University Communications - Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, August 06, 2010
Contact: Sheena Lindahl, The Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour 800-930-8021

MU spurs America’s youngest workers to create their own jobs

Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour paves the way

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The power of the entrepreneurial spirit will take the Tri-State Area by storm this fall when The Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour visits Marshall University’s Huntington campus.

The tour, a high-energy, half-day event, will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, at the Marshall University Foundation Hall, Home of the Erickson Alumni Center. Those in attendance will hear the stories of and learn the secrets behind the success of the world’s top entrepreneurs who are still in their 20s.

The event is sponsored by Marshall University’s Office of the President, MU Online College in the High School, the Center for Business and Economic Research, the Marshall University Research Corp. and Huntington Area Development Council (HADCO).

The Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour is the first and only nationwide entrepreneurship tour. It is run by three award-winning young entrepreneurs – Sheena Lindahl (27), Michael Simmons (28) and Arel Moodie (26).

Created in 2006 by Lindahl and Simmons, the tour features many of California’s top young entrepreneurs who have made, or sold companies for, millions of dollars and/or made a huge impact before the age of 30.

One speaker, Cameron Johnson (24) from Los Angeles, started a dozen profitable businesses and became a self-made millionaire while he was still a teenager. Another speaker, Rahim Fazal (27) from San Francisco, sold his first business for $1.5 million as he was graduating from high school. Fazal is the co-founder and CEO of the venture-backed company, Involver.

“More than half the companies on the 2009 Fortune 500 list were launched during a recession or bear market,” Simmons said. “Technology and globalization have made it very inexpensive to start a business. Now is the best time that there has ever been to become your own boss.”

According to a 2007 Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation survey by Harris Interactive, four out of 10 young people would like to start their own businesses someday.

“However, when we talked with students, we realized that many of them needed inspiration and support to achieve this dream,” Lindahl said. “That’s why we started the tour.”

The goal of the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour is to have college students around the nation graduate with an entrepreneurial mindset.

The tour uses numerous themes and resources to reach and inspire those in attendance. Some are:

Focus – students are inspired and learn how to start and run their own businesses;
Keynote – this speaker is an extremely successful young entrepreneur who shares his or her story and business lessons;
Workshop – helps students come up with a viable business idea based on strengths and passions;
Speed networking – focuses on students connecting with each other based on their business ideas;
Panel – consists of the event speakers and local entrepreneurs with a focus on entrepreneurship. Local participants will include some who have created businesses and been successful in commercializing products, including representatives from Vandalia Research Inc., which is the first biotechnology research company based upon Marshall University research. Other panelists include local K-12 students, including award-winning students from Cabell Midland High School.

Registration to the event is limited to Marshall University students, faculty and staff, and to K-12 students. To register, they may go to www.extremetour.org/marshall.

For further information, contact:
Office of University Communications
Marshall University
213 Old Main | Huntington, WV 25755-1090
Fax: (304) 696-3197