Young entrepreneurs once again descended upon Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell for the fifth annual Launch Conference on Thursday, February 25th. The event was created to inspire and expose students to the possibilities of being an entrepreneur.
This year’s conference once again featured the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour (EET), the first ever national collegiate entrepreneurship tour. The tour is comprised of many of America’s top young entrepreneurs who’ve made, earned, or sold a company for millions and/or made a huge impact before the age of 30. The co-founder of the EET, Sheena Lindahl, served as the keynote speaker at Launch ’10. Lindahl, who was named by Business Week as one of the country's top 25 entrepreneurs under 25, profiled her experience of moving to New York City independently after high school graduation and paying her own way at New York University.
Dr. Kay Palan, the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs in the College of Business at Iowa State University (ISU), talked to educators and economic development leaders about entrepreneurship at the university level. Arel Moodie, another member of the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour, served as the MC at the conference and addressed various topics throughout the day.
"Entrepreneurship isn't just about making money,” said Moodie. “It's about changing the world, its about philanthropy, it's about social impact, its about how do you create jobs so that people can feed their family – that’s the power of entrepreneurship, and that’s the backbone of this country.”
The day-long conference also featured exhibits, workshops, and question-and-answer sessions with young entrepreneurs.
“Launch provided a rich experience exposing students to the possibilities of being an entrepreneur," said Rhonda Pole, a Launch planning committee member.
"It provided an opportunity for students to receive advice and guidance, connect ideas, people and resources, and build relationships. The event definitely provided enthusiasm as well as synergy – all of which made a very successful statewide event during National Entrepreneurship Week.”
Partners in the event include: Kelley Center for Entrepreneurship at DWU, the South Dakota Small Business Development Centers, the Enterprise Institute, South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development, South Dakota EPSCoR, and the South Dakota State University Entrepreneurship Program.
Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour
The Launch Website
SD Governor's Office of Economic Development
|
|
