Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (WISE) is bringing powerhouse guest speakers to the 15th annual on Tuesday, April 25, to inspire an anticipated audience of hundreds at SKY Armory in Syracuse. The event runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and features a full day of speakers and opportunities for networking. Women business leaders share insights, lessons and best practices that empower others to follow in their footsteps, or carve a path of their own. The WISE Symposium is a collaboration of the , The Events Company and SKY Armory.

The WISE Symposium benefits the (WBC), which offers mentoring and consulting services to women entrepreneurs, as well as networking opportunities. The economic impact of women entrepreneurs continues to rise each year; in 2015-16, the WISE WBC counseled 128 local clients (with a combined gross revenue of more than $136 million) and trained 1,001 women entrepreneurs.

“Through both education at Syracuse University, my first real job and running endlessly on the snowy Syracuse roads, I received great inspiration and the courage to break barriers both in business and in sports,” says keynote speaker Kathrine Switzer, ’68, G’72. “I look forward to telling much of that story to other women at the WISE Symposium and encouraging and empowering others in their own entrepreneurship.”

The WISE Symposium has created a more intimate setting than previous years (attendance will be limited to 350 people) for learning and conversing with other entrepreneurs. The conference will offer breakout sessions and general sessions so attendees can select topics of interest. The theme of the event is “Igniting Spirit and Intention.”

Symposium sessions:

• Keynote presentation by Syracuse alumna Kathrine Switzer: “Breaking Barriers: Yours, Theirs, Ours”
• “Dream, Believe, Pursue: Real life stories of local women entrepreneurs who turned their dream into million-dollar companies”
• “Breaking Out of Your Comfort Zone”
• “Playing All Out From Within”
• “Bigger Game Leadership”
• “WISE Latina Workshop”

Among the featured speakers:

• was the first woman to officially enter and run the Boston Marathon. She has been honored widely for her achievements, including being inducted into the U.S.A National Women’s Hall of Fame for creating positive social change. The ramifications of her work are both joyful and profound, changing forever the face of sports, health and opportunities for women around the world. Switzer is relentless in her efforts to empower millions of women beyond the finish line through the recently created nonprofit “261 Fearless Inc.”
• is a film festival and live events producer; keynote speaker; and facilitator for conferences, festivals, workshops, retreats and board meetings. Prior to joining the March on Washington Film Festival, she served as vice president of programs for Count Me in for Women’s Economic Independence, designing and leading business pitch competitions and multi-day events promoting and supporting entrepreneurship for women around the country. Bey brings her powerful presence, rich subject matter and engaging delivery to audiences exploring the principles of business leadership and personal empowerment.
• is a tech-loving social entrepreneur who identifies deeply with the Horace Mann quote “Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.” Having kicked off her career at ad giants Google and Publicis, VanderMeer now combines the findings of her research and her corporate knowledge of client management and offshore operations to employ women in need at WORK+SHELTER, an ethical cut-and-sew factory she founded in New Delhi, India.
• , ’05,��is a health and performance coach who has helped hundreds of people��perform at their best. Her strategic approach to goal achievement leaves people armed with the knowledge, skills and essential mindset required to create change. Before coaching in the areas of leadership, influence, communication and high performance, Fox enjoyed a successful career as a health and wellness coach and personal trainer. Her brilliant techniques inspire others to be better and do more so that life can be lived by design, not default.

For a full list of speakers, click .

Throughout the day, an interactive Business Expo will be open; companies will showcase their products and services. The winners of the Ann Michel Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year and WISE Faces of Success (presented by Y94) will be honored at a brief ceremony during the event.

For tickets, click . Discounted pricing is available for students.

The WISE Symposium is organized in conjunction with the and was launched by the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship, located in the Whitman School, which has provided critical event support since the symposium’s inception in 2003. WISE fosters the pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunities of women from all walks of life and sponsors events to promote entrepreneurial thinking among women in the Central New York region.

For more information, contact Lindsay Wickham, Falcone Center events and communications manager, at 315.443.3550 or lwickham@syr.edu.

“Panasci is one of the premier campuswide business plan competitions in the country.��It brings together some of Syracuse University’s best and brightest who have a unique idea and have done the hard work of putting together a thoughtful business plan,” says , executive director of the Falcone Center. “Over the past several years, the competition has become more intense as the quality and creativity of business ideas has significantly improved.”

On the first day of competition, 16 semi-finalist teams will be selected to present to a panel of expert judges. Five teams will advance and compete for the grand prize on the second day. The top three teams, chosen based on their plan’s potential for growth and attraction of outside financing, are awarded prizes of $20,000, $7,500 and $2,500, respectively.

Additional financing is awarded to teams deemed to have an idea with the greatest potential for positive impact on society and the natural environment (Fetner Prize in Sustainable Enterprise: $5,000), ��the idea that exhibits leading-edge technology and innovation (Goldberg Prize in Technology & Innovation: $2,500) and the idea that best embodies the spirit of invention and creativity, by proposing a consumer product that will significantly improve upon yesterday’s solution (Architectural Mailboxes Consumer Product Innovation Award: $5,000).

“My experience writing the business plan and pitching my business to potential investors was unequivocally the most valuable experience I’ve had at my time in school,” says Scott Friedberg ’14, G’15 and founder of . “If anyone is serious about starting a business, Panasci is a must.”

Throughout the spring semester, teams will work to write a comprehensive business plan. EEE faculty members will work with students to improve their business plans for the competition in a weekly business plan laboratory. The Falcone Center also offers special sessions with partnering accounting and law firms, providing financial presentations and critical guidance in areas such as intellectual property.

To participate, intent to compete and entrant certification forms are both due by Thursday, Jan. 19. Printed copies of the forms are available at the Falcone Center, Suite 116 in the Whitman School. Teams may also . An orientation to the competition will be held on Jan. 19 at 6:30 p.m. in 101 Whitman and is open to all interested in the competition.

Notable winners of previous Panasci competitions include thriving businesses Dream Water, an all-natural liquid sleep supplement; Golden Gear, LLC, and Rylaxing LLC, each named one of America’s Coolest College Start-ups by Inc. magazine; and ThunderCakes, a remote location bakery.

The Panasci competition is made possible by support from Henry A. Panasci, founder of Fay’s Drugs and former chairman of Cygnus Management Group, a venture capital and management consulting firm.

Instructor Emad Rahim addresses attendees at a previous bootcamp.

The Saturday bootcamps will last from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for six weeks at a cost of $675. A limited number of scholarships are available to help offset tuition costs.

The bootcamp is a series of modules designed to help entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs develop the skills necessary to create successful, growth-oriented businesses. The only requirements are curiosity and a driving desire to learn more about entrepreneurship. The modules cover a wide variety of topics, including but not limited to innovative marketing, challenges and opportunities for new and growing ventures, business models, doing more while spending less, sustainability, and using digital technology and social media to grow your business.

“The bootcamp was exactly what I needed at the time; the program spoke to me as a new entrepreneur just as it spoke to the seasoned entrepreneur sitting next to me,” says , founder of . “I came away from every session with invigorating emotions of pride, impatience, enthusiasm and excitement and they still linger with me today. I have started my own business with skills I could not have gotten anywhere other than the Syracuse Entrepreneurship Bootcamp!”

At bootcamp a team of entrepreneurship faculty and a number of successful entrepreneurs will provide a fun and interactive experience, moving back and forth from introducing ideas and concepts to applying them to new and growing businesses. , , , , and head up the award-winning faculty members who will instruct participants.

In addition to receiving one-on-one consulting assistance, each participant will receive a certificate upon completion of the program. For more information and to register for Entrepreneurship Bootcamp online, please visit .

The Syracuse Entrepreneurship Bootcamp is presented by the and , with support from , , and .

WISE Unplugged benefits the (WBC), which offers mentoring and consulting services to women entrepreneurs, as well as networking opportunities. The economic impact of women entrepreneurs continues to rise each year; in 2014-2015, the WISE WBC counseled 125 local clients (with a combined gross revenue of over $47 million), as well as trained 630 women entrepreneurs.

“I wish the WISE programs existed when I started my business 20 years ago,” says Nicole Samolis, CSEP, founder and creative director of The Events Co. and SKY Armory, who has been closely involved in WISE and the WBC. “Finding entrepreneurial start-up help was fairly non-existent at that time. I had to do it alone, finding resources and learning from my own mistakes. Operating a business can be a lonely role; being able to share and learn from people like me would have been so nice. I’m honored to be able to help other women dream, believe and pursue a venture.” The Events Co. has helped the Whitman School’s Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship produce the WISE symposium for 10 years.

This year, WISE is “unplugging” by creating a more intimate setting (attendance will be limited to 350 people) for learning and conversing with other entrepreneurs. In an updated format for this year, all of the program content will be shared as general sessions so attendees will have the opportunity to hear all speakers.

WISE Unplugged sessions:

• Keynote Presentation “Leadership with an EDGE”
• Dream, Believe, Pursue: Real life stories of local women entrepreneurs who turned their dream into million-dollar companies
• Emotional Intelligence: Why it matters and why��it’s critical to leadership success
• Bootstrapping: Strategies for surviving startup and growth
• WISE Latina workshop
• Sales & Marketing interactive session

Some of the 2016 featured speakers include:

• Pam Sherman, a nationally syndicated columnist (“The Suburban Outlaw”), actor, recovering lawyer and leadership consultant who was profiled in People Magazine about her career transition from attorney to actor. Sherman is a keynote speaker about finding your EDGE in the best possible way, to explore, dream, grow and excite.
• Jill S. Tietjen, an author, national speaker and electrical engineer. Tietjen is one of the top historians in the country on scientific and technical women. A dynamic and energetic speaker who received the Daughters of the American Revolution History Award Medal for her bestselling book “Her Story:��A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America.”
• Jeanette Sweet is the founder of HR-Max, which applies “talent management” techniques to the traditional human resource function. As the author and creator of ©Workfit 101, she takes business owners’ brains to the “gym” in order to increase their own effectiveness, reduce their employer cost by hiring, managing and keeping the right employees.
• Mary Schechter is president and founder of theintuitiveorganization.com and is a consultant, trainer and leadership coach who pioneers organizations toward a fearless approach to performance management. Her expertise is in developing self-mastery and the interpersonal skill set that builds best practices using emotional intelligence training.

For a full list of speakers, click .

An audience listens to a presentation at last year’s WISE conference.

Throughout the day, a business expo will be open with companies showcasing their products and services. The winners of the Ann Michel Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year and WISE Faces of Success (presented by Y94) will be honored at a brief ceremony following the keynote presentation.

For tickets, visit . Discounted pricing is available for students.

The WISE Symposium is organized in conjunction with the and was launched by the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship, located in the , which has provided critical event support since its inception in 2003. WISE fosters the pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunities of women from all walks of life and sponsor events to promote entrepreneurial thinking among women in the Central New York region.

For more information, contact Lindsay Wickham, Falcone Center events and communications manager, at 315-443-3550 or lwickham@syr.edu.

Angelo Damiano, team leader of PowerSpike

The PowerSpike team is led by Angelo Damiano, a junior at the . It connects gaming influencers, eSports organizations and eSports teams with brands. Statistics indicate that in 2015, online video game tournaments, otherwise known as “eSports,” got more views than the Masters, NBA finals, World Series and Stanley Cup. These tournaments, as well as other individual live streamers, have built their fan following on an online video game livestreaming service called Twitch.tv. While Twitch gets a massive amount of viewership collectively, tens of thousands of people stream on the site every day, and the viewership is spread across thousands of unique, individual channels, making it difficult to sponsor streamers as a brand, or to get sponsored by a brand as a streamer.

“At PowerSpike, we’ve developed an innovative solution to help make full-time streaming financially feasible. We help brands create integrated in-stream campaigns, which turn streamers into digital sellers without having to negotiate out contracts with thousands of individual channels one on one,” says Damiano. “Our technology allows streamers or eSports organizations to easily find brands willing to sponsor them in an open marketplace, and monitor their channel analytics in one convenient dashboard. We enable brands to find streamers/eSports organizations which best fit their campaigns, and effortlessly monitor their total outreach in seconds. Here at PowerSpike, we’re creating the next generation of online branding.”

The finals take place on April 6 beginning at 8 p.m. EST and will be broadcast live at����or on WCNY, Syracuse’s public television station.

The��Syracuse Women’s Empowerment and Engagement Partnership��(SWEEP)��is a cross-campus collaboration that will be hosting several on campus events in celebration of Women’s History month in March. All students, staff and faculty members across campus are encouraged to join SWEEP to celebrate all women and what they do in the campus community.

The following are details about various events on campus:

• Tell Your Story, Make a Difference: In addition to keynote speaker Jill Tietjan, alumni speakers from schools across campus will participate in a flash-talk session where participants will tell their personal story, highlighting their dreams, mentors and setbacks and how they are making a difference today. This event takes place on March 8, from 3-5 p.m. in the Goldstein Auditorium in Schine Student Center.
• Dining Etiquette Workshop and What Not to Wear Fashion Show: This event takes place on March 10, from 5-7 p.m. in Goldstein Auditorium. Tickets are available at the and cost $5 for students.

“It’s been amazing to see the growth of this partnership that began with several student leaders who recognized an importance to celebrate International Women’s Month on our campus,” says Sheila Clifford-Bova, SWEEP’s staff advisor and facilitator. “From there, this grassroots movement has grown to include almost every school on campus, from the student, staff and faculty level and beyond! Women are coming together to support, educate and empower each other.��It’s a true collaboration that speaks directly to our Chancellor’s vision of One University.”

In addition to campuswide partners, community partners for SWEEP include: , and the .

The��Syracuse Women’s Empowerment and Engagement Partnership��(SWEEP)��started in 2015 as a grassroots movement between student organizations at the and . The student leaders noticed that there weren’t any campuswide activities celebrating International Women’s Month, and decided to collaborate together to create and produce some. These events were well attended, and students from other schools on campus asked if they could be part of the collaboration for the next year, and it has now spread to become a campus partnership of students, staff and faculty, along with other organizations from CNY.​

SWEEP’s mission is to promote gender and diversity initiatives on the Syracuse University campus and throughout central New York via collaboration with student groups, staff and faculty on campus, and throughout the community. It shares the Chancellor’s vision of One University, and endeavors to work together to celebrate and support the women of the Syracuse University campus, SU alumni and the Syracuse community.

For more information, contact Clifford-Bova at 315-443-4795 or sacliffo@syr.edu.

The conference will showcase new technology developed locally.

The inaugural Syracuse Technology Entrepreneurship Conference will showcase locally developed new technology and help to facilitate the commercialization of research and technologies developed at Syracuse University and by its partners. The conference will take place on April 15, from 2-5 p.m. in the Flaum Grand Hall at the Whitman School.

The event will:

• offer venture funds the ability to consider SU technologies for funding opportunities;
• provide SU faculty and students access to economic development resources;
• introduce the technology commercialization and transfer process; and
• catalyze conversations between researchers and the individuals who can help navigate the entrepreneurial process to go from proof of concept to startup and beyond.

The conference will feature poster presentations by faculty members and graduate researchers who are developing new technologies with commercialization potential. Information sessions on IP landscapes and SBIR/STTR funding will be offered by the New York State Science & Technology Law Center and Central NY Technology Development Organization. A keynote speaker will address funding opportunities for faculty research, new technology development and the commercialization process.

“Providing the innovation community a look at the remarkable science & technology being developed in the Syracuse University area is imperative for its commercial development,” says M. Jack Rudnick, director of the NYS Science & Technology Law Center. “Tech showcases build momentum for the commercialization of research.��The event provides an opportunity for investment funds, incubators, serial entrepreneurs, government resources, entrepreneurial academic programs and IP attorneys to view what is happening in the SU area and be part of the support network to develop those with good promise.”

Event attendees will include members of the entrepreneurial and local business community, relevant industry experts, potential licensees or partnering companies, members of the investment community, managers of incubators and accelerator-type programs.

To participate as a faculty member or graduate student showcasing new technology, . To register to attend the event and view these technologies, .

Campus and community partners for the inaugural Syracuse Technology Entrepreneurship Conference include: , , and the .

For more information, contact Lindsay Wickham, Falcone Center events and communications manager, at 315-443-3550 or lwickham@syr.edu.

Participants in Exito!

The six-week course “Exito!” (Success!)�� was created by the WISE Women’s Business Center with the goal of assisting the Central New York Latina community. The course encompassed: online learning, in-classroom training, roundtable discussion, accounting practices training and pitch competition coaching. Each week, the courses were based around a special software program designed to train women in entrepreneurship to create the first stages of a business plan and clearly articulate that plan in a five-minute pitch to an audience.

“The women in our group have learned so much about owning their own businesses. The WISE Women’s Business Center staff, the Whitman School M.B.A. students and other experts have made a huge impact on these new entrepreneurs,” says Marisol Hernandez, “Exito!” program facilitator.

The grant from the Women’s Fund of CNY was awarded to the WISE Women’s Business Center to better the lives of women and girls and in this case, to teach them entrepreneurship can be a pathway toward economic independence and creation of communitywide economic impact.

The seeks to improve the lives of women and girls, serve as a voice and advocate for women and girls, educate women about philanthropy and engage women in creating change through collective and targeted giving.

A presentation takes place during a previous bootcamp.

The Saturday bootcamps will last from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at a cost of $675. A limited number of scholarships are available to help offset tuition costs.

The bootcamp is a series of modules designed to help entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs develop the skills necessary to create successful, growth-oriented businesses. The only requirements are curiosity and a driving desire to learn more about entrepreneurship. The modules cover a wide variety of topics, including, but not limited to, innovative marketing, challenges and opportunities for new and growing ventures, business models, doing more while spending less, sustainability, and using digital technology and social media to grow your business.

“The Syracuse Entrepreneurship Bootcamp was a life-changing experience for me,” says Leah Cahill, co-founder of TogaLu Designs, LLC. “The resources provided both during and after the program helped me to build the foundation and the confidence that I needed to take the next steps in developing my business.”

At the bootcamp, a team of entrepreneurship faculty and a number of successful entrepreneurs will provide a fun and interactive experience, moving back and forth from introducing ideas and concepts to applying them to new and growing businesses. , , , , , and head up the award-winning faculty members who will instruct bootcamp participants.

“The bootcamp was exactly what I needed at the right time; the program spoke to me as a new entrepreneur just as it spoke to the seasoned entrepreneur sitting next to me,” says , founder of . “I came away from every session with invigorating emotions of pride, impatience, enthusiasm and excitement and they still linger with me today. I have started my own business with skills I could not have gotten anywhere other than the Syracuse Entrepreneurship Bootcamp!”

In addition to receiving one-on-one consulting assistance, each participant will receive a certificate upon completion of the program. For more information and to register for Entrepreneurship Bootcamp online, visit .

The Syracuse Entrepreneurship Bootcamp is presented by the and , with support from , , and .

As an active partner with the New York State Entrepreneurial Assistance Program, we are honored to be recognized with this award,” says El-Java Abdul-Qadir, director of the EAP program at SSIC. “The South Side Innovation Center is looking forward to continue its work to provide quality assistance and programming to aspiring and growing entrepreneurs in our region while providing an avenue for Syracuse University students to gain practical experience working with local entrepreneurs.”

The South Side Innovation Center’s mission is to increase the vitality of the local and area economy by recruiting, nurturing and training a diverse group of emerging and mature businesses, providing them with business incubation, development, education, market access and credit assistance, using highly skilled, trained professional counselors. The Entrepreneurial Assistance Program (EAP) at SSIC provides instruction, training, technical assistance and support services to individuals who have recently started their own business or are interested in starting a business.

Joanne Lenweaver

Joanne Lenweaver, director of the —a program of the —was recognized with the 2015 Outstanding Mentor Award at the inaugural Successful Business Women Awards on Sept. 24.�� Lenweaver was one of 13 recipients to be recognized as an industry leader who works to ignite success in women across the Central New York region. The awards event is presented by Her HeartBeat and Business Journal News Network produced by BizEventz.

“The awards were founded to honor women in our CNY community who are not only successful in their business or industry, but who go above and beyond by paying it forward through igniting success in other women, organizations or communities,” said Leisha Doherty, event producer and founder of Her Heartbeat.

“Joanne Lenweaver’s honor as Outstanding Mentor at the Successful Business Women Awards is well deserved,” notes Terry Brown, executive director of the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship at the Whitman School. “She works tirelessly to support women in their entrepreneurial journey and has a passion for helping others to realize their dreams and help them become a reality.”

The retreat will focus on the challenges women face in today’s professional world and the art of succeeding despite those issues. For a registration fee of $5, attendees will enjoy a yoga class, a session on women’s wellness, a motivational talk by Susan Beebe (founder of Tap Into Your Center), a fully catered dinner with a dining etiquette workshop and a “What Not to Wear” fashion show hosted by faculty members of the two schools’ career centers.

“The first step in hurdling��the challenges women face in a professional setting is to come together and face them head-on,” says Deedi Boland ’16 MBA, one of the students helping to plan the event. “We’re hoping to reach max attendance—it’s going to be a fantastic event for female students!”

The retreat is open to both undergraduate and graduate women, although space is limited. For more information on the event and to register, visit .

“The goal of this event is to show the world that Syracuse University knows how to come together to celebrate Women’s History Month!” says Boland.

The event is co-hosted by women-focused student groups on campus, including , the , WIT-U and .

“We are excited to be hosting an event that will help inspire female science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors,” says Jessica Crawford, president of MedTech Association. “MedTech’s 2014 industry report highlighted the need for talent to support the burgeoning bioscience and medical technology industry in New York State. It is my hope that these women learn about various STEM career options, specifically in New York, and pursue these professions.”

The one-day event will empower and encourage female STEM majors and feature a variety of professional opportunities available in these fields. The event will feature a keynote presentation from Nancy Rurkowski, vice president of Biologics External Manufacturing at Bristol-Myers Squibb. The event will also include a panel discussion with female STEM leaders and entrepreneurs from across Central New York and a networking reception.

“The urgency to increase opportunities for women in all fields of professional development dominates today’s media—not the least of which is to increase opportunities for women in STEM fields,” says Joanne Lenweaver, director of the . “At the WISE Women’s Business Center, we focus on women in entrepreneurship and at the same time, we seek and support women in science, technology, engineering and math to enrich the environment for starting and growing the businesses of tomorrow.”

Individuals interesting in attending this event should register by April 3. Attendees can register for this event by visiting ; it’s free for all students and $20 for non-students.

Daniel Goldberg created Golden Gear while a student at SU. It was a previous winner of the Panasci Business Plan Competition.

“Panasci is one of the premier campus-wide business plan competitions in the country.��It brings together some of Syracuse University’s best and brightest who have a unique idea and have done the hard work of putting together a thoughtful business plan,” notes Terry Brown, executive director of the Falcone Center. “Over the past several years, the competition has become more intense as the quality and creativity of business ideas has significantly improved.”

On the first day of competition, 16 semi-finalist teams will be selected to present to a panel of expert judges. Five teams will advance and compete for the grand prize on the second day. The top three teams, chosen based on their plan’s potential for growth and attraction of outside financing, are awarded prizes of $20,000, $7,500 and $2,500, respectively.

Additional financing is awarded to three teams deemed to have an idea with the greatest potential for positive impact on society and the natural environment (Fetner Prize in Sustainable Enterprise: $5,000), the idea that exhibits leading-edge technology and innovation (Goldberg Prize in Technology & Innovation: $2,500), and the idea that best embodies the spirit of invention and creativity, by proposing a consumer product that will significantly improve upon yesterday’s solution (Architectural Mailboxes Consumer Product Innovation Award: $5,000).

“My experience writing the business plan and pitching my business to potential investors was unequivocally the most valuable experience I’ve had at my time in school,” says Scott Friedberg ’15 MS, ’14 BS. “If anyone is serious about starting a business, Panasci is a must.”

Throughout the spring semester, teams will work to write a comprehensive business plan. EEE faculty members will work with students to improve their business plans for the competition in a weekly business plan laboratory. The Falcone Center also offers special sessions with partnering accounting and law firms, providing financial presentations and critical guidance in areas such as intellectual property.

To participate, intent to compete and entrant certification forms are both due by Thursday, Jan. 15. Printed copies of the forms are available at the Falcone Center, Suite 116 in the Whitman School. Teams may also . An orientation to the competition will be held on Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. in Whitman SOM Room 101 and is open to all students.

Notable winners of previous Panasci competitions include thriving businesses Dream Water, an all-natural liquid sleep supplement; Golden Gear, LLC and Rylaxing LLC, each named one of America’s Coolest College Start-ups by Inc. magazine; and James Barrett Co., an apparel company.

The Panasci competition is made possible by support from Henry A. Panasci, founder of Fay’s Drugs and former chairman of Cygnus Management Group, a venture capital and management consulting firm.

An entrepreneur dishes up goodness at last year’s Holiday Market.

The (SSIC) is hosting its annual Holiday Market on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 1-5 p.m. at the center, in downtown Syracuse. Local businesses and community members are invited to sample new and unique food and retail products created by SSIC clients and tenants.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the Syracuse community to support local businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to bring their unique products to the Central New York area,” says El-Java Abdul-Qadir, director of the South Side Innovation Center. “Clients will have the opportunity to provide samples of their food products, promote and sell their hand-made crafts, and showcase their name and brand. We are encouraging local business owners and those seeking fresh new product ideas to visit the SSIC and learn about our programs, clients and support our mission of local vitality.”

The SSIC is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the . The center’s mission is to increase the vitality of the local and area economy by recruiting, nurturing and training a diverse group of emerging and mature businesses, providing them with business incubation, development, education, market access and credit assistance, using highly skilled, trained professional counselors.

“We are thrilled to learn that Verizon will be offering continued support to help us sustain the wonderful partnership that forms the foundation of Project Phoenix,” says Randi Bregman, executive director of Vera House. “Through this visionary project, domestic violence survivors have had doors opened and dreams realized. The healing power of economic opportunity has been transformative.”

Project Phoenix clients participate in over 75 hours of business development classes as well as one-on-one business counseling meetings aimed at the development of sustainable business plans. They also attend networking events, women’s conferences and workshops, and work closely with an advocate.

Since the program’s inception in 2012, 37 women have formally enrolled in the program and begun working on business plans, and 25 clients remain active and have started a business or are continuing to work on their business plan. Upon completion of a business plan, 87 percent of individuals were successful in receiving additional grant money from Verizon to help cover start-up costs and business development. As a direct result, over two-thirds of those receiving grants are actively running their business.

Bob Dorf

The Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises (EEE) at the will host author and serial entrepreneur Bob Dorf on Wednesday, April 23, for a presentation titled “Let Your Customers Design Your Startup: Putting Lean Startup Principles to Work.”

The event will be held from 7-8 p.m. in room 202 of the Whitman School. Prior to the presentation, a networking session will take place from 6‑7��p.m. in Whitman’s Milton Room, room 411. Both events are free and open to the public.

“Syracuse University is extremely excited to have Bob Dorf visit the SU campus,” says Alex McKelvie, associate professor of entrepreneurship and department chair. “Bob’s work on customer development has been fundamental for helping entrepreneurs get their companies up and running quickly and efficiently. His methodology has entrepreneurs get operational while also keeping the customer in the middle. His approach and story are inspiring and informative for students.”

Dorf travels the world helping startups, incubators, governments and established corporations learn how to effectively deploy customer development process through speaking, workshops and intensive hands-on startup boot camps. His training comes in many forms, including speeches, workshops and consulting. He teaches customer development and business modeling in full-semester and weeklong classes at Columbia Business School, where he is an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship.

In March, 2012, Dorf collaborated with Steve Blank to publish “The Startup Owner’s Manual: A Step-By-Step Guide to Building a Great Company.” The book offers parallel customer development pathways for companies in the web and mobile channels, as well as traditional physical goods and enterprise software startups; it also includes in-depth web marketing tutorials.

Dorf left a lucrative broadcasting job at the age of 22 because he had a passion to start his own company, which he did seven times over three decades. He has invested in and coached or advised more than two dozen startups over more than a decade.

Jessica Herrin

Jessica Herrin will deliver the afternoon keynote address, “Achieving Success and Balance through a Career You Love,” in which she’ll unveil her entrepreneurial journey designing a career that fit with her family priorities.

Melinda Emerson

Melinda Emerson, known as SmallBizLady, America’s #1 small business expert, CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, and author of “Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works,” is the morning keynote speaker. Emerson’s presentation, “How to Reinvent Your Business and Become a Social Media Ninja,” aims to inspire attendees to achieve their potential by dreaming big and then making it happen through tools, resources and social media.

Another highly anticipated speaker is Entrepreneur magazine editor-in-chief Amy Cosper, who will give a “State of Women in Business” update to kick off the morning of the event.

Additional 2014 WISE Symposium speakers include:

• Jennifer Howland, leader of IBM’s Pathways Program, a worldwide initiative to develop bold actions aimed at increasing the representation of women in STEM-related leadership positions
• Judy Wicks, author of “Good Morning, Beautiful Business” and buy-local advocate
• Karen Hough, founder and CEO of ImprovEdge, and the author of “The Improvisation Edge: Secrets to Building Trust and Radical Collaboration at Work”
• Alicia Marie, CEO of People Biz Inc., a coaching and training company
• Gayle Carson, “Spunky Old Broad” and personal coach
• Renata Mutis Black, founder and executive director of Seven Foundation, which posits a new blueprint for philanthropy away from donor dependency into sustainable business models
• Local women entrepreneurs and business/leadership experts who will be sharing their experiences, challenges and insights on a variety of topics

“It’s a great opportunity for attendees to make new connections and deepen their overall knowledge about cutting-edge business and leadership topics,” says Lindsay Wickham, events and communications manager for the WISE Symposium. “This continues at the WISE Women’s Business Center, which strives all year long to support startups and the growth of successful and passionate entrepreneurs in Central New York.”

Other key opportunities and attractions at the symposium include an Interactive Business Expo; networking with fellow delegates and exhibitors throughout the day; breakout sessions; social media lounge; Connections Café; WISE Reads Library; roundtables for special sessions, such as WISE Latinas and WISE Veterans; and also the post-symposium leadership development training seminar “Coaching Skills for Managers,” offered by Preceding the symposium will be the first annual Be WISE, Buy LOCAL Spring Fling, hosted by WISE and Syracuse First, on Monday, April 7 from 5-7 p.m.

Attendees may register for an all inclusive all-day ticket for $99. Registration for full-time students is $20. Other ticketing options are available. To register, visit or contact Wickham at lwickham@syr.edu, or 315-443-3550.

The Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship, in the , has provided critical support and services for the event since its inception in 2003.

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The Grow Your Business event will feature presentations from local business professionals on topics that include media management, technology, financial planning, access to capital, branding, entity formation, legal issues, and growth and exit planning. In addition to the breakout sessions, participants will be able to network, enjoy lunch with a keynote speaker and meet other business professionals and organizations within the local community.

“The South Side Innovation Center is proud to be chosen as the facilitator of the Grow Your Business Boot Camp event sponsored by Sam’s Club,” says El-Java Abdul-Qadir, manager of the SSIC. “This event will connect small business owners with the resources and tools they need to increase their revenue, create jobs and contribute positively to their families and community, which will ultimately increase the vitality of the local economy.”

Launched in April 2006, the South Side Innovation Center is a business incubator that fosters the creation of new ventures and helps to make existing ones sustainable. The program is part of the larger South Side Entrepreneurial Connect Project.

The SSIC is located at ��2610 S. Salina St. in downtown Syracuse. For more information, visit .

Terry Brown

Terry Brown, executive director of the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship at the , was recently elected to a three-year term as a member of the Business Council of New York’s board of directors. In addition, he received an appointment to the Public Policy Institute of New York, Inc.

Prior to joining the Falcone Center, Brown was involved in a number of entrepreneurial projects, held several high-level positions at O’Brien & Gere from 1975-2011 (including chairman, chief executive officer and president) and served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Most recently, he was president and chief executive officer of Warner Energy Solutions, LLC, a start-up company focused on developing renewable energy and environmental projects. Brown has extensive experience in executive leadership, project management, strategic planning, fundraising, marketing, branding, development, mergers and acquisitions, grant writing and developing business models. He also holds three patents.

The Business Council of New York State, Inc., is the leading business organization in New York State, representing the interests of large and small firms throughout the state. Its membership is made up of thousands of member companies, as well as local chambers of commerce and professional and trade associations. The primary function of the organization is to serve as an advocate for employers in the state political and policy-making arena, working for a healthier business climate, economic growth and jobs.

The Public Policy Institute of New York State, Inc. is a research and educational organization whose purpose is to formulate and promote public policies that will restore New York’s economic competitiveness.

The Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship is the outreach arm of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises in the Whitman School of Management. Its mission is to facilitate entrepreneurial activity on campus, in the local and regional community, and beyond. The Falcone Center offers a portfolio of innovative programs and initiatives organized into two areas: student and campus-focused initiatives and community entrepreneurship programs.

ConnectNow, an application enabling users to grow their personal networks, is co-founded and operated by Serge Efap ’14�� and co-founders Justin Oh ’13�� and Benjamin Honig ’15, all from Syracuse University. A fourth co-founder, Joseph Sorrentino, is a recent graduate of Fordham University.

ConnectNow was designed to bring together the primary social media profiles, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram alongside the user’s personal contact information, such as phone number and email address, into a single platform. Users have the ability to connect with others through these different networks without having to toggle between multiple apps.

“We are excited to be working with ConnectNow in the Couri Hatchery student business incubator this year,” says Terry Brown, executive director of the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship at the . “The ConnectNow app presents modern technology that has multiple uses for both students and professionals—it also highlights the creativity and persistence of young entrepreneurs with high potential to create something truly innovative.”

In addition to hosting all contact information in one platform, users can click on a connection’s profile and from there, all points of contact are clickable. The app also has a GPS feature, so that you can easily locate your connections if they are nearby.

“ConnectNow is built for today’s social media-infused society, where a person’s Facebook or LinkedIn channel is just as, if not more, valuable than their phone number or email address,” says Oh.

To download the free app from the Apple App Store, visit . To learn more about ConnectNow, contact Efap, marketing and public relations, at 917-776 4173 or serge.efap@connectnowapp.com.

Bootcamp classes are taught by a team of award-winning SU professors and feature guest entrepreneurs sharing stories of challenges and triumphs along their entrepreneurial journey. Topics to be covered include business planning, marketing on a shoestring budget, financing a business, operations, accounting, human resources and legal issues. Throughout the program, Whitman M.B.A. students provide one-on-one mentoring and coaching.

“Having the support of the bootcamp has given me the skills to follow my dreams and helped to bring my business from DBA to incorporation, and ultimately not-for-profit 501(c)3 status,” says 2011 participant Lisa Paul, founder of Cope with Stroke Inc. “I have learned so much—the knowledge, support and friendship has carried over to my business and has taken my motivation to a higher level: to dream, believe, pursue.”

Since the program’s inception, more than 500 local entrepreneurs have been trained through the program, many of whom are operating successful businesses today.

“The program is also a valuable tool for aspiring individuals within a company who wish to grow their career by injecting an entrepreneur’s spirit within their company structure and become an ‘intrapreneur’ that can make a difference in their organization’s success,” says Terry Brown, executive director of the Falcone Center. “The Bootcamp helps entrepreneurs grow their companies, in turn adding value to CNY by creating new jobs, fostering innovation, inspiring others to pursue entrepreneurship and contributing to the improvement of our local and national economy.”

The bootcamp will be held at the Whitman School of Management, 721 University Ave. Tuition for the six-week program is $675, with a limited number of $200 scholarships available to qualified applicants. Sessions take place from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Space is limited. For more information, contact Lindsay Wickham, Falcone Center events and communications manager, at 315-443-3550 or lwickham@syr.edu.

The bootcamp is made possible by the support of the Whitman School of Management, Bond Schoeneck & King PLLC, and the Central New York Business Journal.

]]> /blog/2013/06/19/wise-womens-business-center-announces-three-new-board-members-roster-for-2013/ Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:33:21 +0000 /?p=54394 The WISE Women’s Business Center announced the appointment of Jennifer Creighton, Alyse Holstein and Gwen Webber-McLeod to its board of advisors, as well as the full slate of officers and board members for 2013.

“I am excited to welcome our new board members to the WISE Women’s Business Center,” says Joanne Lenweaver, the center’s director. “They bring us a wealth of expertise in entrepreneurship and business, as well as passion and energy to serve the mission of the center.”

Creighton is communications coordinator and office manager for F.O.C.U.S. Greater Syracuse, a nonprofit dedicated to citizen engagement and trusteeship. Prior to F.O.C.U.S., Creighton was assistant editor for CNY Business Exchange Magazine and CNY Sports Magazine. Creighton has more than 10 years of experience in communications, public relations, marketing, publishing and graphic communications for nonprofits and startups.

Holstein is a principal at hpg partners, a global advisory services company that connects businesses with one another as well as funding sources. Holstein has a background as a financial advisor and co-owner of The Holstein Co., a Baltimore-based financial planning and investment advisory firm. She was a leading agent for Lincoln Financial Group for 15 years.

Webber-McLeod is president and CEO of Gwen Inc., a leadership development corporation. Webber-McLeod has more than 30 years of experience in leadership development, facilitation, strategic planning and the development of effective coalitions/collaborations.

In addition, board member Nicole Samolis, president of The Events Co., was elected chair, succeeding Suzanne DeFuria, president of Potter Heating & Air Conditioning.

The WISE Women’s Business Center’s board members for 2013 are Samolis, (chair); Zina A. Berry, Berry Good Dental Care; Terry Brown, Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship; Rani Ristau, KeyBank; Creighton; Rachael Stanton, U.S. Small Business Administration (ex-officio); DeFuria; Ann Marie Stonecypher, AMS Models & Talent/Your Better Style; Holstein; Webber-McLeod; Amy Isca, Isca Design Studio; Cathy Pokines, U.S. Small Business Administration (ex-officio); and Rita L. Reicher, KS&R.

The WISE Women’s Business Center, located in the Tech Center in downtown Syracuse, is one of more than 100 women’s business centers nationwide sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration. It is an outreach program of the at Syracuse University.

Since its inception, EAP has trained more than 170 entrepreneurs locally through its curriculum, consisting of training seminars in such topics as public speaking, sales, marketing, QuickBooks, business accounting, social media, human resources and more. This year’s graduates completed 60 hours of class time and 10 hours of one-on-one counseling.

To qualify for the business plan competition, each participant submitted a business plan and made an oral presentation to a panel of judges. Second place, with a $500 cash prize, was awarded to Via Mondo Enterprises, founded by Rosemary Mondo, and third place, with a $250 cash prize, was awarded to Ra-Menes Home Repair & Inspections, founded by Johnny Pertillar.

“The support that the SSIC has provided throughout the process was instrumental,” says Mondo. “I feel very fortunate to have gone through this program—it has propelled my business forward far more than I would have been able to accomplish on my own.”

The WISE Women’s Business Center, located in the Tech Garden in downtown Syracuse, was chosen to host and customize the Money Smart for Small Business program to target startups and young ventures.

Money Smart for Small Business is a new, instructor-led training curriculum developed jointly by the FDIC and SBA. The multi-level modules in this curriculum provide introductory training for new and aspiring entrepreneurs on the basics to organizing and managing a business. In addition to grounding participants in the basics, the curriculum serves as a foundation for more advanced training and technical assistance.

Pathfinder has taught Money Smart and Money Smart for Young Adults for years. “It is a natural progression for us to bring this excellent series from the FDIC and the SBA now to small business,” says Pathfinder Bank spokesperson��Joy Campbell, , Assistant Vice President and Account Manager.

“Delivering this professional program through the WISE Women’s Business Center is a perfect collaboration. Pathfinder Bank will provide the banking expertise while we will use our resources to fill the classes and assist entrepreneurs as they learn and bring their businesses to the next level,” says Joanne Lenweaver, director of the WISE Women’s Business Center.

The WISE Women’s Business Center, one of more than 100 other women’s business centers nationwide sponsored by the SBA, features year-round training programs targeting women entrepreneurs at various stages of entrepreneurial development. The center, an outreach program of the , also provides periodic workshops and special entrepreneurial events that offer important opportunities for learning, networking and mentoring. The center provides information, resources and support for women entrepreneurs, enabling them to successfully advance their businesses to the next stage of profitability and success. The goal of the WISE Women’s Business Center is to create a thriving community of women entrepreneurs in Syracuse and Onondaga County, one venture at a time.

Perhaps best known as one of the most caring and supportive executives featured on CBS’s hit series, “Undercover Boss,” Yellen has built a reputation as a true authentic leader. BELFOR is the world’s largest disaster restoration company, built on the company culture of “doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” Yellen will speak about his experience on “Undercover Boss” and his leadership role in a unique industry. A brief��question-and-answer portion will follow his program and participants will be encouraged to ask questions as aspiring and current business leaders.

“Syracuse University is extremely excited to have Sheldon Yellen visit the SU campus,” remarks Terry Brown, executive director of the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship. “An extraordinary entrepreneur, Mr. Yellen has grown his business, BELFOR, into the largest global disaster-recovery company with over $1 billion in sales. Mr. Yellen’s leadership, passion for his employees and commitment to his philanthropic initiatives is a story the students would be well served to aspire to.”

The awards are given annually to two women who have started Central New York-based businesses with proven success in five key areas: creation of a sustainable business and/or creation of jobs, increase in sales and profits of the business over the past three years, overcoming challenges and obstacles, innovation (methods, procedures, products, etc.) and contributions beyond their company (professional, personal, educational, etc.)

“Every year, the WISE Symposium Ann Michel Award winners personify successful women entrepreneurs and, through their example, energize those in attendance. The WISE Women’s Business Center welcomes those who are ‘energized’ to discover their personal success level,” says Joanne Lenweaver, director of the WISE Women’s Business Center.

Nominees for this award must have founded and grown a company that has made an impact in a particular market or industry and exhibited innovation. Additional key criteria for the award are the demonstration of strong entrepreneurial spirit and outstanding leadership balanced with a proven commitment to the community. Self-nominations are also welcomed.

The awards are named for Ann Michel, founder and longtime president of Knowledge Systems and��Research and the inaugural winner of the Distinguished Entrepreneur Award for a High Growth Venture. She led Knowledge Systems for 21 years, transitioning it from a start-up consulting firm with six employees to an international powerhouse with more than 200 employees. Michel passed away in November 2004 and her inspiration to many led to the naming of this award in her honor.

For more information about award criteria, nomination forms or to register for the 2013 WISE Symposium, visit or contact Lindsay Wickham, events and communications manager, at 315-443-3550 or at lwickham@syr.edu.

The WISE Women’s Business Center has announced the relocation of its main office to the Tech Garden in downtown Syracuse. A ribbon-cutting, to celebrate a heightened awareness for women’s entrepreneurship in Central New York, will be held at the Tech Garden on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 3:30 p.m. Dean Melvin Stith of the Whitman School, Robert Simpson of CenterState CEO and BJ Paprocki of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are slated to attend and give remarks.

The WISE Women’s Business Center, an outreach program of the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, features year-round training programs targeting women entrepreneurs at various stages of entrepreneurial development. The center’s relocation to downtown Syracuse will enable it to expand and better serve aspiring women entrepreneurs from across the Central New York region. The center’s former home, the South Side Innovation Center, will continue to serve WISE clients as well.

“We invite all women entrepreneurs and any community members interested in business to stop by and see what the WISE Women’s Business Center is all about,” says Joanne Lenweaver, director of the WISE Women’s Business Center. “WISE offers its own special mix of SBA resources and Whitman’s academic knowledge here for any woman interested in exploring self-employment or striving to build a growing enterprise.”

All of the center’s staff phone numbers and e-mail addresses will remain unchanged. To make an appointment or reach the main office, call 315-443-8634 or e-mail wisewbc@syr.edu.

Since its inception in 2006, the WISE Women’s Business Center, one of more than 100 U.S. SBA-sponsored women’s business centers nationwide, has counseled more than 270 aspiring and growth entrepreneurs each year. In addition to business roundtable discussions and year-round programming for entrepreneurs, the center also provides periodic workshops and special entrepreneurial events that offer important opportunities for learning, networking and mentoring. The center provides information, resources and support for women entrepreneurs, enabling each to successfully advance their businesses to the next stage of profitability and success. The WISE Women’s Business Center strives to create a thriving community of women entrepreneurs in Syracuse and Onondaga County one venture at a time. For more information, visit wisecenter.org.

Miller’s current research examines the strategies, organization designs and governance structures of family firms and other types of businesses. Author of more than 150 articles and seven books, his work has focused on the study of organizational configurations and taxonomies, quantum strategic and structural change, competitive dynamics and asymmetries, entrepreneurial orientation and psychodynamic models of strategic leadership. Miller holds a Ph.D from McGill University.

He is an ISI Highly Cited Scholar and has won best paper awards from the Academy of Management Journal and Strategic Organization. Miller is also a past recipient of the Strategic Management Journal’s Dan and Mary Lou Schendel Best Paper Award. He is currently associate editor of Academy of Management Annals, serves on the editorial boards of Strategic Management Journal and Family Business Review, and over the years has served on the editorial boards of ASQ, Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science and Journal of Management. He is a fellow of the Academy of Management.

“Having the support of the Bootcamp has given me the skills to follow my dreams and helped to bring my business from DBA to incorporation, and ultimately a not-for-profit 501(c)3 status,” says 2011 participant Lisa Paul, founder of Cope with Stroke, Inc. “I have learned so much—the knowledge, support and friendship has carried over to my business and has taken my motivation to a higher level: to dream, believe, pursue.”

Bootcamp classes are taught by a team of award-winning SU professors and feature guest entrepreneurs sharing stories of challenges and triumphs along their entrepreneurial journey. Throughout the program, Whitman MBA students provide one-on-one mentoring and coaching.

Topics covered include business plans/planning, marketing on a shoestring budget, financing a business, operations, accounting, human resources and legal issues. Since the program’s inception, more than 450 local entrepreneurs have been trained through the program, many of whom are operating successful businesses today.

“The program is also a valuable tool for aspiring individuals within a company who wish to grow their career by injecting an entrepreneur’s spirit within their company structure, becoming an intrapreneur that can make a difference in their organization’s success,” says Terry Brown, executive director of the Falcone Center. “Bootcamp helps entrepreneurs grow their companies, adding value to CNY by creating new jobs, fostering innovation, inspiring others to pursue entrepreneurship and contributing to the improvement of our local and national economy.”

The Syracuse Entrepreneur’s Bootcamp will be held at the Whitman School, located at 721 University Ave. Tuition for the six-week program is $650, with a limited number of $200 scholarships available to qualified applicants. Sessions take place from 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Space is limited. For more information, contact Lindsay Wickham, Falcone Center events and communications manager, at 315-443-3550 or lwickham@syr.edu.

The Syracuse Entrepreneur’s Bootcamp is made possible by the support of the Whitman School and the Central New York Business Journal.

This event is part of CMI’s program, sponsored by American Express OPEN. Through the program, free pitch parties are held around the country in June and July to allow women business owners to prepare for the Pitch Competition in July, where a panel of small business experts will select up to 75 women entrepreneurs based on how well they demonstrate their ability to grow their businesses to $1 million in annual revenues quickly and sustainably. These women will be invited to apply for CMI’s Business Accelerator Program, a six-month business coaching and education intensive designed to help these businesses reach the $1 million mark within 18-24 months.�� The initiative goal is to help strengthen the capacity of women-owned businesses to contribute to economic growth and job creation in their communities.

“We are so pleased to bring this exciting opportunity to women business owners in the Central New York region,” says Joanne Lenweaver, director of the WISE Women’s Business Center. “Less than 3 percent of U.S. women-owned businesses grow to $1 million in revenues, which is a great loss in economic potential. We need to provide local women entrepreneurs with the tools and confidence needed to grow, create jobs and foster economic stability for their families and the local economy.”

Women at every stage of growth are invited to attend the WISE-hosted pitch party on June 13, where they can benefit from tips and feedback on how to make their business pitch work for them in securing new business, loans and investors, maximizing media opportunities and more. All women entrepreneurs are also encouraged to attend the Make Mine a Million event in New York City July 30-31, which will also feature timely education sessions with experts in finance, technology, marketing and more. To participate in the Pitch Competition, businesses must have a minimum of $150,000 in annual revenues. For complete details, visit .

Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence is the leading national not-for-profit provider of resources, business education and community support for women entrepreneurs seeking to grow their businesses to million dollar enterprises. Count Me In launched the Make Mine a Million $ Business Competition to inspire one million women entrepreneurs scale their businesses to a million dollars in business revenues in the next decade by providing tools, skills and the support of a nationwide community of peers.

Sixteen teams comprised of 38 students, representing majors and minors from across the SU campus, participated in the semifinals Friday, April 15 and presented their business plans to a panel of judges that included entrepreneurs from the Syracuse area, previous competition participants and Whitman School alumni. Teams were judged on creativity, innovation, feasibility and comprehensiveness.

The top five teams competed in the finals Saturday, April 14. The top three, whose new venture ideas represent the best potential for growth and attracting outside financing, were selected by judges after reading their business plans and hearing team pitches. Each earned a portion of the prize money, which totaled��$50,000.

“This year we had more than 50 participants in the Panasci Business Plan Competition and the quality of the plans was the best so far. The judges in the semi-finals had a hard time picking the final five teams,” notes Panasci Business Plan lab professor Mirza Tihic. “The top five teams were exceptional, innovative and very passionate about their entrepreneurial ventures.”

The 2012 Panasci Business Plan Competition winners include:

First Place ($25,000): Fiesta Frog

Team members: Gerald Decelian, Benjamin Joseph, Dylan Hsu, Kyle McShane

is a website that automatically updates users about what is going on in their area and allows promoters to easily and effectively advertise their events. The website launched in Syracuse in mid-October 2011 and currently has more than 4,000 users in that market. It is expanding to other college towns and metropolitan areas.

Second Place ($10,000):

Team members: Camille Malkiewicz, Marissa Rehkopf, Troy Zellers, Marina Zarya

Craftistas eliminates the tedious process of do-it-yourself crafting by offering pre-assembled craft kits through a monthly subscription website, . Kits are purchased as a one-month, three-month, six-month or annual subscription where members receive a packaged Craftistas craft kit each month. Craftistas web presence exists not only as an e-commerce site, but also as a crafting community that collaborates to deliver desired products. As a result, Craftistas leverages the website as an essential component of their philosophy of building a community and actively listening to what inspires them. With members’ help, Craftistas curates the web’s most desirable crafts.

Third Place ($5,000): James Barrett Co.

Team member: James Barrett

designs, produces and retails original graphic apparel with a positive message. Since April 2010, James Barrett Co. has sold more than 3,500 products to customers from more than 31 states. The company is releasing a new collection on April 20. The Peace Pinnies are sold in J. Michael on Marshall Street in Syracuse.

Fetner Prize for Sustainable Enterprise ($5,000): WaterPort

Team members: Chris Grant, Victoria Di Napoli, William Craine, Hunt Lau

Worldwide there are more than 1.1 billion people who struggle through each day without access to clean drinking water, and 3,900 children who die each day from water-borne illnesses. There is clearly a large demand for clean drinking water on this planet. Unfortunately, the people who are most affected by this water dilemma live in impoverished villages with no electrical supply or reliable infrastructure. This makes it impossible for rainwater harvesting and filtration systems to be utilized. WaterPort has created a portable and self-sustained rainwater harvesting and filtration system, which makes this process possible virtually anywhere on earth. The system is portable in the sense that it is completely detached from any form of infrastructure or building and its filters are self-sustained through the use of solar power energy. With every inch of rain that falls over each system, 120 gallons of purified water can be produced that would have otherwise been wasted. WaterPort’s product has the potential to save the lives of millions and its goal is to bring this technology to as many impoverished villages as possible.

Holtz Prize for Global Enterprise ($5,000): WaterPort

Barbara Corcoran delivers the afternoon keynote address, “From Rags to Riches: An Entrepreneurial Journey,” unveiling her unconventional path to success. Corcoran, faced with many obstacles, including less than satisfactory grades in high school and college, had already been through dozens of jobs by the time she was 23. She turned her story around when she started the Corcoran Group in 1973, with a $1,000 loan, selling it in 2001 for nearly $70 million. Corcoran is also an investor/shark on ABC’s reality hit “Shark Tank.”

Nell Merlino, morning keynote speaker, is founder and president of Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence, the leading national not-for-profit provider of resources for women to grow their micro businesses into million-dollar enterprises. Merlino’s speech, “Make Your Business a Million,” aims to inspire attendees to achieve their potential by dreaming big and then making it happen through tools, resources and a supportive community of their peers. She is also the creative force for Take Our Daughters to Work Day, which moved more than 71 million Americans to participate.

Other notable speakers include founder of Chobani Yogurt, Hamdi Ulukaya. Attendees will learn how Ulukaya identified the need for a Greek yogurt line in the dairy market, and went on to create one of America’s top yogurt brands. Additional 2012 WISE Symposium speakers include:

• Jackie Wilson, president and owner of American Fashion Network and JES Apparel, supplier of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel at Kohl’s, Aeropostale and Dollar General;
• Tierra Destiny Reid, owner of Stylish Consignments and founder of Serious Startups, a national service provider for small business owners looking for serious strategies;
• Yvonne Conte, a corporate climate expert, professional speaker and coach. Her company, Humor Advantage, Inc., has provided speakers for small, medium and Fortune 500 companies such as Xerox Corp., Time Warner, GE Global and Lucent Technologies;
• Lisbeth McNabb, CEO and founder of w2wlink. Former CFO and Strategist for Match.com, she launched a professional women’s content and community digital business in 2007; and��
• Lisa Assenza, Kathy Berger and Jen Falso, founders of HuePhoria (hand-decorated glassware).

The 2012 event runs from at 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and features a jam-packed day of activities, speakers and networking. Attendees may register for an all inclusive all-day ticket for $85, or may choose to register only for the afternoon expo for $30. Registration for full-time students is $20. To register, visit , or contact Lindsay Wickham at lwickham@syr.edu, or 315-443-3550.

The WISE Symposium is organized in conjunction with KeyBank, National Grid and the WISE Women’s Business Center.

Launched in 2003 by the Whitman School of Management Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship, WISE fosters the pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunities by women from all walks of life. Each year, the Falcone Center and WISE Women’s Business Center sponsor events to promote entrepreneurial thinking among women in the Central New York area and offers a way to help entrepreneurial women stay connected. Since its inception, the WISE Symposium has reached thousands of women in Central New York, successfully evolving into a year-round initiative supporting entrepreneurs through the established WISE Women’s Business Center.

“The EEE program at SU gives you the confidence to tackle real-world challenges with creative and measured approaches,” says Ryan Benz ’11. “Whether you’re starting your own business or working within an existing company, you’ll find yourself applying the knowledge you’ve learned from the MSE program on a daily basis.”

Many of the courses available to students include practical work with local businesses, including the ,��Emerging Enterprise Consulting and Corporate Entrepreneurship courses. To best prepare for their chosen careers, students have the flexibility of choosing elective courses from specific tracks: New Venture, Social and Corporate Entrepreneurship. Scholarships are available to applicants to help offset the cost of tuition.

“The MSE program is about getting students ready for the real world. The program will teach them the basics of marketing, accounting, finance and strategy needed to be successful in business,” says entrepreneurship professor Alex McKelvie. “But students will also be able to dig deep into different parts of entrepreneurship that will help them achieve their career goals, regardless of what kind of entrepreneur they want to be.”

The MSE coursework includes a mix of 1.5- and three-credit courses taken in the following three fields:

• Business Foundation (15 credit hours—required courses, most are part of the MBA core)
• Entrepreneurial Core (12 credit hours of elective courses specifically focusing on entrepreneurship-related topics)
• Entrepreneurship Field Experience (3 credit hours working on a novel business idea)

In addition to coursework, students in the MSE program will be encouraged to engage with the many resources available through the Syracuse University cross-campus university network, including the , , and the initiative.�� Working space may also be provided to students to run their ventures, such as within the .��

To learn more about this program, please call Josh LaFave at 315-443-3497 or e-mail msinfo@syr.edu. Additional information on courses can also be found on the .

The company’s signature item is the Peace Tee, which features a bold and graphic hand-drawn peace sign on the front of the shirt with the company stamp on the back. Most recently, the company has sold more than 120 Peace Pinnies at J. Michael since December 2011.

“We are more than thrilled to host James’ first trunk show,” notes J. Michael owner John Vavalo. “Our store loves working with well-rounded student entrepreneurs like James as his Peace Pinnies continue to be a hot product on our shelves. We look forward to his new collection, debuting later this spring.”

Since April 2010, the company has sold more than 3,000 products in 31 states across the United States, has over 3,100 fans on Facebook and was honored with the award for Creative Excellence in the 2011 cross-campus Panasci Business Plan Competition, hosted by the .

Barrett plans to enter the Panasci Competition again, in hopes of winning seed money to help grow his company, ultimately making the James Barrett brand a household name.

To learn more about James Barrett Co., ‘like’ the Facebook fan page at .

The Dell Social Innovation Challenge identifies and supports promising young social innovators who dedicate themselves to creating innovative solutions for the world’s most pressing problems. The challenge provides an opportunity for university students to gain access to startup capital, a network of mentors and advisers, and world-class teaching and training.

“WaterPort is extremely passionate about their goal to enhance the rain water harvesting and purification methods that are currently used in impoverished villages,” says team CEO Grant. “We are convinced that there is an efficient and healthy solution to this dilemma, and we are eager to achieve it.”

The team is currently working with Syracuse Student Sandbox and the SyracuseCoE to design, build and test its self-sustained filtration system. In addition to help creating its product, WaterPort is working with mentors at the Whitman School of Management to fine-tune its business plan and will be competing in national and local business plan competitions for a chance to earn start-up capital.

“In addition to developing a system that provides clean drinking water to rural villages in underdeveloped counties in a self-sustaining way, there are also potential rural and urban applications in the U.S.,” says entrepreneurship professor and faculty mentor John Torrens. “This system works anywhere you need clean water but don’t have electric service.”

To learn more, visit WaterPort’s profile page at and register to vote for its idea. Every vote will help WaterPort earn an invitation to this prestigious competition, which will help bring recognition to Syracuse University’s entrepreneurial community.

Please submit your vote today by following these instructions:

• Click to read about WaterPort;��
• Next, click on the top right-hand link to ‘REGISTER’;
• Provide your e-mail and basic information and submit;��
• You’ll receive an e-mail from Dell with a link; click it to verify;
• Revisit the WaterPort page after verification and click ‘VOTE FOR.’

The number of votes the team receives from its Dell Social Innovation profile will help the judges decide which project will compete in the final round.

At the conclusion of both the fall and spring semesters, Whitman’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises hosts the Capstone Business Plan Competition. Every Whitman senior participates in the Capstone experience—an experiential program that brings together all of the elements of the Whitman education in the context of an original business concept that students conceive and develop as a viable, sustainable and truly innovative new venture.

A participant in the competition, Victoria Di Napoli ’12, notes, “This class brought together students from all majors and backgrounds within the business school. It allowed the students to combine their knowledge and skill sets, which they are not able to experience to this degree in any other class.” Student teams present their business plans before panels of judges composed of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and others from the entrepreneurial community in Central New York.

First place and a prize of $500 was awarded to WaterPort, LLC, consisting of team members Christopher Grant,��Di Napoli, William Craine and Hunt Lau and mentored by Ken Walsleben. “It was a great personal achievement and testament to our hard work,” saysDi Napoli, speaking on behalf of the entire team. “We are very grateful for everyone who helped us along the way in developing our idea and guiding us to the best resources.”

Second place and a prize of $300 was awarded to Sweet Spot, consisting of team members Olga Litvinenko, David Ben-Hayun, Mitchell Bernstein, Katie Galezo and Kelly Geer and coached by Whitman faculty member John Torrens. Third place and a prize of $200 was awarded to DENTprotect, consisting of team members Zach McClure, Roz Amirfazli, Alyssa Georgian, Crystal Zhou and Jon Eisenberg (also mentored by Torrens). The top teams also earn the chance to represent the Whitman School at national business plan competitions.

Honorable mentions were given to teams Reference Points and Snowshield. Reference Points team members included Jonathan Carrubba, Joseph Ottenstein, Jorie Richlin-Zack, Erica Taylor and Robert Zaccaria, and was coached by Alejandro Amezcua. Snowshield team members included Conrad Cutler, Hyunji Kim, Brandon Tan, Alexandra Tartell and Sarah Rittenhouse and was coached by Torrens.

McDougall has been named a 21st Century Entrepreneurship Research Fellow and entrepreneurship division chair by the Academy of Management. She served as associate dean of the Kelley School from 2004-09 and chair of the management department from 2000-03. Considered a pioneer in the field of international entrepreneurship, she and her co-author were presented with the JIBS Decade Award for their 1994 article on the early internationalization of new ventures.

McDougall has received several teaching and research recognitions, including Indiana University’s Trustees’ Teaching Excellence Recognition Award and the Kelley School’s Full Professor Research Excellence Award. She has co-edited four books and published numerous articles in a variety of academic and professional journals, including the Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Business Venturing, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Management and Journal of International Business Studies. Her business teaching cases appear in more than 25 leading textbooks, and her research has been presented in various business publications, including Inc. magazine, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal.

In an effort to collect information about women entrepreneurs in the Central New York region, Teri Coaxum of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy will host an open roundtable discussion on Friday, Dec. 16, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the WISE Women’s Business Center, 2610 S. Salina St., Syracuse.

Coaxum will conduct the roundtable discussion for all women in business and corporate positions and government decision makers in order to hear their concerns and needs in creating and growing successful businesses.

The SBA Office of Advocacy is the collection point for all official data for the federal government and recently published a major findings report, “Developments in Women-Owned Businesses,” in June 2011. As regional advocate, Coaxum is the chief counsel for advocacy’s direct link to small business owners, state and local government agencies, state legislators, trade associations, and small business organizations throughout the region.

“The WISE Women’s Business Center is looking forward to hosting this roundtable discussion. It is important for the government to be aware of the everyday challenges that women entrepreneurs face on a daily basis,” says WISE director Joanne Lenweaver. “We encourage all women in business, either entrepreneurs or resource supporters, to join us and share your experiences.”

The purpose of the Syracuse roundtable is to feed even more information into the data set, share it with the federal government (which funds women’s business centers) and ensure the value of women’s business centers is appreciated and continuously funded.

The WISE Women’s Business Center is a street-level, walk-in center for those interested in starting a new enterprise. It is supported by a federal grant from the SBA and a matching grant from the Whitman School of Management and Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship at Syracuse University. Upward of 1,000 people (both women and men, of all cultures) enter the intake process or training sessions at WISE each year.

The and the (EEE) in the announce a call for submissions for the 2012 Panasci Business Plan Competition. The competition accepts business plan ideas from students in any college at SU, in addition to the��SUNY College of Envinronmental Science and Forestry, at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. It will take place April 13-14, 2012, and is made possible through support from Henry A. Panasci, founder of Fay’s Drugs and former chairman of Cygnus Management Group, a venture capital and management consulting firm.

The top three teams in the competition are awarded prizes of $25,000, $10,000 and $5,000 respectively, based on potential for growth and the attraction of outside financing. The Fetner Prize in Sustainable Enterprise awards $5,000 to the team whose plan would have the greatest positive impact on society and the natural environment.

In order to participate, you must complete the intent to compete and entrant certification forms by Jan. 1, 2012. Hard copies of the forms are available at the Falcone Center in the Whitman School, Suite 116. During the two-day competition, 16 semi-finalist teams will be chosen to present to a panel of expert judges on the first day. Finalists will then compete for the grand prize on the second day. To register, click .

Notable winners of previous Panasci competitions include thriving businesses Dream Water, an all-natural liquid sleep supplement that was presented on “Shark Tank” following its first-place win at the competition; Rylaxing LLC, named one of “America’s Coolest College Start-ups” by Inc. magazine, whose signature product is the Rylaxer; and Funk ‘n Waffles specialty café and music venue located in the South Crouse Alley of SU’s Marshall Street businesses.

“Panasci is one of the premier cross-campus business plan competitions in the country. It brings together some of the best and brightest from the many colleges here at Syracuse University who truly want to launch their companies. It is a great opportunity for students who have a good idea and have done the hard work of putting together a thoughtful business plan,” says assistant professor of entrepreneurial practice and competition mentor John Torrens. “Over the past several years, the competition has become more intense as the quality and creativity of business ideas has significantly improved.”

Throughout the spring semester, teams will work to write a comprehensive business plan. EEE faculty members will work with students to improve their business plans for the competition in a weekly business plan laboratory. The Falcone Center also offers special sessions with partnering accounting and law firms, providing financial presentations and critical guidance in areas such as intellectual property.

For more information, contact Lindsay Wickham, Falcone Center events and communications manager, at (315) 443-3550 or lwickham@syr.edu.

The company’s signature item features a hand-drawn peace sign, boldly printed onto the front of a T-shirt. Since the company’s inception, it has branched out to include varieties of the signature peace sign, printed on short- and long-sleeve T-shirts, glow-in-the-dark shirts and lacrosse pinnies. Barrett says he even plans to roll out a holiday edition in a variety of styles. Recently, James Barrett Co. made a breakthrough in the retail business, and the products are now carried by J. Michael Shoes, a high-end clothing store located on Syracuse’s Marshall Street.

“It feels good to know when your hard work has paid off, but this is just the beginning. I plan to create new designs and continue to grow and evolve the company,” says Barrett. In addition to moving into the retail segment, Barrett recently launched a national campus representative campaign, in an effort to expand the business to other universities and regions across the country.

“Showcasing and selling product in store is the real market research for testing consumer acceptance,” says Amanda Nicholson, professor of retail practice in the Whitman School and Barrett’s business mentor. “By generating consumer interest in a store such as J. Michael, which is heavily shopped by students, James is able to test his product and get an immediate read on the consumer response.”

To date, the company has sold more than 2,000 T-shirts in 25 states across the United States, has more than 3,000 fans on Facebook and was honored with the award for creative excellence in the 2011 cross-campus Panasci Business Plan Competition, hosted by Whitman. Barrett plans to enter the Panasci Competition again, in hopes of winning seed money to help grow his company, ultimately making the James Barrett brand a household name.

In addition to his regular merchandise, James Barrett Co. offered a special edition tee called “Rise Above,” in an effort to raise awareness about texting while driving. A portion of the proceeds went directly to the Remember Alex Brown Foundation.

For more information, visit the Facebook fan page at .

WHAM is a roundtable-style session, which allows participants to ask questions and learn interactively about establishing their own brand, in addition to how to use new marketing techniques to grow their business. Presented as a fundraiser for WISE, the event is geared toward men and women in the business community.

“It has become the norm for the average individual to be assailed by hundreds of marketing messages every day. Current business owners have had to cut through the clutter to be heard, or even noticed,” says Joanne Lenweaver, WISE Center director. “WHAM covers innovative marketing techniques for entrepreneurs to achieve just that, while also building their personal brand. Our panel of experts has successfully used creative marketing and networking to become legendary brands in CNY and beyond.”

Roundtable experts will speak about the evolution of marketing, from more traditional means to new vehicles such as guerrilla marketing, social media/networking, corporate branding, advertising/PR and personal branding. They will share their experiences with these new tools, and explain the pivotal role of marketing in their respective businesses.

WHAM speakers include, among many more:

• John Stage, founder/owner, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que;
• Leslie English, president/managing partner, Dale Carnegie Training;
• John MacDougall, owner/president/CEO, Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes; and��
• Kathy Hokunson, vice president of sales and marketing, Site-Seeker Inc.

WHAM requires a participation fee of $99, which covers registration materials and a continental breakfast on site. All proceeds will be donated to the WISE Women’s Business Center, an initiative to help entrepreneurs from all genders and backgrounds grow their business. To purchase tickets, visit or call (315) 443-3550.

Syracuse University’s Entrepreneur’s Bootcamp, a training program led by the in the , inspires participants to spark their entrepreneurial and creative spirit in a way similar to the excitement experienced when building lemonade stands as a kid. Through a series of sessions, the bootcamp assists current and aspiring entrepreneurs in developing the skills necessary to take their idea or existing venture to the next level.

Now in its ninth year, the bootcamp runs for six consecutive Saturdays beginning Oct. 8 and concludes with a graduation ceremony Nov. 12. The program is designed for new business owners, or those with a dream or idea.

“The bootcamp was a life-changing experience for me,” says 2010 participant Leah Cahill, founder of TogaLu Designs. “The program helped me build the foundation and confidence that I needed to take the next steps in developing my business and played a pivotal role in strengthening my position as an entrepreneur.”

Bootcamp classes are taught by a team of award-winning SU professors and feature guest entrepreneurs sharing stories of challenges and triumphs along their entrepreneurial journey. Topics covered include business plans, marketing on a shoestring budget, financing a startup, operations and logistics and legal issues. Since the program’s inception, more than 450 local entrepreneurs have been trained, many of whom are operating successful businesses today.

The Syracuse Entrepreneur’s Bootcamp will be held at the Whitman School building, 721 University Ave. Tuition for the six-week program is $650, with a limited number of $200 scholarships available to qualified applicants. Sessions take place from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Click to register or contact Lindsay Wickham, Falcone Center events and communications manager, at (315) 443-3550 or lwickham@syr.edu.

The Syracuse Entrepreneur’s Bootcamp is made possible by the support of the Whitman School and the Central New York Business Journal.

Entrepreneurship is a way to keep the creativity and passion for your work at the forefront, and it’s also a viable career path!��More than��14,000 businesses in a five-county radius of Central New York have less than 10 employees, representing��more than��70 percent of total firms and��more than��12 percent of total employment in the region, according to a fourth-quarter report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Syracuse University’s Entrepreneur’s Bootcamp, a training program led by the in the , aims to inspire participants to spark their entrepreneurial and creative spirit in a way similar to the excitement experienced when building forts or a lemonade stand as a kid. Through a series of modules and interactive sessions, the bootcamp assists current and aspiring entrepreneurs in developing the skills necessary to take their idea or existing venture to the next level. Now in its ninth year, the bootcamp runs for six consecutive Saturdays beginning Oct. 8 and concludes with a graduation ceremony on Nov. 12. The program is designed for new business owners, or those with a dream or idea. All that you need is a passion for starting a new challenge!

“The bootcamp was a life-changing experience for me. The sessions provide a wealth of information, and the most valuable assets were the connections with fellow entrepreneurs and the resources that Whitman provided during and after the program,” says 2010 participant Leah Cahill, founder of TogaLu Designs. “These resources helped me build the foundation and confidence that I needed to take the next steps in developing my business and played a pivotal role in strengthening my position as an entrepreneur. The program can progress anyone’s journey as an entrepreneur, whether you are looking to fine-tune specific aspects of an existing enterprise or have a desire to become a business owner.”

Bootcamp classes are taught by a team of award-winning SU professors and feature guest entrepreneurs sharing stories of challenges and triumphs along their entrepreneurial journey. Throughout the program, one-on-one mentoring and coaching will be provided to participants by Whitman M.B.A. students. Topics covered during the program include business plans, marketing on a shoestring budget, financing a start-up, operations and logistics, and legal issues. Since the program’s inception,��more than��450 local entrepreneurs have been trained. Many are operating successful businesses today.

“The Syracuse Entrepreneur’s Bootcamp provides training, access to resources and entrepreneurial tools for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to start a business, or those who have already started a business and need to sustain and grow it,” says Mirza Tihic, Falcone Center program manager. “The training helps entrepreneurs grow their companies, adding value to CNY by creating new jobs, fostering innovation, inspiring others to pursue entrepreneurship, and contributing to the improvement of our local and national economy.”

The Syracuse Entrepreneur’s Bootcamp will be held at the Whitman School building, 721 University Ave. Tuition for the six-week program is $650, with a limited number of $200 scholarships available to qualified applicants. Sessions take place from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Space is limited. Click to register or contact Lindsay Wickham, Falcone Center events and communications manager, at (315) 443-3550 or lwickham@syr.edu.

The Syracuse Entrepreneur’s Bootcamp is made possible by the support of the Whitman School and the Central New York Business Journal.