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The North Iowa Area Community College John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center will celebrate thinking globally and acting locally with Global Entrepreneurship Week events scheduled for November 16-19.

“Global Entrepreneurship Week is a wonderful opportunity to recognize those entrepreneurs who have taken the steps and accepted the risks that go along with starting a new business,” Tim Putnam, NIACC JPEC associate director, said.  “It's also a nice opportunity to encourage people to look into what being an entrepreneur is all about.  They can even give it a try with our NIACC Market Place event where students, faculty and staff possibly for the first time ever, sell their art, jewelry and other creations.”

New this year is a G3, Garbage Goes Green, contest where NIACC students, faculty and staff can create a new product or art work using 100% post-consumer products.  Another new member in the line-up of events is a three-hour session where the public can “Ask the Experts” their questions about financial, legal, accounting, or marketing issues for entrepreneurs. 

NIACC JPEC schedule of activities during the week will include:

Monday
• “Garbage Goes Green” G3 contest kickoff- create new functional product or art work made of 100% post-consumer products. Open to NIACC students, faculty and staff.
• Entrepreneur for a Day at Westfork

Tuesday
• 10:00- 11:00 a.m. – Kickoff for Pappajohn New Venture Business Plan Competition with a college student information session.
• 3:00 -6:00 p.m.  – “Ask the Experts” - Free open house at NIACC. Public welcome but registration recommended. Get your questions answered on funding, legal, accounting, marketing, and take a tour of the new Student Incubation area in the Business Incubator at the Pappajohn Center.
• 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. - Free Entrepreneurs’ Exchange on Search Engine Optimization in McAllister Hall, Room 104G on the NIACC Campus

Wednesday
• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – NIACC Student/Faculty/Staff Marketplace in the Activity Center on the NIACC Campus. Open to the public to visit the merchants.
• Entrepreneur for a Day on campus

Thursday
• 12:40 p.m. “Garbage Goes Green” G3 Judging in the NIACC Activity Center
• 2:30-3:30 p.m. – Kickoff for Pappajohn New Venture Business Plan Competition with an information session for college students.
• 6-9:30 p.m. - FastTrac® class in progress on the NIACC campus

This week will inspire and inform people through community-based activities to unleash their ideas. The next generation of entrepreneurs will emerge acquiring the knowledge, skills, networks and values needed to grow innovative, sustainable enterprises with a positive impact on their lives and the lives of those around them.

For more information on these events or Global Entrepreneurship Week, please contact Putnam at 641-422-4192, toll-free 1-888-GO NIACC, ext. 4192 or email putnatim@niacc.edu.

The John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center is located on the North Iowa Area Community College campus in Mason City, Iowa and provides college level courses and degree programs in entrepreneurship, as well as consulting services for business start-ups and existing industries in the North Iowa region.  The Center also provides FastTrac ® training programs both for start-up companies and established companies.  Space is also available in the North Iowa Business Incubator for start-up businesses.  For more information, contact the NIACC JPEC at 641-422-4342.

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