Press Release
Contact: Robert Albright |
Phone: 919-549-7500 ext.123 |
Master Panel to Feature Award-Winning Entrepreneurs
Sept. 9 Event Draws N.C. and S.C.-based Business Leaders
August 21, 2003, Research Triangle Park, NC — The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED), UNC Kenan-Flagler's Center for Entrepreneurship and Ernst & Young are teaming up to host a panel of award-winning business leaders from across North and South Carolina. The Master Panel of Entrepreneurs, featuring winners of the 2003 Ernst & Young Carolinas Entrepreneur Of The Year Program®, will be held at UNC-Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School on Sept. 9 from 5:30-7:15 p.m.
Panelists will share their success stories with students, special guests and other interested attendees. The event is free to the public, and online pre-registration is required due to limited space.
Confirmed panelists include:
- Dani Bolognesi, CEO of Trimeris, Inc. (Durham, NC), recognized in the Biotech/Life Sciences category. Trimeris is engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of viral disease.
- Dennis Braasch, Principal of Institutional Resources, LLC (Greenville, SC), recognized in the Hospitality/Real Estate/Construction category. Institutional Resources is a leading finance and construction management firm specializing in public and private school systems.
- Joe Erwin, President of Erwin-Penland, Inc. (Greenville, SC), recognized in the Consumer Services category. Erwin-Penland is the largest advertising and marketing firm in South Carolina.
- Ping Fu, President & CEO of Raindrop Geomagic (Raleigh, NC), recognized in the Information Technology category. Raindrop Geomagic focuses on mass customization, reverse engineering, and computer aided inspection.
- Robert Scott, CEO of Universal Solutions (Charleston, SC), recognized in the Networking and Communications category. Universal Solutions specializes in designing, implementing and maintaining communications solutions for businesses across the United States.
- Robin Smith, President of Biologics, Inc. (Raleigh, NC), recognized in the Health Services category. Biologics is a specialty pharmacy that dispenses only oncology drugs.
“This year's Master Panel of Entrepreneurs offers an inspirational and diverse group of entrepreneurial leaders, from Dani Bolognesi, founder of Trimeris Inc., whose product treats HIV AIDS, to Joe Irwin of Erwin-Penland Inc., the largest advertising and marketing firm in South Carolina,” said Monica Doss, CED's president. “Now in its sixth year, the event is a great example of the business and university communities coming together.”
The panel will be held in Kenan-Flagler's Maurice J. Koury Auditorium. A reception will follow the Master Panel in the Kenan Center Dining Room. For more information on the program lineup and to register, visit www.cetv.unc.edu/masterpanel.
About CED: The Council for Entrepreneurial Development, located in Research Triangle Park, NC, is a private, non-profit organization formed in 1984 to stimulate the creation and growth of high-impact companies in the greater Research Triangle region. CED provides education, mentoring and capital formation resources to new and existing high-growth entrepreneurs through annual conferences, seminars, workshops and monthly programs on entrepreneurial management and finance. CED is the largest entrepreneurial support organization in the nation with more than 4,000 members representing 1,100 entrepreneurial companies, financiers and professional firms. www.cednc.org
About UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School is one of the oldest accredited business schools in the United States. Exceptional research and teaching, interaction with businesses worldwide, and results-oriented graduates with strong interpersonal and team skills distinguish UNC Kenan-Flagler's top-ranked programs. The business school provides Executive Education for individuals and companies and programs that include: MBA, Executive MBA, Bachelor of Science, Ph.D. and one-year Master of Accounting programs. The School's Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise works with business, government and academia to foster private enterprise worldwide.
About Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Program®: The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Program® award honors entrepreneurs whose ingenuity, hard work and perseverance have created and sustained successful, growing business ventures. The year-long program culminates in an annual conference each year during the month of November in Palm Springs, California. The EOY program, which originated in 1986 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is now in its 17th and most successful year. www.ey.com
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