Social media focus of entrepreneurship week at BGSU

BOWLING GREEN, O.—The “Dale Carnegie of social media” will coach business people on how to make friends and influence people through online connections at the Sebo Series in Entrepreneurship at Bowling Green State University on April 12. This year, the Sebo event caps off Entrepreneurship Week (E-Week), April 8-12, at BGSU.

Erik Qualman, a social media expert and best-selling author, will be the keynote speaker, along with a panel of other experts addressing the theme “Social Economics: Adding Value to Business with Social Media.” The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Lenhart Grand Ballroom of the Bowen-Thompson Student Union.

Qualman is the author of “Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business,” which made Amazon's No. 1 Best Selling List for the U.S., Japan, U.K., Canada, Korea and Germany. The panelists include Shannon Paul, vice president and social media strategist for Fifth Third Bancorp; Kim Garretson, co-founder and innovation ventures partner with Ovative/Group; Mike Osswald, vice president for experience innovation with Hanson, Inc.; and Meredith Soleau, human resources director for Ed Schmidt Auto, Inc.

Now in its 10th year, the Sebo Series brings innovative entrepreneurial leaders to the Great Lakes region. Entrepreneurship Week is hosted by BGSU’s Dallas-Hamilton Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and College of Business Administration. The week celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit with interactive community events, many which are free, including Dallas-Hamilton Connect, a social media and networking event, at 1:30 p.m. April 12 and “The Hatch” from 7-9 p.m. on April 10. As in the TV show “Shark Tank,” during “The Hatch” students will present ideas to a panel of investors as they vie for startup funds for their business ideas.

Additional business leaders will also be on campus during E-Week. The kickoff breakfast on April 8 features BGSU alumnus Skyler Rogers, co-founder of NiceShirt.org, at 9:30 a.m. in the Hub, on the second floor of the Business Administration Building.

Lunch speakers include: Gene Poor, founder and Chief Imagination Officer for LifeFormations, on April 8; Dan Slifko, president and director of Rocket Ventures, on April 9; and Matt Miller, BGSU student and founder of Magnetag, on April 10. The lunches take place from 12:30-2 p.m. in the Hub.

View the full schedule and register for E-Week at http://www.bgsu.edu/eweek. E-Week is sponsored by Rocket Ventures LLC, RGP/JobsOhio, and Hanson Inc. To register or learn more about the Sebo Series in Entrepreneurship, visit http://bgsu.edu/sebo.

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(Posted March 27, 2013 )