April 4, 2003 — "Entrepreneurship – One Road to Independence" is the topic for the Women's Business Center's fourth annual Economic Development Conference, set for April 10-12 at the Carambola Hotel on St. Croix.
The agenda is filled with business, government and nonprofit organization speakers — local, national and international — presenting sessions on a wide variety of topics. They are packed into three active days, starting with on-site registration and breakfast at 8 a.m. Thursday, April 10, and ending with an Empowerment Gala and "dancing on the deck" Saturday evening.
The closing gala will honor Jennifer Nugent-Hill, an assistant vice-president at Tropical Shipping. Nugent-Hill has worked for private industry, the V.I. government, and as a consultant. She is a member of the board of the University of the Virgin Islands' Small Business Development Center. She will be presented with the fourth annual Empowerment Award at the black-tie gala, which will include cocktails, dinner, silent auction and dancing.
At the opening ceremony of the conference Thursday morning, expect to hear from Yvette deLaubanque, director of the center; Brenda Pedersen, chairperson of the St. Croix Foundation; Wilma Goldstein, administrator for the federal Office of Women's Business Ownership; Delegate to Congress Donna Christensen; and Gov. Charles W. Turnbull. That will be followed by motivational speaker and author Jewel Diamond Taylor, giving the keynote address.
An expanded agenda is located below, or log to the 2003 conference Web site for the full program.
Registrations are now being accepted. One-day attendance is $80; two-day is $150. The full conference costs $225, and conference including gala is $325. Tickets for the gala alone are $100, or $185 for couples. For more information, call 773-4992, fax 713-8503 or email staff@wbcvi.org. Special hotel room rates are available.
The conference and gala are jointly sponsored by the Women's Business Center and the St. Croix Foundation. The Saturday Youth Track is sponsored by School to Work/Career Council and the V.I. Water and Power Authority.
AGENDA
Thursday, April 10
8 a.m. Registration and breakfast
9 a.m. Opening ceremony
10 a.m. Keynote address
10:30 a.m."Women as Entrepreneurial Leaders" session
11:30 a.m."Managing Risks and Insuring Your Corporate Assets"
12:30 p.m. Luncheon (with speaker)
2 p.m. "Entrepreneurship Opportunities and the Tourist Industry"
3:30 p.m. "Investment in Self"
4:30 p.m. Networking
Friday, April 11
8 a.m. Registration and breakfast
9 a.m.-noon "Tools and Tricks of the Trade"
noon Luncheon (with speaker)
2-4 p.m. "Getting from Idea to Business"
4 p.m. Afternoon tea and book signing
Saturday, April 12
8 a.m. Registration and breakfast
8:30 a.m. Opening remarks
8:45 a.m. "Opening Windows of Opportunity with the SBA"
Youth Track: "Can I Become an Entrepreneur?"
10:30 a.m. "Building Community Capacity Through Partnerships"
Youth Track: "Entrepreneurship is Serious Business"
Noon – Boxed lunch
1-2 p.m.: "What's to Fear About Technology"
Youth Track: "Having and Keeping Technical Edge"
2 p.m. Closing ceremony
Gala:
6 p.m. Cocktails
7:30 p.m. Dinner, followed by awards ceremony and dancing.
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