CONTACT:
Tom Phillips, 212-935-4655
Jon Ratliff, 816-842-2111
Matt Pozel, 816-932-1263
Support National Effort to Educate Next Generation of Entrepreneurs and Innovators
KANSAS CITY, Mo, Nov. 14, 2006 - A growing number of high profile entrepreneurs, authors and inventors have joined EntrepreneurshipWeek USA, lending their support to inspire and encourage young people to consider entrepreneurship as a career choice, while helping celebrate America's unique culture of inventiveness. Among these individuals are Dean Kamen, founder of FIRST and inventor of the Segway Human Transporter; Paul Orfalea, founder of Kinko's and author of Copy This!; Maxine Clark, founder, Chief Executive Bear and chairman of Build-A-Bear Workshop; Edward Iacobucci, president and chief executive officer of DayJet Corporation; Ron Rubin, Minister of Tea and owner of The Republic of Tea; Victor Tsao, co-founder of Linksys and senior vice president of Cisco Systems, Inc.; Mark Schmid, founder of Syndrome Distribution; and, Jim Kenefick, chairman of Better World Telecom.
Also joining The Week are Judson Laipply, founder and president of Let's Dance Media, Inc. and creator of the all-time most viewed YouTube video; Randal Pinkett, chairman and CEO of BCT Partners, a management, technology and policy consulting firm, and Season 4 Winner of "The Apprentice"; and Michael E. Gerber, founder and chairman of E-Myth Worldwide, Chief Dreamer, In the Dreaming Room, LLC, and author of the forthcoming Awakening the Entrepreneur Within (Doubleday, Fall 2007).
"EntrepreneurshipWeek USA is a long overdue celebration of the foundation and fabric of our country. It is a celebration of creativity, ingenuity, innovation, resourcefulness and the endless possibilities we all possess. I am honored and excited to support an initiative that encourages and promotes these ideals," said Pinkett, in announcing his involvement in EntrepreneurshipWeek USA.
"We need to show kids it's more fun to design and create a video game than it is to play one," added Kamen, an inventor, physicist and entrepreneur.
Pinkett, Kamen and other notables join more than 300 organizations, representing thousands of individuals who will host and organize events during EntrepreneurshipWeek USA, Feb. 24 - March 3, 2007. These events will be designed to inspire, educate and prepare young people, primarily ages 14 to 25, to be among America's next great entrepreneurs and innovators.
These high profile entrepreneurs and others to be recruited will be involved in EntrepreneurshipWeek USA in a variety of ways including participating in an Ask-an-Entrepreneur online session, speaking at events - on college campuses and other venues, participating in collegiate business plan competitions, sponsoring and/or hosting local events, and in mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs.
"Creativity, curiosity and looking for unique opportunities are what drove me to become an entrepreneur," said Kinko's Orfalea. "EntrepreneurshipWeek USA provides the opportunity to show youth that these are skills to use and to grow. This program gives youth a chance to channel their energies, grab onto their big ideas and turn them from dreams into reality."
With the theme, "What's Your Big Idea? Take it On!" the EntrepreneurshipWeek USA initiative is designed to serve as an inspiration for young people to think creatively and to turn their ideas into action - whether that means starting a new business, developing an innovation for an existing company or solving a problem that makes society better. Official events are being planned in cities across the country, culminating in Washington, D.C, where the focus will be on the importance of policy to the nation's entrepreneurs.
Additional names of VIPs and partners associated with EntrepreneurshipWeek USA are available at www.entrepreneurshipweekusa.com.
EntrepreneurshipWeek USA is sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and by government, not-for-profit organizations and businesses, including The New York Times and INC. magazine. Additionally, the House of Representatives noted the importance of entrepreneurship education by enacting a Resolution in support of a national entrepreneurship week.
"We are delighted with the leadership and expertise that these individuals and organizations bring to EntrepreneurshipWeek USA," said Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation. "Educating our young people about entrepreneurship and reinforcing the value that entrepreneurs and innovators bring to our economy is critical to America's long-term prosperity - more so now than ever before."
For more information on events and activities across the country as well as how to engage young people to get involved in EntrepreneurshipWeek USA, please visit: www.entrepreneurshipweekusa.com.
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