McKenize Fleeman
mdf001@marietta.edu
The first MOVEE Expo is set to take place Saturday Sept. 17. Dr. Jacqueline Khorassani, director of the entrepreneurship program at Marietta College, is excited about the conference.
“We wanted to make it possible for all entrepreneurs and business owners to come together, teach each other, and learn from each other,” she said.
There will be plenty of experts attending and presenting at the conference to answer any questions that aspiring entrepreneurs may have. The conference, like entrepreneurship, focuses on how to turn an idea into an action. Aspiring entrepreneurs will delve into questions such as “what is the next step”, or “who will finance my business”.
In addition, there will be sessions at the conference for business owners who are already on their feet. These will include things like new HR and insurance policies, and new tax laws that may effect their business, just to name a few.
“Experienced businesses have a certain type of experience that can be used to help a new business,” Dr. Khorassani said.
Two of the three keynote speakers are Marietta College alumni who will talk about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and also the characteristics needed to become a successful entrepreneur. The keynote speakers will also share where they get their ideas from and how they turn their ideas into action. Additionally, there will be nearly 30 vendors showing off their businesses and what they are doing.
The Expo will have 28 presenters presenting in 18 concurrent sessions on a variety of topics. Some of these topics include how to use social media at beginner and intermediate levels and how to share knowledge with potential business owners.
“Ultimately our goal is to make the Ohio Valley more economically active,” Dr. Khorassani said.
The goal is to make MOVEE an annual expo at Marietta College. This year, the event is free to college students, staff, faculty, and high school students. There is a fee for community members. By next year, they hope to have enough sponsors to make the event free for everyone.
With Marietta College’s PioBiz competitions quickly approaching, students who hope to compete and aren’t business majors are encouraged to attend the expo, and especially the session on the business plan.
“In fifty minutes you can learn the steps involved in putting a business plan together,”
Dr. Khorassani said.
Khorassani insists it is also a great opportunity to look for mentors, network, and possibly job opportunities. This is an opportunity that you can’t get in a classroom. The Expo will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday September 17. All attendees are asked to register in advance online at http://www.marietta.edu/moveexpo where you can find all the sessions and a description of each one.
