21 FastTrac Program Grads To Be Honored April 23

by Alan Hunt

The John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship at Baylor University, the City of Waco and the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce will hold a graduation reception to honor 21 participants in the FastTrac entrepreneur program at 6 p.m. April 23, in the Blume Seminar Room at Baylor's Hankamer School of Business.
A national program geared toward aspiring and current entrepreneurs, FastTrac has been holding classes in Waco since 1996.
Keynote speaker will be Jim Stewart, chairman and CEO of Coldwell Banker Jim Stewart Realtors, a company he founded in 1970 as Jim Stewart Realtors. Stewart participates in many local activities and on a number of professional boards, including the Waco Board of Realtors, for which he has served as president on several occasions and two terms as a director.
Honorees to be recognized during the program will include participants of FastTrac NewVenture and FastTrac Planning.
FastTrac NewVenture graduates are aspiring entrepreneurs who have developed a business concept and a feasibility study. These graduates and their business ventures are: David Applewhite, Applewhite Electric; Bob Lee, Vanguard Property Management; Loren Lee, The Guest House/Exalted Eats; Irene McDow, Achieving Academic Excellence; Patrick Ryan, Sellers Express; Samuel Torres, The Other Group; Donald Turner, Master's Touch Enterprise; and Kathy Wilkins, Bluewater Endeavors.
FastTrac Planning graduates are existing entrepreneurs who have developed their business and plan for future growth and expansion. These graduates and their businesses are: Jack Applewhite, Billy Jiggs Liquor; Tom Burr and Kristen Sullivan, Hornet Graphics LLC Dba Hornet Sign Co.; Kathy Jackson and Kandice O'Neal, Agricultural Learning Foundation Inc.; Max O. Kees, Kee Corp. Inc.; Shahid Khan, Global Pakistan; David Maness, Maness Lawns & Landscaping; Pritesh Patel, Mitesh Raichada and Andrew White, PRL Investments Clarion Inn; Susan Pool, MacBeth; and Derek Richards, Roulin Enterprises Inc.
Baylor students served as student consultants to each of the businesses. FastTrac NewVenture's instructor is Rob Gibson, owner of Holze Music Co., and the business counselor for the program is Susan Gibson. FastTrac Planning instructor is Allan Morris, president of Extraco Banks, and the business counselor is a local business owner, Mary Cunningham.
The FastTrac Progam will begin its next session in September 2002. For more information call 710-2265.