For Entrepreneurs, By Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneur Connect is a program exclusively for President/CEOs and business owners of privately-held companies who want to connect with peers, share strategies and engage in discussions to help each other succeed in business. Occasionally, expert guest speakers will join the group to present best practices and help facilitate discussions. 

Dave Gaino, Chairman, Apple Growth Partners, will speak on "Succession Planning - How to Let Go of Your 'Baby'."  You've built the company from scratch and want to do everything you can to make sure it lives on after you retire. Some entrepreneurs express the sentiment....it's my "baby," and I'd hate to see any harm come to it when I'm gone.
 
One of the most important parts of successfully leading any company is identifying and developing internal people with the potential to fill key business leadership positions. Join us as Dave Gaino, chairman of Apple Growth Partners, guides us through the process, options and common pitfalls of business succession planning. From feasibility study to the nuts & bolts, Dave will share commonly regarded best practices in succession planning.  

Premier Sponsors are BCG & Company and BCG Systems 
 
Join KNOW for the April quarterly luncheon to hear Candace Curtis present "Tees, Greens and Birdie Bags."  Candace will discuss how she successfully juggles her life as a wife to PGA Tour Golfer, Ben Curtis, mom and Co-Founder of the Ben Curtis Family Foundation.

KNOW is a personal and professional development program for business women in the Greater Akron Region. Our mission is to cultivate the talent within each other by reaching out to today's women executives and tomorrow's leaders. For stories that inspire, innovative ideas and practical solutions, plan to be a part of the Greater Akron Chamber's exhilarating program developed exclusively for women.
 
Where & When
Portage Country Club
240 N. Portage Path
Akron, OH  44303
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
11:00 a.m.

For more information or to register, click here.

Supporting Sponsor

Tuesday, April 28, 2015
7:30 - 9:00 a.m. 

  

Join local young professionals for a half-day conference to learn how to further YOUR impact through passion, purpose, and performance.  Planned for and by young professionals, the FYI Summit will focus on: personal growth, community involvement, and workplace effectiveness/ leadership.  Conference includes lunch, key note address from Bill Rancic, breakout sessions, networking, after party and more!

Where & When
John S. Knight Center
77 E. Mill St.
Akron, OH  44308
Thursday, April 30, 2015
11:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Click here for more information and to register.  When registering, please select one option from each of the two breakout sessions below.  For a complete description of breakout sessions, click here.

Breakout Session I 1A: Passion - Impacting Your Community 1B: Purpose - Impacting Yourself 1C: Performance - Impacting Your Profession

Breakout Session II 2A: Passion - Impacting Your Community 2B: Purpose - Impacting Yourself 2C: Performance - Impacting Your Profession

Meet area business people, gain new leads and strengthen relationships through the Chamber's networking events. 

Mark sure to mark your 2015 calendars with two of the Chamber's premier networking events:

Excellence in Business Awards - Thursday, May 28
Sheraton Cuyahoga Falls/Akron

Membership Golf Classic - Tuesday, June 30
Firestone Country Club

 

with Optional 3-Night Jungle Adventure Post-Tour Extension!

November 5-13, 2015

This 9-Day Tour Includes Round-Trip Air and 14 meals (8 breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 5 dinners).   

 

Highlights...San Jose, Coffee Plantation, Guanacaste, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Hanging Bridges, Arenal Volcano, Lake Arenal Cruise, Cooking Demonstration,  

Cano Negro Refuge, Zarcero, National Theatre

Click here to view a brochure. 

 

$2,649* per person (double occupancy)**

Book Now and Save $100 per person!

 

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This 9-Day Tour Includes Round-Trip Air and 20 meals (7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 7 dinners).

   

You're invited to a special travel presentation 

 

Maria Edwards

AAA Travel Agency

(330) 762-0631

medwards@akron.aaa.com

 

If your company is in manufacturing, you should consider contacting the staff of MAGNET (The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network) to arrange for a visit with your company to review your company's goals for 2015 and how they may be able to assist you in your plans. You can visit MAGNET's website to learn more about the organization and what services it provides to area manufacturers.

For small- and mid-size manufacturing companies, please reference MAGNET's PRISM program as a starting point. PRISM is a one-stop shop for planning successful growth; defending and extending your core business; innovating new products, improving processes or finding new markets and for finding, attracting and managing your hiring and training needs. It is the first and only initiative in Northeast Ohio that combines an experienced manufacturing consulting and engineering group, with a wide variety of regional assets in Northeast Ohio that are available to your company to assist you in your growth. 

If you have any questions or comments or questions, please feel free to contact the Greater Akron Chamber's economic development team at (330) 376-5550.

 

Membership in the Greater Akron Chamber has its privileges...like savings from other Chamber members!   This month's deals include:

Savings from Palitto Consulting/Business Communications Specialists, Akron Racers, Boggs Chiropractic, Electric Impulse Communications, Everstream, It's a Breeze Travel, Hawthorn Suites Wyndham Extended Stay in Montrose, Jilly's Music Room, Leanne Cannon, Miracle on Main Street, NOTO Boutique, Pak Computers, PPG Industries, Service Master of Hudson, Tubbs Chiropractic, Unite This City, The Vation Group, Vitality Massage Therapy and WOW 1 DAY PAINTING.

Special savings from Greater Akron Chamber members to Greater Akron Chamber members.  Check out the deals here.  And if you'd like to offer a deal, contact your Greater Akron Chamber representative at (330) 237-1234.     

 

The Greater Akron Chamber's Group Rating Program offers savings up to the maximum available discount on your Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) premium.  The Chamber partners with CareWorksComp because they help employers achieve the highest group rating discount possible.  Nearly 30,000 customers choose CareWorksComp to manage their workers' compensation plan.  Click here to download an authorization permitting CareWorksComp to provide you with a NO-COST, NO-OBLIGATION analysis.  To learn more, call CareWorksComp at 1-800-837-3200.

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2015 CareWorksComp Workers' Compensation and Safety Seminars

CareWorksComp seminars will address the BWC transition to a prospective premium payment system impacting all Ohio employers, timelines, lowering claim costs, hearings, incentive programs, unemployment cost control strategies and safety requirements. These seminars fulfill the BWC group two-hour safety training requirement for policy year 2014 group-rated and group retrospective employers with a claim in 2013. There is a $40 fee to attend. Continental breakfast and snack will be provided. Claims administrators, safety coordinators, financial officers, payroll and human resource administrators, and supervisors are encouraged to attend.  Click here for a list of dates and locations.

  

 

Collaboration leads to successful community development. As part of GreenTown at Kent, the Towns and Gowns pre-conference workshop will focus on bringing together leaders from universities, municipalities, community non-profits and other individuals to think differently within the context of university-city collaborations. The workshop will consist of three presented case studies:

•     Case Western Reserve / University Circle
•     Kent State University / Kent
•     Oberlin College / Oberlin

It will also feature a facilitated workshop experience in which attendees will break into smaller groups for an interactive learning experience to think about how to create successful "town and gown" collaborations.

Where & When
Kent State University Hotel & Conference Center
215 S. Depeyster St.
Kent, OH  44240
Monday, April 13, 2015
1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Click here for more information.

 

Join Heart to Heart Communications for the 22nd Annual Greater Akron Speaks Out for Values Breakfast featuring keynote speaker Dr. Scott Scarborough, President of The University of Akron.

Dr. Scarborough's topic will be "Crushed to Wisdom: Finding Promise in Our Failures," discussing the proper response to failure and how it can lead to personal growth and professional success. Join other leaders and members of the community in the opportunity to hear this new community leader share his experiences and wisdom for the journeys in life.

Where & When
John S. Knight Center
77 E. Mill St.
Akron, OH  44308
Monday, April 27, 2015
6:45 a.m. Doors Open
6:45 - 7:15 a.m. Breakfast Buffet
7:15 - 8:45 a.m. Breakfast Program
 
For more information and to register, visit www.h2hc.org. Last year, the breakfast sold out, so be sure to get your ticket today.

  

Greater Akron Chamber
1 Cascade Plaza, 17th Fl.
Akron, Ohio 44308
www.greaterakronchamber.org

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The Greater Akron Chamber is the only economic development organization in the State of Ohio   to be accredited by the International Economic Development Council.