The Eastern Michigan University Center for Entrepreneurship will present the Sesi Midwest Entrepreneurship Conference on Feb. 14 beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Student Center.
Successful entrepreneurs will speak to the audience about what it takes to turn dreams into reality.
Joshua Conroy is the president of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization at EMU, which is the group conducting the discussion. He believes the conference has a lot to offer students at EMU.
“Each speaker and session is designed to offer a different take on being an entrepreneur, at different stages,” said Conroy. “The Sesi Conference is where the passion for entrepreneurship is instilled in us.”
Maya Brown is a business management major at EMU in her junior year. She thinks the seminar is a great for students who need inspiration in the field of entrepreneurship.
“I didn’t know we had an organization here for entrepreneurs,” said Brown. “I’ve never considered entrepreneurship before but I want to register for the conference and learn more.”
The keynote speaker of the conference is Steve Futrell. He is a graduate of EMU with a degree in business management and the CEO of Technology Solutions, one of the most well managed organizations in the Midwest.
The breakfast speaker is Two Men and a Truck’s CEO Melanie Burgeon.
Burgeon’s mother is the founder of Two Men and a Truck, which is based in Lansing. During the 1990s her mother invited her to work for the blooming company.
In 1994, Burgeon became the president of the company. In 2002 she became the chief operating officer, in 2007 she became the CEO and in 2009, she became chair of the board.
There will be other speakers and breakout sessions during the forum.
As a part of the conference, finalists for the Skandalaris Business Plan Competition will compete in separate categories for a $5,000 cash prize. The finalists are students from high schools in the surrounding area and university students.
Bram Sanvordenker is a linguist major at EMU in his senior year. He sees how this symposium can assist any aspiring entrepreneurs.
“This is a must-attend event for anyone going into business,” Sanvordenker said. “It’s a great opportunity for budding entrepreneurs to connect with successful business people from various backgrounds.”
The conference is free and open to the public. For more information contact Joshua Conroy at 313-580-5658. To register for the conference, visit emich.edu/cob.
