02-08-05

ISU students may attend Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Iowa Conference for free Feb. 25

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University students may attend the fourth annual Collegiate Entrepreneurs Iowa Conference at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC), Mason City, for free, including transportation. The event is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25.

Judi Eyles, assistant director of the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, said the conference allows student entrepreneurs (or those with an interest in starting their own firms or launching a commercial product) to network with like-minded students, college and university business faculty members and professional business owners and investors. About 300 Iowa State students attend each year.

"Iowa State created this conference in 2001," Eyles said. "Each year builds on the success of that first effort. Each Pappajohn center now rotates hosting the event. Iowa State has two students presenting at this year's conference."

Steve Saltzman, a senior in electrical engineering from Corning, is part of a student entrepreneur panel on "Running a Successful Business in Your 20s." Mike Zevenbergen, senior in industrial engineering from Sioux Center, is part of a student panel on "Start A CEO (Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization) Chapter."

The CEO is a Chicago-based global entrepreneurship network serving more than 500 colleges and universities. Iowa State is a member of the organization.

Other sessions at the conference include how to start a small business, speaking with angels (venture capital investors), high school student entrepreneurship and an "entrepreneurs showcase" of successful national business owners.

The opening speaker for the conference is John Pappajohn, Des Moines, founder and president of Equity Dynamics, Inc., and Pappajohn Capital Resources, a venture capital firm. He also founded the five Pappajohn Entrepreneur Centers in Iowa (Iowa State, University of Iowa, Iowa City; University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls; Drake University, Des Moines; and NIACC).

Featured professional entrepreneurs are Mike Marolt, president of eq-life, a new retail concept integrating health, wellness and technology products and services owned by Best Buy Corp., Minneapolis. Minn.; Melinda Nelson Masson, CEO and president of The Merit Companies, Inc., Mission Viejo, Calif.; and the Lewerke brothers, -- Curtis, Dennis and Jon -- who founded Woodharbor Doors and Cabinetry, Inc., Mason City.

The conference is sponsored by CEO and the five entrepreneur centers.

For more information on the conference and to reserve transportation, visit http://www.isupjcenter.org/programs/
ceic/index.cfm?menusection=4.0. The NIACC Web site for the conference is at www.niacc.edu/ceic.

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