The Entrepreneurship Program at IIT joined the Coleman Foundation and the City Colleges of Chicago to present “The One Day Smart Start Entrepreneurship Workshop” on May 14, 2009. The event drew over seventy guests that wished to learn about the fundamental elements necessary for self-employment. After a rousing welcome from Dr. David Pistrui, Clark McCain, Program Director, the Coleman Foundation, Michael Mutz, Vice Chancellor, City Colleges of Chicago, and Siva Balasubramanian, Associate Dean, Stuart School of Business, a panel discussion convened. Moderated by Dr. Pistrui, three self-employed entrepreneurs - Kelly Cutler, co-founder and CEO, Marcel Media, Wendy White Eagle, founder and CEO, Native Capital Investment, and Eric Paul, founder and executive chef, Alter EatGo - shared their business histories and fielded questions.
Following the panel discussion, workshop guests attended four intensive sessions: Opportunity Recognition, Financial Fundamentals and Legal Structures, Business Plan Development, and Marketing Methods and Technology. These sessions, led by Dr. Pistrui, Coleman Faculty Scholar Thomas Hill, and multiple faculty and staff members from the City Colleges of Chicago, included topic overviews, guided exercises, and many opportunities for dialogue. In addition, a working lunch allowed participants to network with entrepreneurs from the retail, hospitality, professional services, and technology industries. Featured guests included Christy Webber, founder, Christy Webber Landscapes, Joel Goldberg, Director of Global Operations, Atlas Material Testing Technology, Dale Harris, licensed locksmith, and John Meyer, chef and owner of BJ’s Market and Eatery.
At the close of the day’s events, participants in The One Day Smart Start Entrepreneurship Workshop were given a copy of Rhonda Abrams’s ‘Business Plan in a Day.’ Feedback from our guests was uniformly positive; one attendee emailed us to let us know that “[his] business plan took some serious steps forward today thanks to [our] work.” We thank the Coleman Foundation and the City Colleges of Chicago for their help with developing and presenting The One Day Smart Start Entrepreneurship Workshop!