Press Release



Contact: Robert Albright
CED Public Relations Manager
ralbright@cednc.org

Phone: 919-549-7500 ext.123
FAX: 919-549-7405
www.cednc.org

CED Confirms Over 60 Panelists for Entrepreneur '04 Conference

Dozens of Experienced Entrepreneurs, Service Professionals and Other Experts to Speak Oct. 30 at Fuqua School of Business During Concurrent Panel Session Topics


September 30, 2004, Research Triangle Park, NC – The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) today announced concurrent panel topics and more than 60 confirmed panel speakers for CED's Entrepreneur '04 Conference. CED is presenting Entrepreneur '04 in partnership with and at The Fuqua School at Duke University on Oct. 30 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Conference co-chair Grace Ueng, founder and president of RTP-based Savvy Marketing Group LLC, described the confirmed panel topics and speakers as appealing to a broad audience of prospective and current entrepreneurs.

“Entrepreneur '04 is not only intended for those considering a new business venture, but it is also geared to those already in the trenches of growing their business,” Ueng said. “Entrepreneurs from all walks of life, and from various stages of building their business, can take advantage of the knowledge and networks at this conference.”

In addition to two previously announced keynote speakers (Blue Rhino's CEO Billy D. Prim and Inspire Pharmaceuticals' CEO Christy Shaffer), Entrepreneur '04 will feature concurrent panel sessions grouped into specific tracks such as finance and legal, management and HR, and marketing and sales.

Panel topics include the following:

  • Growing Your Company's Infrastructure: Accounting, HR and Marketing
  • Marketing vs. Selling: Knowing Your Customer
  • Legal & Accounting 101: Getting Through the Mumbo Jumbo
  • From Garage to Growth Business: Turning Your Mom and Pop into a Full-scale Operation
  • Writing a Business Plan: Critical Components
  • Sales 101: Ramping up your Revenue
  • Financing Options: The Traditional and the Creative
  • Building a Great Entrepreneurial Team: It's a Lot Like an NFL Draft
  • Market Research: The Goose that Lays the Golden Egg
  • Lessons Learned: Start-up Screw-ups
  • Smart Marketing: Where to Put Limited Resources to Maximize Success
  • Is Venture Capital Right for You?
  • Strategic Planning: Successful Businesses Have Vision
  • EVERYTHING is Negotiable
  • One on One Coaching: Curbside Consulting™
  • Are You Ready to Start a Company? . . . Reality Check
  • Where Do I Turn for Help: CED & Other Resources
  • Leaving the University or Corporate Nest: Challenges & Opportunities
  • Women and Entrepreneurship: A Good Match

Also, a partial list of the confirmed panel speakers:

Noreen Allen, Vice President of Marketing, SpectraSite
Alison Arter, Executive Vice-President, Bluebird Biosciences, Inc.
Claudia Black, Founder, Sicel Technologies
Jud Bowman, President & COO, PowerByHand
Jason Caplain, Partner, Southern Capitol Ventures
Steve Clark, CEO, SpectraSite
Lewis Copulsky, President, Lewis and Clark Research
Todd Creech, Duke University
Mary Lou Drake, President, Drake & Associates
Jennifer Dunleavy, President, Accuro Group, Inc.
Sherry Essig, President, Priority Ventures
Ben Feldman, Joint Owner, RapiData
David Fitchett, President, Carolina Glass & Mirror
Joe Forbes, CEO, America Connect
Jane Foreman, Director of Marketing, StrikeIron
Manoj George, Consultant
Judy Gerard, President & Director of Operations, Llamawerx, Inc.
Jennifer Gibson, CFO, ChannelAdvisor
Patti Gillenwater, President & CEO, Elinvar
Brian Handly, CEO and co-founder, Accipiter
Chris Hegele, Partner, Intersouth Partners
John Howe, President, MicroMass Communications
Tim Huntley
Jim Kitchen, President, Spring Break Travel
Rich Lee, CEO, Hosted Solutions
Karen LeVert, CEO, Southeast Tech Ventures
Deb Lovig, Vice President Marketing, Smart Online
David Mannheim, Associate, Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP
Meredith Mannheim, Development Director, hesketh.com/inc.
Pat Martin, President/CEO, Websourced

Gary McCants, President, Black Pages USA
Robert McKenzie, Partner, Rankin|McKenzie, LLC
Rebecca Merrill, President, The Life Structuring Company
Sheila Mikhail, Member, Life Sciences Law, PLLC
Greg Norton, Executive Director - Business Strategy, RM Agency
Alicia Paladin, Founder, NutraSage
Karin H. Patrick, Practice Owner, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network
Scott Place, President, Maverick Marketing
Gary Pratt, Hospital Director, Veterinary Specialty Hospital
Chris Price, CEO, Nobex
Gary Roberts, Partner, Cabot
Howard Rockett, Chairman and CEO, Rockett, Burkhead & Winslow
Bill Sax, Executive in Residence, The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
Nicole Schapiro, Author, Keynote Speaker and Trainer
Tom Scholl, Partner, Novak Biddle Venture Partners
Mark Self, Consultant
Mike Seibert, Assistant State Director, SBTDC
Joel Sheer, Founder and President, Sheer and Associates
Katherine Sliva, President & Founder, Women's Institute
David Spencer, COO, Biolex
Marianna Suciu, Vice President of Government, Latin America and Canadian Operations; SAS
Blount Swain, Former CFO Closure Medical and YOUcentric
Beth Traynham, Associate, Hughes Pittman & Gupton
Doug Vaughn, President, Vietri
Bill Warner, Founder & Managing Partner, Paladin and Associates
Shelly Weitz, Creative Director, Creative Strategy, Inc.
Rich West, CEO, Adigy and founder and former CEO, TriVirix

University researchers, “garage entrepreneurs,” corporate employees, small business owners, early-stage entrepreneurs, undergraduate and graduate students or anyone else starting and growing a new business venture are encouraged to attend the conference.

Additional details on Entrepreneur '04 - including the full agenda, confirmed speakers, panel session topics, sponsorship opportunities and online registration - are available at www.cednc.org/entrepreneur.

About CED: The Council for Entrepreneurial Development, located in Research Triangle Park, NC, is a private, non-profit organization formed in 1984 to stimulate the creation and growth of high-impact companies in the greater Research Triangle region. CED provides education, mentoring and capital formation resources to new and existing high-growth entrepreneurs through annual conferences, seminars, workshops and monthly programs on entrepreneurial management and finance. CED, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2004, is the largest entrepreneurial support organization in the nation with more than 3,500 members representing 1,000 entrepreneurial companies, financiers and professional firms. www.cednc.org

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