Conference encourages future business owners
Yuna Kim
Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: News
After attending the conference, Smith students with projects in all stages of development will create proposals explaining what they want to do with their businesses. Heavlow will then evaluate these proposals and write letters to the foundation on behalf of the students.
Depending on whether businesses are in the concept phase or existing phase, student award amounts vary. Also, because of the previous year's financial crisis, the award amount may be lower than before.
Many students start and continue their businesses after the conference.
Rachael Besserman M.Ed. '10 owns Emmett's Essentials, an online retail shop for organic body care products. She will have a table at the conference this year. Last year, Besserman met another business, 410 BC, a Web-based partnership between a Smith and a Mount Holyoke student, and was able to partner with them.
Besserman described the conference as energizing and inspiring, and emphasized the significance of group work and collaboration that the conference encourages.
"Entrepreneurs are doers," she said.
Like Besserman, Jennifer Connor 'AC '10 was able to start her business, Jennie Blue, which sells hand-painted, ceremonial ceramics, with the help of the Grinspoon Charitable Foundation.
"The Grinspoon, Garvey and Young Entrepreneurship Conference offered me the chance to present my business, and ideas on the further development of my business, to a group of would-be investors who then offered me input on how I might approach an actual investor in the future," Connor said.
"The conference is a rare opportunity to network in a supportive environment, kind of like Driver's Education for business: taking that test drive before you have to go out on [Interstate] 91 for the first time."
Although right now the program does not currently support nonprofit businesses, the organizers are hoping to find a way to award social enterprises.
Heavlow believes that this conference is beneficial to students. "If entrepreneurship is a vehicle to for you to achieve [success] we're behind it 100 percent."
Depending on whether businesses are in the concept phase or existing phase, student award amounts vary. Also, because of the previous year's financial crisis, the award amount may be lower than before.
Many students start and continue their businesses after the conference.
Rachael Besserman M.Ed. '10 owns Emmett's Essentials, an online retail shop for organic body care products. She will have a table at the conference this year. Last year, Besserman met another business, 410 BC, a Web-based partnership between a Smith and a Mount Holyoke student, and was able to partner with them.
Besserman described the conference as energizing and inspiring, and emphasized the significance of group work and collaboration that the conference encourages.
"Entrepreneurs are doers," she said.
Like Besserman, Jennifer Connor 'AC '10 was able to start her business, Jennie Blue, which sells hand-painted, ceremonial ceramics, with the help of the Grinspoon Charitable Foundation.
"The Grinspoon, Garvey and Young Entrepreneurship Conference offered me the chance to present my business, and ideas on the further development of my business, to a group of would-be investors who then offered me input on how I might approach an actual investor in the future," Connor said.
"The conference is a rare opportunity to network in a supportive environment, kind of like Driver's Education for business: taking that test drive before you have to go out on [Interstate] 91 for the first time."
Although right now the program does not currently support nonprofit businesses, the organizers are hoping to find a way to award social enterprises.
Heavlow believes that this conference is beneficial to students. "If entrepreneurship is a vehicle to for you to achieve [success] we're behind it 100 percent."
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