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<p class=NoParagraphStyle><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span
style='font-size:16.0pt;line-height:120%;color:#0000A0'>Seminar for creative
entrepreneurs featured during Stark County Entrepreneur Week <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle align=center style='text-align:center'><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><b>(Jackson Township, OH - February 2, 2010) </b> The
Small Business Development Center, Kent State University at Stark (SBDC) is
proud to announce its first annual Stark County Entrepreneur Week. This
event-filled week, providing opportunities for entrepreneurs at all levels, is
a collaboration between the Stark County Chambers of Commerce, the Stark
Development Board (SDB) and the SDBC and will be held February 22-26, 2010, at
The University Center, 6000 Frank Avenue NW in Jackson Township.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><b>Jackie B. Peterson, veteran consultant to
designers, writers, photographers and artists, will conduct the seminar, <i>Ten
Steps to Business Success for Creative Entrepreneurs</i>, on Thursday, Feb. 25
at 1 p.m. </b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle>Peterson has been an entrepreneur, teacher and
creator for more than 30 years. She began her entrepreneurial life with a CPA
firm that served small businesses and many creative clients. Later, her
practice grew into a small business consulting firm that continues today as
Babicky Performance Partners.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle>She currently teaches business and entrepreneurship
skills to small business owners at the Small Business Development Center of
Portland Community College. She also is a corporate trainer for numerous
organizations, conducting sessions on professional communication, teamworking,
marketing, problem-solving skill development and financial success.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle>Peterson is well known in the Portland area by
hundreds of entrepreneurs, particularly those with creative endeavors;
photographers, artists, graphic designers, fashion designers, potters and
performing artists. Her grateful clients recently named her “One of the
100 most Powerful Women in the Northwest” because of the success she has
had in helping entrepreneurs to make choices that result in thriving creative
enterprises. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle>Her entrepreneurial advocacy is being expanded with
her recently published book, <i>Better, Smarter, Richer! Ten Steps to Business
Success for Creative Entrepreneurs: A Guide For Creative Entrepreneurs To Find
Their Way To Financial Success</i>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle>The Stark County Entrepreneur Week schedule includes:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><b><u>Monday, Feb. 22<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><b> A Panel of Entrepreneurs</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle> 8 - 10 a.m. • $25/person •
Continental Breakfast Included<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle> Featuring several Stark County’s leading
entrepreneurs divulging the secrets to their successful businesses. Moderated
by Ned Parks, experienced consultant and public speaker. Panel members include:
Geoff Karcher, owner and president of the Karcher Group; Randall C. Hunt,
director of Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty Co., L.P.; Theodore F.
Savastano, president of T.S. Partners LLC; Steve Coon, founder of Coon
Restoration & Sealant; Dr. Merle Griff, CEO of SarahCare Adult Daycare Centers;
and Rose Ann DaRe, president of Hydrodyne, Inc.<br>
<br>
<b><u>Tuesday, Feb. 23<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><b> Keynote Speaker Dan Gilbert</b><br>
8 - 10 a.m. • $35/person • Breakfast Included (Dan
Gilbert’s presentation will begin at 9 a.m.)<br>
Dan Gilbert is chairman and founder of Quicken Loans Inc., majority owner
of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, the American Hockey League’s Lake
Erie Monsters and operator of Quicken Loans Arena. He also founded
Detroit’s Bizdom U, a non-profit support organization for entrepreneurs
that creates successful businesses, jobs, growth and wealth in large, urban
cities. Recently, Gilbert successfully backed a proposal, authorizing casinos
in four Ohio cities, which will create 34,000 Ohio jobs and generate millions
of dollars in tax revenues for public services, safety and schools. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><br>
<b><u>Thursday, Feb. 25</u></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><b>Student Entrepreneurs Competition<br>
</b>8 - 10:30 a.m. • $20/person • Continental Breakfast Included<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle>The Stark County Student Entrepreneurs, representing
local colleges and universities, in a competition to promote “The
Business of Arts in Stark County,” will present to a panel of judges,
including Holly Bolinger, Small Business Development Center; Robb Hankins,
ArtsinStark president and CEO; and Jackie B. Peterson, author of <i>Better,
Smarter, Richer!</i> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><b>Jackie B. Peterson’s presentation of <i>Ten
Steps to Business Success for Creative Entrepreneurs </i></b>1 - 4 p.m. •
$85/person • Refreshments Included. Seating is limited to 50.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><b><u>Friday, Feb. 26<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><b>Keynote Speaker Ray Leach<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle>8 - 10 a.m. • $35/person • Breakfast
Included<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle>JumpStart Inc. creator and CEO, Ray Leach, brings his
energy and leadership experiences from founding five high-growth
entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial endeavors in the last 20 years. Since 2003,
his time has been focused on leading JumpStart, a nationally recognized venture
development organization that accelerates the progress of early-stage
businesses toward the goal of creating a prosperous future for Northeast Ohio.
In addition to Ray Leach’s address, he will announce the scholarship
recipients from the previous day’s Stark County Student Entrepreneurs
Competition.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><b>To register for these events or for more
information regarding the Stark County Entrepreneur Week, call the SBDC at
330-244-3290 or visit <a href="http://www.cantonsbdc.org">www.cantonsbdc.org</a>.
</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:normal'><b>CONTACT:</b> Cynthia
Williams, public relations coordinator<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:normal'> Phone:
330-244-3262 E-mail:
<a href="mailto:cdwillia@kent.edu">cdwillia@kent.edu</a> <b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:normal'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>About the Small Business Development Center of Ohio:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>The Small Business Development Center, Kent State University at Stark
(SBDC) is a fully funded, non-profit organization that is devoted to helping
small businesses grow and individuals to start new businesses through training
programs and no-cost consultation sessions. Its responsibility is to provide
every opportunity to support the creation of jobs in Stark County. The SBDC is
hosted at Kent State University at Stark by The Corporate University.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>The SBDC program is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with
the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBDC program is also funded
in part by the Ohio Department of Development. All opinions, conclusions or
recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the SBA. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>About Kent State University at Stark:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Kent State University at Stark is the largest regional campus of Kent
State University and serves 10,000 students each year, comprised of 5,300
enrolled in academic coursework and 4,700 enrolled in professional development
courses. Kent State Stark offers 13 bachelor’s degrees and three
master’s degrees, in addition to associate degrees. The campus is located
in Jackson Township and consists of seven major buildings. The University Center
at Kent State Stark, which houses The Corporate University and the Small
Business Development Center, is accredited under the stringent guidelines of
the International Association of Conference Centers. Always striving to enhance
education through technological advancement, Kent State Stark features indoor
and outdoor, campus-wide wireless Internet. Combining the best of a major
university and a liberal arts college, Kent State Stark serves our region as a
key intellectual resource providing access to academic, economic and cultural
advancement through excellence in teaching and learning. To learn more about
Kent State Stark, visit </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'><a
href="http://www.stark.kent.edu">www.stark.kent.edu</a></span><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:120%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=NoParagraphStyle align=center style='text-align:center'><b>-
30 -<o:p></o:p></b></p>
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