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Entrepreneur Conference and Gone in 60 Seconds Coming to El Dorado

Posted on March 3, 2013

Originally published in the El Dorado News-Times on March 4, 2013.

Several business and education organizations are joining forces to present the 2013 Entrepreneur Conference and Gone in 60 Seconds Event in April, geared to inspire small business leaders.

The El Dorado Entrepreneur Task Force, Arkansas Women?s Business Center and South West Community College Consortium, which includes South Arkansas Community College ? El Dorado, Cossatot Community College, University of Arkansas ? DeQueen, Rich Mountain Community College ? Mena, SAU Tech ? East Camden and the University of Arkansas Community College – Hope, will host the conference and event.

The event will "inspire, educate and connect entrepreneur education with real world small business,? according to Sherry Howard, director of the Arkansas Women?s Business Center in El Dorado.

She said the conference will be held at the El Dorado Conference Center from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. with an elevator pitch competition starting at 5:30 p.m. on April 26.

Hosted by the El Dorado Entrepreneur Task Force and sponsored by the South West Community College Consortium, First Financial Bank and Ray Traylor, CPA, "the conference will bring together diverse perspectives on entrepreneurship education while providing a platform for emerging companies, entrepreneurs and investors to connect and take action,? Howard said.

The program panelists will include experts in high school, college and small business entrepreneurship.

"They will be sharing best practices for merging entrepreneur education with real world business strategies,? she said.

Featured speakers will include Chris Masingill, federal co-chair of the Delta Regional Authority; Mike Steely, entrepreneurship coordinator of Connect Arkansas and Jeff Amerine, owner of Startup Junkies Consulting, Inc.

The Delta Regional Authority is a federal-state partnership whose mission is to help create jobs, build communities and improve lives in the 252 counties and parishes in the eight states of the Delta region. Masingill has extensive experience in community and economic development and developing strategic connections between the public and private sectors.

Steely?s topic will be "Using Technology to Promote Your Business.? He joined Connect Arkansas in 2011 as the e-commerce and entrepreneurship coordinator to travel the state focusing on entrepreneurial and technology education for students.

He previously served Arkansas Capital Corp. as the compliance manger for its lending activities.

Amerine?s topic will be "The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses.? He teaches entrepreneurship at the Walton College of Business. He also serves as a consultant to a state program called Innovate Arkansas, which is chartered with the creation and support of a knowledge-based economy in Arkansas. He also publishes a weekly tech-startup-focused blog sponsored by Arkansas Business and Innovate Arkansas called Techpreneurship.

The "Gone in 60 Seconds? keynote speaker will be Jason Lucash, owner of OrigAudio, who has been featured on Shark Tank, Entrepreneur Magazine and Time Magazine. His topic will be "How OrigAudio went from Idea to Reality.?

Lucash graduated from the University of California, Davis, in 2006 with a degree in managerial economics.

He launched his first business as a third-grader in the San Francisco suburb of Danville, Calif.

In his early career, he successfully ran various marketing campaigns for Major League Soccer and later JanSport, where he increased their collegiate business by 50 percent in over three years. He also has experience implementing marketing strategies for Ebay, Wells Fargo, Microsoft, Kodak and other Fortune 500 companies.

In August 2009, Lucash and his business partner Mike Szymczak, launched OrigAudio, which is now recognized worldwide. His business was funded in part by Robert from Shark Tank, and his invention has been featured in Time Magazine?s "Top 50 Inventions.?

He was also named Entrepreneur Magazine?s "Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year.? He currently heads OrigAudio?s corporate office in Costa Mesa, Calif., and still travels for fun as he continues to expand the business.

"You have one minute to say it all. Pitch your business idea within 60 seconds in front of a general audience,? Howard said. First prize will receive $1,000, second place, $500 and third place, $250, along with a press release in Arkansas Business.com.

"The conference and G60 will be packed with useful information that every entrepreneur educator and business owner can use,? Howard said.

Tickets for the conference, which includes lunch and G60 event, are $50.  General admission for G60 only is $15 and $5 with student ID.

To be a presenter in G60 is free. For more information, visit  www.startupeldorado.com, call (870) 864-8429 or email skaldem@winrock.org." "El Dorado Promise Expands Student Eligibility – Monday, March 04, 2013"