MORE EVENTS

New Venture Challenge draws near.

The Howard J. Leonhardt New Venture Challenge is a business plan competition open to all undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at Florida International University. Members of participating teams will develop and submit a written business plan to a panel of judges—venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, lawyers, and consultants. The grand prize for each level is $10,000 in cash and in-kind contributions—all to help the teams fund their new business ventures. The application deadline is January 31, 2006. Visit the web site for more information.

Take the GMAT and possibly qualify for a refund!

Here’s a great way to prepare for the GMAT. Register for the GMAT prep course, apply for admission, enroll in one of the Chapman Graduate School of Business’s degree programs for one full semester, and you’ll get a refund of the $259 course fees, fees that include tuition and books.

The graduate degree programs are: Evening MBA, Executive MBA, Downtown MBA, Professional MBA, MBA for Public Managers, Executive Master of Science in Taxation, International MBA, Master of Accounting, Master of International Business, Master of Science in Finance, Master of Science in Management - Human Resource Management, Master of Science in Management Information Systems, and Master of Science in International Real Estate.

Some sessions of the four-week prep course are offered at the Downtown Center, while others are held on the University Park campus. You will find the course dates, times, and locations, as well as a registration form, at https://cbasys.fiu.edu/bofa/gmat/. You also can contact 305-348-7598 or chapman@fiu.edu for information and a registration form. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and the classes fill quickly, so make your plans soon.

Presentation will show aspiring entrepreneurs how to raise money.

“How to Pitch Your Business Idea,” a live venture capital presentation from successful entrepreneur Albert Santalo, founder, president, and chief executive officer of Avisena and member of the College’s Dean’s Council, will take place January 26, 2006 at 5:00 p.m. in the MARC International Pavilion. RSVP at www.entrepreneurship.fiu.edu/events or 305-348-7625.

Panel zeroes in on nonprofits.

A group of panelists will discuss “Profit for Purpose: Social Entrepreneurship for Nonprofit Sustainability” on February 3, 2006 from 8:00 a.m-4:30 p.m. at the Kovens Conference Center on the University’s Biscayne Bay Campus. Attendees will hear from forward-thinking philanthropists, advisors, nonprofit CEOs, and board members Alfred Miller Wise, Community Wealth Ventures; Anne Jamieson, Toronto Enterprise Fund; Timothy Zak, Pittsburgh Social Enterprise Accelerator; Jerry Simon Chasen, The Advisor’s Project; and Alan Carsrud, executive director of the Eugenio Pino and Family Global Entrepreneurship Center. Scholarships are available for the event, which costs $150 per person. Hosts are the Center on Nonprofit Effectiveness (C-ONE) and the Pino Center; sponsors are Allegany Franciscan Ministries and the Chasen Family Foundation. RSVP at www.entrepreneurship.fiu.edu/events or by calling 305-348-7625.

Lecture to highlight ways to create and sustain a business.

You may have a great business idea, but how can you convert that vision into a successful company? On February 7, 2006 at 3:30 p.m., you can learn the steps on the path from concept to commercialization at a lecture titled “Concept Development and Market Opportunity.” The registration fee for the event, which will take place on the University Park campus, is $25 per person. Further details are forthcoming, so keep checking www.entrepreneurship.fiu.edu/events for updates.

Family Business Forum looks at succession planning.

One of the institutes in the Eugenio Pino and Family Global Entrepreneurship Center, the Institute for Family Business, is offering a forum on the topic of succession planning on February 21, 2006 at 8:00 a.m. at the Chispa Restaurant in Coral Gables. The panelists include Gary Gross, chief financial officer of Rachlin Cohen & Holtz LLP, which is also the sponsor of the event; Marc Silverman, family business consultant; and Andrew Yap, president and chief operating officer of LEASA Industries Co. Inc. Alan Carsrud, executive director of the Pino Center, will be the moderator. The registration fee is $50 per person, with discounted rates available for members of the College’s Business Alumni Chapter or the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. RSVP at www.entrepreneurship.fiu.edu/events or 305-348-7625.