Media Contact
February 24, 2009

What

Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s (WPI) Collaborative for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) will offer a program of inspiring and idea-generating activities for National Entrepreneurship Week. The event, founded by the national organization Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education, is a celebration of America’s entrepreneurs, and highlights new opportunities for future business leaders.

Schedule of Events:

Monday, Feb. 23 – noon to 1 p.m.: James F. Fee, “Is this a Product Idea, or a Business Opportunity?” Hagglund Room; 5-6 p.m.: Pamela A. Torpey, Esq., “Inventor Notebooks,” Mid-Century Room.

Tuesday, Feb. 24 – 11-11:45 a.m.: Christine Drew, “Company Research: Tools for Business Planning,” Gordon Library; noon to 1 p.m.: Michael A. Refolo, Esq., “Legally Structuring a Small Business,” Chairman’s Room; 5-6 p.m.: Arif Padaria, “Venture Capital Discussion,” and Jerry Schaufeld, “Angel Investment,” Taylor Room.

Wednesday, Feb. 25 – noon to 1 p.m.: Roger P. Zimmerman, Esq., “Patenting,” Chairman’s Room; 2-3:30 p.m.: David Elliot, “From Free Lunch to No Lunch: Surviving the Jobs Trend,” Hagglund Room; 5-6 p.m.: Carrie H. Johnson, “From the Pits to the Palace: One Woman’s Journey to Self Realization through Entrepreneurship,” Mid-Century Room.

Thursday, Feb. 26 – noon to 1 p.m.: Laura Briere, “Marketing Your Business with No Money,” Higgins Labs, Room 218; 5-6 p.m.: Elevator Pitch Contest, WPI students only, Mid-Century Room.

Friday, Feb. 27 – noon to 1 p.m., Shari L. S. Worthington, “New Media Marketing: Blogs, Microblogs, Social Media, and Search,” Hagglund Room.

When
Feb. 23-27, 2009                 

Where

Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Campus Center
100 Institute Road
Worcester, Mass.
(unless otherwise noted)

About WPI’s Collaborate for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

WPI’s CEI, a university-wide center for entrepreneurship and innovation activity, was established to capitalize upon the synergy between WPI’s many entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives and extend the benefits to a larger community. Its serves WPI students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the external business community by offering programs that nurture a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation. Current programs include undergraduate and graduate courses in entrepreneurship and innovation, an undergraduate minor in entrepreneurship, the WPI Dinner with Entrepreneurs Series, the CEI@WPI ALL-OUT Business Plan Challenge, the Robert H. Grant Invention Awards, the Strage Innovation Awards, the Kalenian Award for Technology Commercialization, the WPI Venture Forum, and many programs and workshops. It is also the sponsor of a student-created organization, Genius! In 2005, WPI placed among the nation’s top 10 entrepreneurship programs in a ranking by Entrepreneur.com. In 2007, WPI announced the establishment of the Paul R. Beswick Professorship in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, an endowed professorship created through the generosity of successful entrepreneur Paul R. Beswick, Class of 1957, and his wife, Siang Kiang (S.K.). Beswick. The professorship enables the university to recognize a world-class scholar and educator for its Department of Management and Collaborative for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.