Purdue ag students to get advice from entrepreneurs
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University agriculture students will learn what it takes to start their own business Thursday (Nov. 7) when they hear the stories of alumni who became successful entrepreneurs themselves.
Daylong interaction with business owners who are College of Agriculture alumni culminate with presentations from five speakers on the topic of "Life Lessons from an Entrepreneur" in Deans Auditorium of Pfendler Hall on the West Lafayette campus.
The event, which starts at 6 p.m. and is open to the public, extends to the entire college an Entrepreneurship Day the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering held last year.
"Entrepreneurship Day provides our students the chance to meet and learn from a very creative group of people who have launched and managed various types of businesses," said Jay Akridge, Glenn W. Sample Dean of Purdue Agriculture. "Hopefully, this will inspire some of these students to become the next generation of agricultural entrepreneurs."
After a welcome by Akridge and opening presentations by Indiana Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann and Dan Hasler, president of Purdue Research Foundation, the five alumni each will speak for 15 minutes. They are:
* Barbara Cohen, founder and CSO of Arex Life Sciences Inc. of Boston, representing the biochemistry department.
* Malcolm DeKryger, president of Belstra Milling Co. Inc. of DeMotte, Ind., representing animal sciences.
* Kim (Schwarzkopf) DeWees, founder of Vision Ag Inc. of Rensselaer, Ind., representing agricultural economics.
* Johann (Joe) Garwood, co-founder and managing member of Fulcrum Exploration of Dallas, representing agricultural and biological engineering.
* Mona Baker Wolf, president and founder of The Wolf Group of Cincinnati, representing food science.
A question-and-answer session with the speakers will follow.
Writer: Keith Robinson, 765-494-2722, robins89@purdue.edu
Source: Jay Akridge, 765-494-8391, akridge@purdue.edu
Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Keith Robinson, robins89@purdue.edu
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