SBTDC, ECU to host entrepreneurship funding program
EVENT INFORMATION
What: “Becoming an Investor-Ready Entrepreneur” workshop hosted by the Small Business and Technology Development Center at East Carolina University
When: Tuesday, Oct. 29, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where: Greenville Centre Room 1200, 2200 Charles Blvd., Greenville, N.C. 27858
Why: The Small Business and Technology Development Center’s “Becoming an Investor-Ready Entrepreneur” workshop prepares new entrepreneurs to successfully engage with private equity investors so that they develop the knowledge and skills to obtain equity funding.
The Small Business and Technology Development Center at East Carolina University has invited highly respected investors and entrepreneurs from across the state to prep young entrepreneurs on successfully approaching investors and raising equity capital.
The workshop, “Becoming an Investor-Ready Entrepreneur,” will begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at the Greenville Centre Room 1200, 2200 Charles Blvd., in Greenville.
Phil Hodges, founder of Metrics Inc., will serve as the keynote speaker of the event. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to learn from investor panelists including Inception Micro Angel Fund-East (IMAF-East) Executive Fund Director Don Mills, IMAF-East investor Connally Branch and East Carolina Angels President and CEO Mark Wdowik.
The full-day event will offer insights into investor expectations and the private equity investment process, and how to develop a company to be investor ready. The program focuses on allowing participants to gain an investor’s perspective so that they understand an investor’s mindset and expectations.
The workshop is targeted toward technology companies, including intellectual property-based businesses and software companies, but is open to all who want to learn about the process of securing equity funding.
“The workshop provides insight into a funding model that is built for high-growth oriented companies that are hoping to grow for a few years and then be acquired,” said Mike Carnes, SBTDC technology commercialization counselor and equity funding specialist.
According to Carnes, many participants come into the workshop with little understanding of equity funding and leave with a solid foundation of knowledge on how to target different types of investors. He said this is a great networking opportunity for those who attend.
The registration fee for the event is $145 and participants can register online at sbtdc.org/investorready.
The SBTDC helps North Carolina businesses grow and improve by providing educational programs and management counseling. These services provide business owners and entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills they need to build successful businesses. The SBTDC at ECU services businesses in Craven, Beaufort, Carteret, Edgecombe, Greene, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Pamlico, Pitt, Wayne, and Wilson counties.
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Phone: 252-328-6481
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Contact: Ariana Billingsley, Small Business and Technology Development Center at ECU Director, billingsleya@ecu.edu, 252-737-1368