Syracuse University

The Falcone Center of Entrepreneurship in the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, in collaboration with the Key Foundation, has announced a stellar lineup for the 2008 Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (WISE) conference, to be held April 1 at the Oncenter in downtown Syracuse.

WISE, an organization created by the Falcone Center to promote and expand women's entrepreneurial activities, annually brings together well-known women and aspiring entrepreneurs to share and discuss innovative ideas on creating, maintaining and growing businesses.

Opening the 6th Annual WISE Conference will be SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. Notable speakers include:

• Maxine Clark, founder and CEO of Build-a-Bear Workshops, who will share her story of "Building a Company One Teddy Bear Hug at a Time" and becoming an American icon in retail growth;
  
• Susan Taylor, author, editor in chief of Essence Magazine and founder of Nequai Cosmetics;
  
• Robin Koval, founder of the Kaplan Thaler Group;
  
• Sharon Hadary, executive director of the Center for Women's Business Research, an esteemed nonprofit research institute that helps women entrepreneurs develop business ideas;
  
• Sue Malone of Strategies for Small Business, which helps small business owners nationwide to promote and fund their ventures;
  
  
  
  
• Gail Perry-Mason, first vice president of investments of Oppenheimer & Co., as well as host of the award-winning talk show "Building Wealth";
  
• Jackie Bassett, founder and CEO of BT Industrials Inc., a strategic management and technology consulting firm;
  
• Cindy Solomon of Solomon & Associates Inc.; and
  
• Beth Mooney, vice chair, KeyCorp.
  

Breakout sessions, divided into "Startup" and "Growth" tracks, will address the needs of entrepreneurs at different stages of their ventures. "Startup" will include sessions on writing a business plan, building your business by becoming an expert, painless accounting for entrepreneurs, and keys to success in a retail venture. "Growth" will include sessions on integrated strategies, growing a business with an exit strategy in mind, entrepreneurial marketing, and how to get government contracts.

Included in the symposium will be a networking lunch with guest entrepreneurs, along with the presentation of the Ann Michel WISE Distinguished Entrepreneur Awards.

"We are excited to hold this inspirational annual event to promote women in business," says Nola Miyasaki, executive director of the Falcone Center. "It is a wonderful opportunity for participants to share in the creativity, ingenuity and determination of the guest speakers and to explore their own potential for starting a business. Entrepreneurship is a crucial element for growth in this country, and especially in Central New York, leading to new ideas and new successes."

The WISE conference will close with a special reception that will offer networking opportunities, spa displays and more. Registration is $55 through March 25 and $75 thereafter. Seating is limited. For more information or to register, visit http://www.WISEconference.com or contact Lindsay Wickham, event coordinator for the Falcone Center, at (315) 443-3550 or lwickham@syr.edu.

The 2008 WISE Conference is made possible with the support of major sponsors KeyBank, the Whitman School of Management, Ideablob, MVP HealthCare, National Grid, The Gifford Foundation, the Onondaga Industrial Development Agency, the WISE Center and others. Launched in 2003, the WISE program was developed to foster the pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunities by women from all walks of life. In addition to the annual WISE conference, WISE sponsors various supporting year-round events.