The Nevada Sagebrush

Entrepreneur Week, which lasts through Saturday, features events throughout the Reno and Carson City areas that aim to inform and motivate Nevada’s aspiring entrepreneurs.

The events include seminars, open houses, intimate gatherings and large expos.

People who attend these events will be able to interact with entrepreneurs that know how to take an idea from the mind market and implement it, organizers said.

“The focus has always been to celebrate Nevada’s entrepreneurs and businessmen,”Emily Somerville, a spokeswoman for Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NCET), said.

Sommerville said that E-Week’s events help people who are thinking about starting, growing or keeping their business.

NCET is coordinating E-Week and is also one of the many organizations contributing to this week’s events, such as putting on Wi-Fi Wednesday at the Chocolate Bar in The Summit from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. It will feature “speed-networking,”a twist on the “speed-dating”idea that includes several one-on-one introductions in a short period of time. This event requires an RSVP and a $10 donation at the door.

Although the University of Nevada, Reno is hosting events on campus, most of E-Week’s 11 events are hosted elsewhere around Reno, including the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa and the Peppermill Hotel Casino. Most events require an RSVP and a fee; however, a few off-campus events have no admission fee and are open to the public.

One such event, the Entrepreneur Expo, will be held at the Atlantis on Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. This event will provide access to organizations that can help start a business and provide other information about marketing and public relations.

Mark Pingle, an economics professor at UNR, said the fact that some events aren’t free shouldn’t discourage students from attending. He said these events create a network that entrepreneurs can draw on and receive support from.

“To be able to listen to the stories of successful entrepreneurs is valuable,”Pingle, who will work a booth at the Entrepreneurs Expo, said. “It is far more valuable than the fee you have to pay.”

Pingle said students should also take advantage of Saturday’s on-campus event, the Inventors & Entrepreneurs Workshop, to expose themselves to the world of finding ideas, protecting them and turning them into something worthwhile.

Tuesday
-SCORE Orientation from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the UNR Redfield Campus.
Wednesday
-The Alphabet Soup reception from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Northern Nevada Development Authority office in Carson City. Free to the public.
-Wi-Fi from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Chocolate Bar in The Summit Sierra. RSVP and $10 donation at the door.
Thursday
-The Sparks Chamber’s March Business Luncheon on the Economic Stimulus Package from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 per seat.
-The Reno Angels Membership Informational Meeting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Holland and Hart office in Reno.
Friday
-Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology ‘s Entrepreneur Expo from 11 a.m. to 7p.m. at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno. Free to the public.
-The Innovation Challenge 2009 at 3 p.m. at the Atlantis. This event is free to the public.
Saturday
-The Inventors & Entrepreneurs Workshop from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. in the Ansari Business Building Auditorium. Student admission is $30 and includes lunch.

Nicole Dion can be reached at news@nevadasagebrush.com.

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