FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 3, 2007
Contact: Christina Boston
(662) 329-7119

Speaker series exposes MUW students to local business owners

COLUMBUS, Miss. – An Entrepreneurship Speaker Series at Mississippi University for Women is exposing students to various business owners in the community.

The series is being sponsored by Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), SIFE adviser Dr. Janie Gregg’s entrepreneurship class, MUW’s Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship and The National Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. The sessions are held Tuesdays on campus in Reneau Hall Room 212 at 6 p.m., and students, faculty, staff and members of the community are encouraged to attend.

Upcoming speakers include Monique Williams from Monique’s Beauty Salon on April 3, Melissa Harris from Wild Flours Bread Company on April 10 and Dr. Elaine Evans from Evans CPA Firm on April 17. The series will conclude with Doug Robertson from Cadence Bank who will speak on April 24.

Sherry Kosseka, owner of the Blue Jean Outlet stores in Columbus, West Point, Columbia and Meridian, was the latest speaker. As part of her presentation, she expressed the importance of setting goals and having a positive outlook.

Other past speakers have been Brenda Lathan from the Columbus-Lowndes Development Link, Lucy Betcher, director of MUW’s Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship; Jarvis Taylor of IWAPP Music; Lex Jackson, owner of Reeds’; Felicia Broyles, owner of Nails by Felecia; Curtis Routley of Routley Construction; Ramona Green-Williams, owner of Just Cakes; Dirk Dickinson from 506 Fashion,
Tammy Craddock from Jubilations cheesecakes; Jesse Petty, owner of Petty’s Cleaning Service; and Dennis Coleman from Coleman Realty.
   
Gregg said, “The owners speak of their ups and downs of starting and managing a small business and answer questions that the observers may have.”
     
“Just as important as starting a new business, is discovering that one isn't cut out for running a small business. This could save them from attempting to start a business that would fail, which would save them a lot of money, energy and time,” she added.

For more information about the Entrepreneurship Speaker Series, contact Dr. Gregg at (662) 329-7267 or jgregg@muw.edu.