24^th Annual Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference
*As of JULY 8, 2010  

Regional Workshop for WBEs Prior to Event

The WBDC-Chicago will again host a workshop for all certified WBEs prior to the September Conference in each of its 5 major markets: Chicago; Kansas City and St. Louis, MO; Milwaukee, WI; and Minneapolis, MN.  Please click on the Workshop tab above for additional information. 

 

Wednesday, September 22, 2010- McCormick Place-West, Chicago
 

7:15 a.m.
Registration Opens  (outside Skyline Ballroom)

 

8:00 – 9:30 a.m.

24^th Annual Women’s Forum Breakfast  (Skyline Ballroom A-C) 

9:30 – 11:45 a.m.
Woman's Business & Buyers Mart  (Skyline Ballroom D&E) 

10:00 – 11:45 a.m.     
Corporate Connections (Skyline Ballroom D&E) 

*By appointment only

9:45 – 11:45 a.m.       
From Dream to Reality: Launching Your Own Business 
Workshop for start-ups  (Breakout Room 181A)

 

Noon – 1:45 p.m.   
24^th Annual Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon (Skyline Ballroom A-C)

 

1:45 – 5:00 p.m. 
Women’s Business & Buyers Mart  (Skyline Ballroom D&E)

 

2:15 - 5:00 p.m.
Corporate Connections (Skyline Ballroom D&E)

*By appointment only

2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Ask the Experts: Solutions for Your Business

For business owners of all levels (Breakout Room 180)

 

5:00 – 7:00 p.m.              
Get Down to Business Networking Reception  (Skyline Ballroom Terrace) 

Sponsorships for this event are available for corporations, government agencies and WBENC certified WBEs.  Please see the appropriate forms above for a list of current opportunities.

Marquee Sponsors ($30,000 and Up)  
BP America, Inc.
Harris N.A.  

The Mart provides an opportunity for the established woman business owner to enhance the profitability of her business by establishing relationships with corporate and government buyers, and with other entrepreneurs.  It also provides every woman business owner, from start-up to established, with top-notch business resources to help ensure her business is as efficient and productive as it can be.  

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 
10:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.  &  2:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
Corporate Connections Eligibility Requirements for WBEs: In order to apply for a 2010 Corporate Connections meeting, your company must be a current WBENC certified WBE through any of the 14 Regional Partner Organizations.  WBEs must also be registered for the 24th Annual Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference before applying for a meeting.  Please note, only WBEs that meet these Eligibility Requirements will be considered for Corporate Connections meetings; please also see our “no-show” policy below.*  

HOW DO I REGISTER?
• WBE Registration –  The Women’s Business Development Center will identify WBEs who can supply specific goods and services by sending registrations forms to companies in WBENCLink.  WBENCLink profiles for these companies will be sent to the appropriate buyers once they have identified their needs.  Buyers will then determine which WBEs they would like to invite to one-on-one meetings. WBEs should check their company descriptions in WBENCLink to ensure that their business description is easy to understand and that all information is accurate.  Registration for Corporate Connections is now closed.  All meeting notifications will be sent on September 10, 2010.

• Corporations and Government Agencies - Corporations and Government Agencies that are interested in participating by bringing one or more buyers to the conference should contact Cynthia Johnson at cjohnson@wbdc.org for more information.

We welcome ALL WBENC Certified WBEs to participate in this business opportunities program! 

*If you are selected for an appointment you must also register to attend the Conference.  Please pay close attention to the WBDC-Chicago refund policy on the registration page.  No registration payments will be refunded if a WBE does not receive an invitation to participate in a Corporate Connections meeting. 

*No-Show Policy:  In the event that you do not show-up for a scheduled appointment you and your company will not be allowed to participate in any Corporate Connections programs set-up by the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) until October 2011.

For over 20 years, the Women’s Forum Breakfast has remained one of the most popular and prestigious elements of the Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference.  Learn from, and be inspired by, nationally renowned women business owners as moderator Terry Savage, Chicago Sun-Times financial columnist, leads this year’s panel through another lively, candid, open – and always fascinating - discussion about the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.

*The last twenty minutes will be open for the audience to ask questions.

Himanshu Bhatia
Founder and CEO
Rose International, Inc.

Ranked 13th on Fast Company’s list of the Top 25 Women Business Builders in North America, Himanshu Bhatia founded Rose International in the spring of 1993.  Under her leadership, Rose emerged as a force in the IT and Business Services arena, and is a leader in providing innovative end-to-end technology services to both commercial organizations and government agencies from offices and development centers in 13 U.S. cities and India.  With 3,000+ associates and steady revenue growth, Rose International is recognized as one of the country's fastest-growing and most successful companies.

As the first woman Chairman of the Illinois Manufacturers Association in 116 years, Janice Christiansen is also the only woman president of a full line flag and banner manufacturing company in the USA.  Janice began her career at J.C. Schultz in 1975, working in various positions including outside sales, marketing and purchasing, until becoming president in 1990 during a tough economic time for the company.  Under her leadership, the company trademarked the brand name FlagSource, and has proudly serviced the nation with USA flags during our toughest times, including after September 11, 2001, when the company worked 24hours a day, 7 days a week to meet the greatest demand for USA flags ever experienced by our country.

Sheila C. Johnson
CEO, Salamander Hospitality
Vice Chairman and Owner, Monumental Sports & Entertainment

Sheila C. Johnson is CEO of Salamander Hospitality and the Vice Chairman and Owner of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, making her the first African-American woman to have ownership in three professional sports teams, including the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the NHL’s Washington Capitals.  Additionally, Ms. Johnson was a founding partner of BET (Black Entertainment Television) and produces documentary films including her latest, The Other City, about Washington DC’s HIV/AIDS crisis.  Ms. Johnson has been a global ambassador for CARE and sits on the boards of Americans for the Arts, the Jackie Robinson Foundation, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors, Howard University and the University of Illinois Foundation.  She is also an accomplished violinist.

For the past 22 years, Corporate Fitness Works has provided thousands of employees of major corporations, government agencies and residents of retirement communities the opportunity to engage in daily physical activity and live a healthy lifestyle through their customized fitness facility planning, design and implementation; fitness center management and evaluation; and fitness and wellness consulting.  With over 36 years of experience, Brenda Loube is a noted expert who has set the standard for creating well cultures that encourage individual and corporate well-being.  Recently honored by WBENC (2006) for her business acumen, Brenda currently shares her expertise with a number of organizations, including serving as the Chair of the Maryland Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and the Chair of the Board of Directors for the American Breast Cancer Foundation.

 

Sponsored by  ComEd, Health Care Service Corporation, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company and W.W. Grainger

 

Featuring Mellody Hobson in and exclusive interview by Terry Savage

 

Each year, the Women’s Business Development Center’s (WBDC) Hall of Fame Awards recognize women entrepreneurs who have demonstrated unequaled strength, perseverance and creativity in their businesses, and who have embodied entrepreneurial success in various ways.  The WBDC also recognizes advocates, corporations and government agencies who have demonstrated their enthusiastic commitment to the strengthening of women’s business ownership and economic development.

 

Mellody Hobson
President, Ariel Investments LLC
Chair of the Board of Trustees, Ariel Investment Trust

Mellody Hobson is a nationally recognized voice on financial literacy and investor education, a regular financial contributor on ABC’s Good Morning America, and the president of Ariel Investments, a Chicago-based money management firm that serves individual investors and 401(k) plans through its no-load mutual funds and manages separate accounts for institutional clients.  As president of Ariel Investments, Mellody is responsible for firm-wide management and strategic planning, overseeing all operations outside of research and portfolio management. Additionally, she serves as chairman of the board of trustees for the mutual funds.  Beyond her work in finance and investor education, Mellody is actively involved with a variety of civic and professional institutions.  Her community outreach includes serving as a board member of the Chicago Public Library and its foundation, The Field Museum, The Chicago Public Education Fund and The Sundance Institute.  Additionally, she is on the board of governors of the Investment Company Institute and is a member of the SEC Investment Advisory Committee, and she is a director of three public companies:  DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc., The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and Starbucks Corporation.

2010 Award Winners: 

2010 Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year
Francine Manilow, President, Manilow Suites, Inc.

2010 Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year - WBE Success
Marie L. O’Brien, President and CEO, Enterforce, Inc.

2010 Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year – Rising Star
Kimberlee J. Burt, Executive Director and Owner, A Child’s Space 

2010 Advocacy Award
Arabel Alva Rosales, President, AAR & Associates, Ltd

2010 Corporate Support Award
NBC5 Chicago

Speaker Opportunities
Speaking opportunities for the 24th Annual Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference are closed.  If you are interested in becoming a speaker at the future Conferences, please contact Mia Delano directly at mdelano@wbdc.org  

Dates and Locations: 
July 26, 2010 – Kansas City, MO host sponsor Microsoft Corp.
August 3, 2010 – Minneapolis, MN host sponsor Target Corp.
August 17, 2010 – St. Louis, MO host sponsor RubinBrown LLP
August 18, 2010 – Milwaukee, WI host sponsor Harley-Davidson Motor Company
August 19, 2010 – Chicago, IL host sponsor PepsiCo, Inc.

 

Program facilitator  Julia Hubbel, President, The Hubbel Group, Inc.  

Take advantage of this 3-hour interactive, skills-based session and walk away with ready-to-use business development and marketing strategies that will be useful for your success at the Women’s Business & Buyers Mart.  Learn from WBE-Certified facilitator, Julia Hubbel, how best to communicate your core business offerings to supplier diversity professionals and buyers, and – most important – how best to engage them as potential clients.  Learn what you need to bring to the table to get to the next step and the value of capacity building through strategic partnerships. 

Julia’s expertise comes from experience, with nearly three decades in senior corporate and consulting positions in the areas of training and organizational development with the likes of Lockheed Martin, Hewlett Packard and Intel, to name a few; Julia is also a certified Supplier Diversity Professional through the Alliance of Supplier Diversity Professionals, giving her deep insights into the needs of the supplier diversity professionals.

All certified WBEs headquartered in our around these locations will receive additional information via email on each event 3-4 weeks prior to set date with details on registering.  If you have additional questions, please contact Mia Delano at mdelano@wbdc.org   

  

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Do you have a great business idea, but you’re not sure how to turn that dream into reality?  Be part of a lively discussion with those on the frontlines—other women who have started their own businesses and professionals who work with them.  Hear how they learned to balance their personal and business lives, how they got financing, how their businesses evolved and how they knew when to change.  This stimulating, interactive session will provide you with the tools, information and guidance you need to launch a successful business.

Upon your arrival at McCormick Place - West, please check-in at Registration, located just outside of the Skyline Ballroom, where you will receive your registration packet, including your name badge, meal tickets and Conference materials.  All online Registrants will check-in at the Pre-Registered counters, which will be alphabetical by your last name.  Registration will open at 7:30 a.m. on September 22, 2010.

 

 

COMING SOON