Entrepreneurial Start-Up and Growth Strategy Panel

                                                        Thursday, December 6, 2012
                                        Loyola Graduate Center, Timonium Campus
                                        6:30-7:00 pm Hors d'oeuvres and networking
                                                           7:00-8:30 pm Presentation


How do you turn great ideas into a great business?  What are the strategies to guide a firm through growth and pivots in the market?  Join us for a lively discussion on entrepreneurship, innovation and growth.  Our panelists -- entrepreneurs and business advisers from a variety of industries --  will share their stories about successes and challenges.  This is a great opportunity to make new connections, get input on your big ideas and learn about strategies to build and sustain successful businesses.

Our panelists for the evening will be:

Nitin Agarwal '09, CEO/Founder of Motifworks
Mr. Agarwal is a thought leader in innovation and an expert in emerging technologies who has co-founded two technology start-ups.   At Motifworks, he is helping companies as large as Microsoft and Sears and as small as one-person start-ups for lower cost, better delivery and more innovative thinking for their mobile, web and data analytics development.


Lily Bengfort '05, President of MINC-IT
Lily Bengfort is an award winning entrepreneur who has co-founded and built two successful firms, both of which were acquired by larger companies.  Currently, Ms. Bengfort is President of MINC-IT, and advises and invests in early-stage Education and digital technology ventures.


Edward "Ted" Bowes, President and Managing Member of Excell Concrete Construction, LLC
Ted Bowes started Excell Concrete Construction as he was completing his MBA at Loyola University.  In just eight years, the company grown significantly with revenues of more than $10 million and is an award-winning contractor in the commercial concrete industry.

Philip Brach, Jr., Director of Development for Sellinger School of Business
Prior to joining the non-profit sector, Mr. Brach help found the SQAD Company, a marketing services company where he served as Vice President and CFO.  During his time there, he was awarded three patents for innovative marketing inventions. In addition to his role at Loyola University, Philip Brach is an adjunct professor of Entrepreneurship and Leadership at Catholic University.


Mark Debinski '95, Managing Member of Bluewater Advisory

Mark Debinski has over 20 years of experience providing leadership to businesses and non-profit organizations in a wide variety of industries, including banking, professional services, technology, academia, logistics and distribution.  Mr. Debinski provides strategic leadership to Boards of Directors for firms across the country and is a sought after speaker on leadership, organizational development and profitability, as well as succession management and exit planning.

Tom "TK" Kuegler, Co-founder/General Partner of Wasabi Ventures
“TK” is the co-founder and general partner of Wasabi Ventures.  Wasabi Ventures is a venture capital, incubator, and consulting firm that specializes in building and advising early stage technology companies.  Mr. Kuegler currently sits on the Board of Sponsors of Sellinger School of Business at Loyola University Maryland and has partnered with the college to start a business accelerator.  He has presented at hundreds of events on a wide array of topics about economics, entrepreneurism, technology, and management.