The Women Entrepreneurs’ Leadership Summit, hosted by Colorado State University’s College of Business and Institute for Entrepreneurship, will address challenges faced by female company founders through practical advice, consultation and network connections to encourage the growth of women-led businesses.
The summit will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 17, in the West Ballroom of the Lory Student Center. The event will include a light breakfast, luncheon and an evening networking reception from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
“We are so honored to have the amazing caliber of speakers and sponsors participating in this year’s event,” said Charisse McAuliffe, co-director for WELS. “It shows a true commitment from the university and the community to help foster the growth of women-led businesses.”
This year’s keynote speaker is Campbell McKeller, the founder and chief executive officer of Loosecubes, a private global office sharing network. Loosecubes was recently named by Time magazine as a top 10 New York City startup to watch for 2012, and has been featured in Entrepreneur, USA Today, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Fast Company.
In addition to the keynote luncheon, the program will feature several short talks from 13 speakers including Libby Cook, founder of Wild Oats and Sunflower Market. A presentation by author and CEO Debra Benton will conclude the day. Panel discussions will explore topics such as social impact-driven companies, women in engineering and science, restorative leadership and organizational strategy.
Registration for the event is $60 for the entire day, with a student/faculty rate available. Registration and information at www.entrepreneurialwomen.org; updates at the WELS Facebook page.
Event sponsors include KUNC 91.5, KRFC 88.9, the City of Fort Collins and Mack Web Solutions.