OSU to host 2nd annual Women Entrepreneurs Inspire Conference
Friday, March 4, 2011
The Riata Center for Entrepreneurship from Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business is hosting the 2nd annual Women Entrepreneurs Inspire Conference. The one-day conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 5 at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City.
WE Inspire 2011 will explore the unique obstacles, demands and challenges women face when creating and growing their own ventures. The annual convention is aimed at equipping women with the resources they need to turn their business ideas into workable business models, helping them create their own companies, and making their ventures sustainable.
“Women are the fastest growing segment of small business start ups in the nation and make an enormous contribution to our economy in terms of job creation, spending power and other areas,” said Nola Miyasaki, Norman C. Stevenson chair and executive director of the Riata Center. “However, women-owned businesses still lag behind male-owned businesses in terms of numbers, size, jobs, etc. That actually indicates a high potential for growth among women-owned businesses and a great opportunity for them to be more successful and become an even more valuable part of our economy. The main benefits of the conference for women who own existing businesses or women who want to start businesses is that they will be inspired by entrepreneurial role models who can talk about failures as well as successes, learn tools to do business better, and network with each other.”
This year’s conference will host 30 presentations from leading women entrepreneurs across the nation, and hands-on breakout sessions will examine a range of practical issues to help enable women to act on their dreams, Miyasaki said. The breakouts will include two tracks: start up and growth. The start-up track will focus on creating ventures, while the growth track will emphasize ways to grow a venture once it is up and running.
“We have a terrific line up of women entrepreneurs coming from all over North America who are from diverse industries with diverse backgrounds – all of whom are enormously successful,” Miyasaki said. “One of our keynotes is Maria De Lourdes Sobrino, who started selling gelatin in a cup before Jello® had it on the market, and her product is now in Walmart® stores across the country. Another keynote grew up in poverty and lived on the streets before starting her million-dollar business, Consumer Connections®, in Canada. All of our speakers will be inspirational and will help us learn a lot on multiple topics of interest.”
Miyasaki said the response from last year’s inaugural conference was overwhelmingly positive, with more than 650 entrepreneurs and guests in attendance, and it was named as one of “The Top Ten Conferences for Female Entrepreneurs” by blogger and successful writer Jasmine Stephenson. Miyasaki said she anticipates having even more entrepreneurial women in attendance this year.
“WE Inspire promises to be an exciting opportunity for inspiration, networking and tapping your entrepreneurial potential,” Miyasaki said. “The energy and the networking that goes on at this event are truly amazing for all who attend. The first conference inspired hundreds of women to pursue their passions, think big, and turn their dreams into reality. We plan to continue this tradition.”
The registration fee for the WE Inspire conference will be $35 for those who register before March 12. After that, registration will increase to $50 until March 31; late registration will be $75. To register or for more information, call the Riata Center for Entrepreneurship at 405-744-7552 or visit http://entrepreneurship.okstate.edu/inspire. Companies interested in sponsorships or exhibit tables for the conference should call Brooke Stuart, the events and marketing specialist for the Spears School, at 405-744-7871 or e-mail her at brooke.stuart@okstate.edu.