Event Synopsis

Most careers involve some level of entrepreneurial behavior: innovating, taking on risk, acting on opportunity, establishing value, pushing through failure & obstacles. The MSU Alumni Association, with the help of some of Denver’s most successful Spartan entrepreneurs, is bringing an evening of meaningful and interactive conversation to the Mile High City. Spartan Insights/Denver – The Entrepreneurial Mindset will showcase five entrepreneurial alumnae in an intimate setting of alumni and friends in Colorado. Featured alumnae will participate in a panel discussion facilitated by Lisa Parker, Senior Director of Engagement for the MSU Alumni Association. Following the panel discussion, the featured alumnae and five additional innovative/entrepreneurial Spartans will lead 30 minutes of table discussions on one of 2-3 predetermined topics. At the conclusion of the table conversations, the audience will come back together to share takeaways from table discussions.

The concept is a 2.5 hour experience for an audience of approximately 60 alumni and friends. The atmosphere is intended to be engaging and energetic. The interactions with panelists and fellow participants will create networking opportunities within a live mentoring environment. The goals of the event are to draw awareness to some of Denver’s most successful alumni while creating a new community of Spartans interested in remaining connected to MSU and to one another for professional growth. To ensure momentum gained from the experience continues beyond the event, the Colorado Spartans and the MSU Alumni Association, through event and post-event communications, will offer options for how the audience can be involved with the club and university activities in the future.

The main theme for the experience will be entrepreneurship. The MSU Alumni Association is covering the cost of including two students from the Women in Entrepreneurship student group. There will be clear messaging supporting the need for alumni, though focused on their own achievements, to reach back from time-to-time to help pull others along with them. That can be in the form of scholarships, mentorships, internships, etc. Audience members will be given the opportunity to opt into a post event directory of attendees for future follow-up among the group. There will be a printed program featuring all 10 contributing women with mini bios and relevant quotes to avoid the need to spend a significant portion of the panel and table conversations walking through their bios.

Event Schedule

5:30 p.m. Audience Arrival / Networking

6:00 p.m. Welcome/Intro of Special Guests (Dean Croson, Colorado Spartans Leadership, Team MSU) – Lisa Parker

6:05 p.m. Panel Introduced – Ellen Bruss, Molly McCoy, Nancy Haley, Carrie Dorr, Julie Aigner Clark

6:40 p.m. Panel Concludes –Switch to Table Conversation

7:15 p.m. Table Conversations Conclude – Audience Report Back

7:30 p.m. Colorado Spartans Involvement Update – Colorado Spartans

7:35 p.m. Women in Entrepreneurship Introduction – Andrea Batten & Marie Clark (students)

7:40 p.m. Close – Lisa Parker 7:41 p.m. Post Event Networking

Featured Panelists & Table Leaders

Ellen Bruss, Owner & Creative Designer – EBD (Panelist & Table Leader)

Molly McCoy, CEO& Founder – hrQ (Panelist & Table Leader)

Nancy Haley, Founder – Tehama Gold Apparel (Panelist & Table Leader)

Carrie Dorr, Founder – Pure Barre & Soul Say (Panelist & Table Leader)

Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator – Baby Einstein, WeeSchool & The Safe Side (Panelist & Table Leader)

Ann Bennett, President& Founder – KBA & Associates (Table Leader)

Andrea vanSteenHouse, President – Stress Management, Inc. (Table Leader)

Rachel Croson, Dean – MSU’s College of Social Science (Table Leader)

Nancy DiBiaggio, Global Property Specialist – Absolute Aspen Realty (Table Leader)

Anne McCarthy, Founder & President – Westmeath Global Communications (Table Leader)

Potential Table Conversation Topics

Table Topics: (I’ve provided some context around each to inspire thought)

• Navigating Risk & Failure – Professionally, what is the riskiest thing you’ve tried? Do you have something you’d like to try, but find yourself holding off because of potential failure? What would happen if you failed? What would happen if you succeeded? If concern of failing is in the mix, where does it originate? From your own thoughts? From potential sanctions from others? What if risk and failure could be part of your path to success?
•  Breaking Through Obstacles – The ability to work through and around obstacles often plays a significant role in realizing goals and achieving dreams. What are your current obstacles? Money? Time? Connections? Skill gaps? Which of those obstacles do you control? Which are controlled by others? What if you have more control than you think? What if obstacles aren’t a stop sign, but a yield sign with the potential to reveal a more rewarding path?

The event will have 10 tables with each discussing one of the identified topics. The redundancy of the topics will allow for a meaningful closing group discussion identifying takeaways from the experience.