“2007 Entrepreneurship Conference: Keys To Success" - MSU - Billings College Of Business, 10/18, Billings
| October 8, 2007 |  View for printing |
College of Business event Oct. 18 showcases spirit of innovation, investment, hard work
An industrious businessman once said that the only place that success comes before work is in the dictionary.
That same spirit of goal-driven toil will be evident during a daylong conference this month dedicated to innovation and entrepreneurship and developed by the Montana State University Billings College of Business.
The “2007 Entrepreneurship Conference: Keys to Success,” will be held on Thursday, Oct. 18 at The Billings Depot. The conference runs from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and features an innovation showcase of exhibitors. Registration is $75 per person, which includes lunch.
Besides MSU Billings, the conference is being co-sponsored by the Billings Chamber of Commerce; registered patent attorney Antoinette M. Tease; the Big Sky Economic Development Authority; and the Montana Business Incubator.
The keynote speakers include Tom Scott, chairman of the board of First Interstate BancSystem, and Jon Marchi, chairman of Glacier Venture Fund.
The conference is the brainchild of Dr. Gary Young, dean of the MSU Billings College of Business who has been working on building stronger bridges between the university and the Billings business community. He said he believes that shared expertise and experiences will benefit students, faculty and local entrepreneurs.
“I’m very fortunate to be dean here because I really believe that this is a world-class faculty,” said Young, who has wide experience in business colleges throughout the country. “Also, the greater Billings business and industry community offer a unique laboratory for faculty and students in business principles.”
Recognizing that Billings is a growing and thriving business hub, Young has strengthened outreach efforts for the college since he began work as dean in January. This conference is being pulled together by a new arm of the College of Business, the Center for Business Enterprise, is just one of those efforts.
The entrepreneurship conference will feature discussion on issues ranging from energy to venture capital to real estate development to agricultural entrepreneurship to the “joys and discomforts” of running a family business.
Some featured speakers include:
* Mark Campbell, founder and president of Southwestern Investment Group, and Billings developer Steve Corning who will talk about entrepreneurship and real estate development.
* Sam and Greg McDonald, of Wendy’s of Montana, and Becky, Abby and Hannah Reno, owners of City Brew, who will share experiences on running family businesses.
* Chris Nelson, founder of Zoot Enterprises, and Marty Ambuehl, president of ATM Express, who will talk about entrepreneurship and technology.
* A roundtable discussion on angel fund investors
* Don Bottrell, chairman of Diamond B Companies, and Brian Gurney, an adjunct professor of management at MSU Billings, who will share ideas about entrepreneurial trends in energy.
For more information on the conference, call Brenda Dockery, assistant director of the Center for Business Enterprise, at 657-2212 or email her at bdockery@msubillings.edu. Businesses that want to be a part of the innovation showcase exhibit should email dgraham@mtbiz.org or call 657-2138.
Dan Carter
Director of University & Government Relations
Montana State University Billings
1500 University Drive
Billings, MT 59101
(406) 657-2269 - office
(406) 672-2720 - cell
dcarter@msubillings.edu 
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