. She teaches Professional Practices at Kendall College of Art and Design and serves as director for C.O.D.A. Gallery.

THADDEUS SHALEK, Smart Online, Inc. / University of North Carolina at Greensboro Thaddeus Shalek is the CEO of Smart Online, Inc. For 25 years, he was the owner of Shalek & Associates, CPA's INc. He teaches Entrepreneurial Finance and Accounting at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is a CPA, CVA, and is an arbitrator for the National Association of Securities Dealers. He advises many graphic and performing artists.

TIM PADGETT, Pepper Group Tim Padgett is the President and CEO of Pepper Group, an 18-year-old marketing communications firm. The Pepper Group has won numerous awards for design and campaign development and has been named one of the top B2B agencies in the US by B-to-B Magazine each of the last five years. He has a BS in Marketing Communications with an emphasis in design from Southern Illinois University. He is member of the Illinois Institute of Art’s Professional Advisory Board. Tim is also the President and CEO of Teer1, which provides consultation and a web platform that helps companies encourage, manage and leverage employee volunteering programs. Over the years he has also been a partner in numerous other entrepreneurial ventures. Tim has deep networks, including memberships in national organizations: Entrepreneurs Organization, Young Presidents Organization and the Society for Marketing Professional Services.

SPEAKER BIOS ( A-Z)

TIMOTHY HEITMANN, Popcorn Palace Tim Heitmann has been an entrepreneur for over 18 years, starting 2 companies and selling one. Prior to Popcorn Palace he owned and operated a food distributing company serving Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. Popcorn Palace handcrafts 27 flavors of gourmet popcorn. Its products are popular for business and personal gifts and for nonprofit fundraising campaigns. The company has grown at least 10% for 13 straight years making the Inc 5000 list each of the last 6 years and ranked in Inc’s top 100 fastest growing food companies in the US. Tim has appeared on the Food Network with Rachael Ray, been a frequent guest on the QVC shopping channel, and received fan mail from Warren Buffett. Tim serves on the Board of Directors for Chicago’s Entrepreneur Organization and is currently in his 2nd year of the 3 year OPM program at Harvard Business School. Tim is an avid traveler having visited countries on 6 continents.

TOM WALTER, Tasty Catering Tom Walter has started 29 companies and acquired three. He remains a principle in nine of those – six of which were startups by his staff. His businesses include food and beverage, real estate, gifts, a creative agency and an investment company. Tom’s companies have won local and national awards for Best Places to Work and Best Caterer in the United States. Tom is a member of the Chicago Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, the Midwest Academy of Management, the Academy of Management and the Small Giants Community. He is the co-author of It’s My Company Too! – a definitive book on employee engagement.

TROY HENIKOFF, Excelerate Labs Troy Henikoff is the CEO and Co-founder of Excelerate, a seed stage accelerator in Chicago. Additionally he teaches Entrepreneurship at Northwestern University, is a Faculty Coach at University of Chicago for the New Venture Challenge, is a founder of the FireStarter Fund, is on the board of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center and an advisor to Hyde Park Angels. His last 25 years have been spent starting, running and advising early stage technology companies. Prior to Excelerate, Troy was the CEO of OneWed.com, a wedding website that provides the largest online database of wedding vendors, detailed ratings and reviews and a smart, unique voice for wedding planning tips and advice. Troy was also the President of Amacai, a consumer and business data supplier. Previously, Troy co-founded SurePayroll.com, was the largest Internet based payroll company in the country before being acquired by Paychex. Prior to SurePayroll, Troy built the technology for Jellyvision (creators of “You Don’t Know Jack!”) and his first company was Specialized Systems and Software, which focused on creating custom database applications.

2013 National CE Conference d

CHICAGO October 31 st – November 2 n d at the

Hyatt Regency McCormick Place

2014 National CEO Conference in

Orlando, FL October 30 th – November 1 st at the

Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Ho sted b y

CEO 2013 Regional Events SEEC

Hosted by the University of Tampa Tampa, FL

February 1-2, 2013

Go to www.seectampa.org.

BU_NEEC

Hosted by Bryant University

February 22-23, 2013

Smithsfield, RI Go to http://bryantceo.org.

NEW! CEO Startup Cruise

March 14-17 2013

Departs fromTampa and goes to Cozumel Go to www.startupcruise.org.

MWEC

Hosted by the University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE

April 5-6 2013

Go to www.mwecomaha.org .

SESI

Hosted by Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI

TBD

NEW! West Coast Regional

TBD

Hosted by Woodbury University

Burbank, CA

Self-Employment in the Arts Resources & events geared towards visual, performing, literary, and media artists that want to make a living with their art.

2013 Events Feb. 9:

Southern Entrepreneurship in the Arts Conference University of North Carolina, Greensboro

Feb. 22& 23:

13th Annual SEA Conference Hilton Hotel â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Lisle, IL (Chicago suburb)

April 6:

SEA OzArts Drury University â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Springfield, MO More information available at: www.selfemploymentinthearts.com

This program is partially funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency

Make sure to stop by the SEA table in the exhibit area. 53

N T E S

IDEAS

ACTION STEPS

INSPIRATION

Visit the EXPO to Win! Just by talking to exhibitors, you can winâ&#x20AC;Ś *Books! *Prizes! *Annual Entrepreneur for a Day - FREE trip to experience Chicagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s startup community! What do you need to do? Get this sheet stamped by at least 8 exhibitors and turn it into the CEO Registration Desk before 12:30pm on Saturday. Prizes will be raffled away throughout the weekend, so turn it in as soon as possible. And the more stamps, the better your chances are to win! (Exhibitors are located in W190.)

Name:

School:

Phone:

Email:

CEO

CEO Alumni Association

Northwestern Mutual

Global Ventures

SEA

BetterBoo

International Business Model Competition

Startup Generation

Digital Talent Agents

BlabFeed

Empact /

WaterDrop Shop

Lehigh University

Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour

The Recording Academy

USASBE

Dr. Suki John, Author

SEEC

PitchBurner

HR Strategies Plus LLC / Be Blessed Career Consulting

NACCE

Digital Dossiers

GSEA

Hyatt Regency McCormick Center Map