ENTREPRENEURIAL INSTITUTE EVENTS

Entrepreneurial Institute was developed to meet the growing entrepreneurial needs and interests of our members and builds upon our core membership base of professionally trained business leaders and influencers. The Entrepreneurial Institute offers professional development to both aspiring and current business owners by providing workshops, panels, and networking forums specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of entrepreneurs during all stages of the business life cycle.

 EI Workshops (Theme: Becoming the Next Game Changer) (PDF, 70KB)

SESSION 1: ARE YOU LEARNING THE RULES?

• Social Entrepreneurs: Being Prosperous is not only Good Business but Profitable
  Doing good just is not enough to keep your doors open in this tough economy. Learn what your organization’s marketable value to funders is and how to build an internal structure that fosters growth.Speaker(s): Julius Walls , Chief of Staff for Greater Centennial A.M.E. Zion Church
  
  
• Start-up: The Accidental Entrepreneur – Creating Your Path
  This workshop is geared toward the Solopreneur or small group of entrepreneurs trying to figure out how to develop a business. Speaker(s): Dawn Fitch, Entrepreneur, Writer, Healthcare Advocate and Founder of Pooka Pure and Simple
  
  
• Growth: Contracts, Contracts, Contracts, Essential Steps Needed to Land Corporate and Federal Contracts
  Figuring out how to penetrate corporations and the federal government to find contract opportunities takes time and understanding. Learn from insiders how to identify opportunities and how to best position your company for new contracts. Speaker(s): Shantel Grigsby, President, Government Marketing Solutions

SESSION 2: ARE YOU MAKING NEW RULES?

• Social Entrepreneurs: Become a Rain Maker – The Art of Building Meaningful Business Relationships
  Knowing how to build a diverse portfolio of funders through relationship building is necessary. Learn the essential techniques needed to encourage funders, private, corporate and governmental, to invest in your organization .Speaker(s): Elizabeth Williams, CEO, President and Owner of Roxbury Technology Corporation
  
  
• Start-up: Effective Use of the Internet and Social Media to Brand Your Business
  Are you a Tweeter? Have friends on Facebook? Been LinkedIn lately? Got a strategy or methodology worth blogging about? Why not enhance your business brand through the use of the internet while adding another dimension to your marketing strategy. Speaker(s): James Andrews, Managing Partner and Co-founder of Everywhere
  
  
• Growth: Creating a Lean Mean Business Machine Through Cost Saving Measures
  Learn some techniques, such as Lean and Six Sigma methodologies, that can assist you in trimming your internal processes while maintaining or improving your service levels. Speaker(s): Senta Taylor, General Manager, Lean & Customer Loyalty, GE Healthcare

 Additional Events and Workshops

• Why Didn't I Think of That? (PDF, 17KB) Are you an infomercial junkie? Do you have a good idea, but don't know how to act on it? This plenary session will spotlight several entrepreneurs who have taken a good idea from start to finish, and turned it into a high-profile business product. Whether you are a would-be entrepreneur or part of a company seeking innovations, grab yourself a front-row seat and get answers from the experts. Speaker(s): Ed Gordon, Moderator; Lawrence Griffith, Founder, SampleSaint; Carmen Hudson, CEO, Tweetajob
  
  
• Innovation Whiteboard Challenge Event (PDF, 200KB) - Just five minutes and a genius business idea can win you big. Gone are the days of conventional business plan competitions. For this activity, up to six people will have five minutes each to sell their business idea to a mixed panel of venture capitalists, academic instructors and successful entrepreneurs – using only a whiteboard and marker. The winner will receive $10,000. The time is now to bring your best business idea to the table.
  

 Awards

• NBMBAA and Wells Fargo presents the 2010 Entrepreneur Excellence Award (PDF, 400KB) - The National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) and Wells Fargo have joined together to recognize and empower the visionaries that are a vital component of our community. The two winning business owners will be recognized for their outstanding achievements and receive a $5000 grant. Chapter nominations are highly encouraged. A $1000 incentive grant will be given to the NBMBAA chapter that submits the MOST qualified applications.

VISIT OUR CONFERENCE SCHEDULE TO SEE ALL EVENTS.

VISIT OUR SPEAKER PAGE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EACH PRESENTER.