MEDIA CONTACT: GEORGE MCCRORY
300 Plaza Centre One
Iowa City IA 52242
(319) 384-0012; fax (319) 384-0024
e-mail: george-mccrory@uiowa.edu
PROGRAM CONTACT: CAROLYN NORTON
John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center
(319) 335-1022
e-mail: carolyn-norton@uiowa.edu

Release: Dec. 3, 2002

(Photo: left, Spitzer; right, Hensley)

Entrepreneurship in Iowa to be discussed at Hughes Lecture Dec. 10

Entrepreneurship in Iowa will be the focus of the John R. Hughes Lecture Series in Entrepreneurship Dec. 10 at the Pappajohn Business Building.

The University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC) and Hills Bank and Trust Company are sponsoring the program, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 10 in the Tippie Auditorium, Room W151 in the Pappajohn Business Building. A networking reception precedes the program at 6 p.m. in the Andersen Galleria in PBB.

The lecture features speakers Joe Crookham, president and principal owner of Musco Sports Lighting; John Spitzer, treasurer of Eastern Iowa Angel Investors, LLC and clinical professor of finance at the UI; and David Hensley, director of the UI JPEC.

Crookham will speak about the critical issues encountered in building Musco Sports Lighting into a successful international business. His presentation, "Building a Business from the Ground Up: the Team is the Core" will provide important insight for leading an entrepreneurial company. Crookham will also highlight some of the major events Musco has been involved in, including their work at the World Trade Center/Ground Zero in New York City and the Pentagon.

Entrepreneurs will also hear about two new funding opportunities available in eastern Iowa. Spitzer will discuss angel financing available through the recently formed Eastern Iowa Angel Investors (EIAI) group. EIAI is a group of more than 20 individual investors who have pooled their funds for business investment. Hensley will give an overview of the recently created Wellmark Community Ventures Fund. Through this program, Iowa companies may seek funding to launch and grow their ventures. Application materials will also be available.

The lecture is free and open to the public, but registration is requested by Dec. 6. To register or for more information, contact the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at (319) 335-1022 or email carolyn-norton@uiowa.edu .