TREP EXPO in Addison and Farmers Branch Gathers Leading Entrepreneurs to Strengthen Startup Community
Baylor entrepreneurship department partners with Addison Economic Development, Dallas Entrepreneur Center for April 19-20 event
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Media contact: Eric M. Eckert, (254) 710-1964
WACO, Texas (April 6, 2017) — Baylor University’s entrepreneurship program in the Hankamer School of Business is partnering with the town of Addison’s Economic Development department and the Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC) for TREP EXPO 2017, an event that helps to equip startups and early stage entrepreneurs with inspiring and crucial information to launch and grow their businesses.
TREP EXPO, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, April 19 and 20, will kick off Wednesday evening from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Addison TreeHouse, a resource-centered co-working space for entrepreneurs. The evening will begin with a networking reception and welcome from the Mayor of Addison, followed by seven companies making five-minute pitch presentations followed by five-minute Q&A sessions. Guests will have the opportunity to name the best presentations through a live, interactive judging process. Beginning with breakfast at 8:30 a.m. the following morning, TREP EXPO moves to Brookhaven College, Building H, and features a lineup of guest speakers, information sessions and panels designed to strengthen entrepreneurs. Topics include social media and online market capitalization, market validation, intellectual property and funding models. The day will end at 3:30 pm.
“This is our third year to bring TREP EXPO to successful and aspiring entrepreneurs across the State of Texas and beyond,” said Mary Abrahams, associate director of Baylor’s John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business. “This year, we have added additional time for networking throughout the event, while we continue to introduce best practices and transformational lessons to help entrepreneurs achieve their business goals.”
Keynote speaker for the April 20 breakfast is Dave Copps, Founder and CEO of Brainspace Corp., an Addison-based company that is “augmenting intelligence to accelerate human potential.” Lunch keynote speaker is Nancy T. Richards, Chairman, First Preston HT. Richards is a recognized visionary and entrepreneur in the fields of real estate and technology related companies.
Wednesday’s speakers and panelists include:
• Dave Copps, Brainspace
• Robert Kantner, Jones Day
• Tahir Hussain, Collide Village Accelerator
• Nancy T. Richards, First Preston HT
• Erica Johansen, Splash Media
• Elisha Velez, Splash Media
• Lisa Armstrong, IBERIABANK
• Adrian Gonzalez, LiftFund
• Cynthia Nevels, Integrality
“Entrepreneurs are major economic drivers,” said Orlando Campos, director of economic development and tourism for Addison. “From creating jobs to generating local revenue and triggering community growth, the value of startups is enormous.”
Event times and locations include:
• Wednesday, April 19 (6– 8:30 p.m.) – Addison TreeHouse, 14681 Midway Road, Addison, Texas 75001
• Thursday, April 20 (8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.) – Brookhaven College, Building H, 3939 Valley View Lane, Farmers Branch, Texas 75244.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.
ABOUT HANKAMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business provides a rigorous academic experience, consisting of classroom and hands-on learning, guided by Christian commitment and a global perspective. Recognized nationally for several programs, including Entrepreneurship and Accounting, the school offers 24 undergraduate and 13 graduate areas of study. Visit www.baylor.edu/business and follow on Twitter at twitter.com/Baylor_Business.
ABOUT ADDISON
Addison is a bustling town alive with entrepreneurial spirit where small startups to major corporations and corporate regional offices are headquartered, including Mary Kay Cosmetics, United Surgical Partners, Hilton International, USAA, Zurich America, Behringer Harvard, Mohr Partners, Holt Lunsford and Bottle Rocket Apps, just to name a few. With the launch of the Addison TreeHouse incubator, Addison has become a destination for entrepreneurs to launch their business. The town has over 9 million square feet of quality office space throughout the community enhanced by lush landscaping, Texas’ busiest general aviation airport and world-class special events such as Fork & Cork, KaboomTown and Oktoberfest. Addison is where it all comes together.
ABOUT THE DALLAS ENTREPRENEUR CENTER
The Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC) serves entrepreneurs in the Dallas area, providing a location where they can receive training, education, mentorship, promotion and access to capital in order to encourage and equip the entrepreneurial community to start, build and grow their businesses. Facilitating a culture of entrepreneurship and ‘giving before you get,’ the DEC connects new and old entrepreneurs with a vibrant, collaborative environment.