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Dushan Nikolovski is deeply passionate about empowering individuals and organizations to achieve their full potential. With a unique blend of over 35+ years of startup and business experience combined with 32+ years of teaching, Dushan has educated and inspired thousands of students as a Professor of Entrepreneurship and Management at Purdue University’s Chicago area campus as Professor of Entrepreneurship/Management and Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship Success, and currently, as the Inaugural Director of ������ Innovation Hub and Professor of Entrepreneurship/Management.

One of the core goals of the ������ Innovation Hub is to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among regional high school students by exposing them early to innovation, problem-solving, and creative thinking. Engaging students at this stage helps them see challenges not as obstacles, but as opportunities to create value, and by introducing entrepreneurship before college, students gain confidence and are empowered to turn their ideas and potential products and services.

Hosting high school students from across the region and teaching them the Business Model Canvas provides a practical, structured framework for turning ideas into actionable concepts. Rather than focusing solely on theory, students learn how to identify real problems, understand customers, test assumptions, and think strategically about value creation. These skills translate far beyond starting a business; they strengthen both creative and critical thinking, collaboration, and communication in today’s ever-changing world.

Working with high school students also strengthens the regional innovation ecosystem by building a pipeline of future entrepreneurs, leaders, and changemakers. Early exposure to entrepreneurship exposes the process of starting something new and empowers students to imagine themselves as creators rather than consumers. Programs like these foster long term economic growth, encourage local talent to stay and invest in the region, and reinforce ������ Innovations Hub’s commitment to education, community engagement, and innovation at every level.

Earl Bryant, former tour manager for the world renown and  the legendary Smokey Robinson, shares his story and track record of 30 plus years includes his experience in developing and executing global logistics.

Join us for a special Global Entrepreneurship Week event featuring Earl Bryant, former tour manager for the legendary Smokey Robinson and author of All Access: Touring the World with a Superstar. It will be an inspiration evening as Earl shares his remarkable journey from learning entrepreneurship as a child to touring the globe with Motown’s finest and building a thriving apparel business that empowered his community.

Earl proudly presents his debut book: All Access Touring the World with a Superstar, he describes his work as a true labor of love, a journey that spanned over the years. His story began with big dreams as a curious 10 year old, learning the basics of entrepreneurship from his grandmother, who helped raise him.  Earl’s path led him to the U.S. Air Force and then ultimately to the heart of Motown, where he spent decades touring with his friend the Smokey Robinson.

In his captivating book, Earl takes readers behind the scenes of his extraordinary travels,  sharing personal stories that reveal a unique perspective in the music world and his dynamic career. His journey also lead him to starting his own business called The Uniform Maker LLC, which was both inspiring and enlightening.

As the founder and CEO of of his own apparel manufacturing company Earl was very instrumental in creating jobs for the local community by employing 100 plus professionals.  The company competed nationally in various markets which included; gaming, restaurants and lodging. In 2008 his company received a Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Achievements from the Minority Business Opportunity Center and former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on behalf of the City of Los Angeles.

Earl’s passion for the community was immeasurable as well as being the former President of the Smokey Robinson Foundation, they both focused on initiatives of giving back and being supportive.

All Access Touring the World with A Superstar is a story of resilience, ambition and the power of dreams,  a must read for anyone inspired by the music industry, entrepreneurship, and the life-changing impact of determination and hard work.

Bill Welter discovered his passion for great whiskey while exploring life’s adventures in St. Andrews, Scotland; a journey that eventually led him home to create Journeyman Distillery.

Rooted in generations of entrepreneurship, Bill draws inspiration from his family’s legacy. His maternal grandfather, Randy Faurot, was a chief designer at Studebaker before launching his own design firm, while his paternal grandfather, William Welter, transitioned from owning auto dealerships to founding First National Bank of Valparaiso in 1973. Bill’s father, Chuck, led the bank for over 25 years, setting the foundation for the family’s multi-generational business spirit.

Continuing that tradition, Bill and his wife Johanna founded Journeyman Distillery in 2010, built on the same principles of integrity, craftsmanship, and community. Over the past decade, Journeyman has become a national leader in organic, kosher, and gluten-free spirits, as well as a destination for hospitality and innovation, welcoming over 200,000 guests annually.

Now distributed across the U.S., Europe, and Australia, Journeyman continues to grow and most recently expanding into the historic Valparaiso American Factory, bringing Bill’s journey full circle. When not shaping the future of Journeyman, Bill enjoys life’s simpler moments with Johanna and their daughter, Islay.

Join us for a transformative evening of relaxation and mindfulness at ������’s Innovation Hub as we welcome Jason and Sonja, wellness practitioner known for their Guided Wellness Experience approach to stress relief and inner balance. This special event will include a guided meditation session designed to help you center your mind, release tension, and reconnect with your sense of peace and purpose. Whether you’re new to meditation or a seasoned practitioner, this experience promises to leave you refreshed, inspired, and energized. Come discover how mindfulness can enhance creativity, focus, and overall well-being.

Jason is a highly experienced and licensed mental health professional with over 20 years in the field, including 15 as a licensed therapist. A Purdue University graduate with a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling, he holds multiple credentials across Indiana and Illinois, including LMHC, LCAC, LCPC, and NCC. Jason’s diverse background spans leadership, education, addiction treatment, and private practice, where he has supported clients of all ages through challenges such as anxiety, depression, addiction, and relationship issues. Trained in Hakomi Body-Centered Psychotherapy and mindfulness techniques, he integrates mindfulness and meditation into his counseling approach, helping clients develop self-awareness, emotional balance, and lasting personal growth in a compassionate, grounded, and safe environment.

Sonja (MBA) completed the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at PNW. Sonja has worked with clients of all ages as an outpatient counselor. She is especially passionate about holistic wellness. She uses an integrative approach combined with holistic health to tailor counseling to the needs of each individual client. Sonja mainly draws her clinical approach from Strengths-Based Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. She creates a safe and welcoming environment while ensuring the client has full autonomy. She has clinical experience with depressive disorders, suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury, anxiety disorders, body image, and eating concerns. Sonja is in the process of completing her Expressive Arts Therapy and Addictions certifications.

Starting a business is one of life’s most exciting times. Yet, it is also one of the most stressful times that an individual will face. Today, more and more people want to start their own small business; however, having a great idea means nothing if you don’t take the right steps and know where to begin.

Dushan Nikolovski is deeply passionate about empowering individuals and organizations to achieve their full potential. With a unique blend of over 35+ years of startup and business experience combined with 32+ years of teaching, Dushan has educated and inspired thousands of students as a Professor of Entrepreneurship and Management at Purdue University’s Chicago area campus as Professor of Entrepreneurship/Management and Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship Success, and currently, as the Inaugural Director of ������ Innovation Hub and Professor of Entrepreneurship/Management.

Driven by a passion to support entrepreneurs and changemakers beyond the university, Dushan founded IKANSTART, an organization dedicated to educating, inspiring, and motivating individuals to turn ideas into action. Through hands-on training and guidance, IKANSTART helps people start businesses, develop innovative products and services, strengthen leadership skills, pursue personal growth, and take on meaningful new challenges in their professional and personal lives.

Aspiring to become an entrepreneur with a strategic focus on generating substantial financial returns? Learn the ins-and-outs of effective fundraising strategies tailored to your startup and business needs from Cary Conrad, serial entrepreneur with years of experience.

Cary is driven by a strong appetite for jumping into underdeveloped markets and building businesses that create new technologies, especially in the cybersecurity realm. An engineer by training and a serial entrepreneur, he also specializes in team building and business development for technology start-ups and large organizations.

Cary is currently the President of SilverSky, a cloud-based cybersecurity platform that helps businesses monitor firewalls and automate remediation processes to handle threats.

He started his career as a systems engineer with Hughes Aircraft Company, then moved on to research engineer in national security systems at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory, subsequently launched a technology start-up focused on security solutions for large financial services organizations. After his company’s successful acquisition by a large technology partnership, he led a turnaround of a global provider of managed security services. Cary, until recently, served as President and CEO of a Stealth-Mode predictive analytics venture based on the D4M technology invented at MIT that focuses on AI solutions to complex Big Data problems in multi-spectral information networks.

Cary holds a BS in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from ������. He writes frequently about cybersecurity issues and authors a blog advising C-level executives on how to safely secure their information assets.

Unsure how to launch a business? Stuck in inertia in your current business? Business law can be intimidating for entrepreneurs. With so much to learn, where does a business owner start? Angela Crossin, Esq., Founder and Member at Crossin Law Offices, will discuss common business law topics that every business owner should know.

Angela Crossin is a business lawyer and estate planning attorney with a focus on small business startups/not-for-profits, succession planning, and estate planning for individuals and families.

Angela became a Certified VA attorney in January 2020 and is honored to work with veterans. She grew up in a military family. Her dad is a retired brigadier general and her brother is a crew chief on the F-22 in the Virginia Air National Guard.

Angela taught at Purdue, Northern Illinois, Trinity College and ������ in the areas of accounting, law and ethics. Additionally, Crossin holds a Masters in Accountancy from Purdue University.

Angela sees herself as a guide, directing her clients towards clear, concise and sound business decisions via providing a healthy dose of legal and pragmatic advice. This workshop will explore key business law subjects crucial for every business owner.

While maximizing investor returns, Harry specializes in the development of business process management (BPM) technology. After graduating from Indiana University School of Dentistry, Harry practiced dentistry for seven years. Most of that time in his own private practice. In 2010, he retired from the practice of clinical dentistry to pursue and respond to the big shift which changed the shape of modern marketing.

Currently, Harry is developing a business process management (BPM) technology with a small team of software engineers. A prototype will be beta-tested in a business workflow for AirwayFirst orthodontics and residential real estate.

This AI technology is the culmination of 20-years in the trenches as a business owner. When he’s not writing or working on business strategy, you’ll find him studying eastern & western medicine while staring at tall buildings and luxury design.

Jim retired executive with a BA, MA & JD. Throughout his 40-year Brunswick career Jim was involved in a wide variety of training and development activities for all levels of employees. As VP Chief of Staff at Mercury Marine Jim was also very involved in the Talent Management processes (recruitment, training, succession planning and career development efforts for the organization) at all levels especially at the senior management levels.

Jim joined SCORE | NW Indiana in May 2014 and has worked with hundreds of new businesses both start-ups and on-going. He is currently the Chapter Co-chair. Jim has developed and presented workshops on numerous topics covering leadership, business plan development, understanding business cost structure, and HR in new, existing and family-owned businesses.

Katarina is deeply passionate about coaching, preparing and showing students what is takes to land a dream internship and ultimately a position at a leading company. She travels and leads workshops at various universities, focusing on topics such as personal branding, networking strategies, enhancing public speaking skills, fostering critical thinking, and how to land dream internships.

Katarina is a Marketing Associate with Eli Lilly and Company, one of the world’s best companies and globally renowned pharmaceutical industry leader, as a member of the Oncology Business Unit. Katarina is also a marketing internship recruiter helping to identify qualified and talented students to join Lilly’s marketing team, and the youngest board member of the Purdue University’s Daniels School of Business Alumni Board Member.

Design thinking is not just a methodology; it’s a mindset that places human needs and experiences at the heart of problem-solving. It inspires creativity, fosters empathy, and encourages collaboration, leading to innovative solutions that not only meet user expectations but exceed them. By embracing the iterative and human-centered approach of design thinking, we unlock the potential for transformative ideas, driving meaningful change in the world around us.

Dan Maguire joined ������ in 2019 after 25 years in industry. His industrial work centered on the design of production active noise and vibration control systems for automotive, mining, aircraft, and locomotive applications. He is a mechanical engineer by education, having attended Purdue University for both his undergraduate and graduate work.

“Why is it that smart people give ineffective presentations?” or “Why is it that smart people fail when pitching their ideas?” In this workshop, Dr. Venstrom will answer these questions and develop a framework that will help you to avoid the pitfalls that lead to boring and ineffective pitches and presentations. The framework will help entrepreneurs develop stronger pitches of their ideas, researchers develop stronger presentations of their work, and anyone interested in developing a more confident and compelling oral presentation of information.

Dr. Luke Venstrom is the chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering, the Paul and Cleo Brandt Professor of Engineering, and an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at ������ where he co-directs the James S. Markiwiecz Solar Energy Research Facility, home to the only solar furnace at a primarily undergraduate engineering college. He was the 2019-2020 ������ Research Professor, the 2021 recipient of the Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Work, and the 2022 recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award. Dr. Venstrom is passionate about effective oral communication of complex ideas.

He teaches a course entitled “Engineering Oral Communication” in the College of Engineering and hosts the annual Engineering Public Presentation Competition. His research broadly encompasses the thermal fluid sciences, with a focus on renewable energy systems and, in particular, high-temperature solar thermal and electrothermal chemistry. He is a graduate of ������ (B.S.M.E. 2007) and the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities (M.S.M.E. 2010, Ph.D. 2012).

Securing the opportunity to host a sporting event holds significant importance for a city and region on multiple fronts. It represents a tremendous economic opportunity and injection of substantial revenue into the local economy: like hospitality, food services, transportation, and tourism. The influx of visitors, both from within and outside the region, translates into increased spending and job creation. Hosting an event also offers a chance to showcase the city’s cultural, architectural, and recreational assets on a global stage, bolstering its image and attracting potential investors and tourists long after the event has concluded. Most importantly, a sporting event can foster community pride and unity as residents come together to support and participate in the event, leaving a lasting legacy of improved infrastructure and facilities for the benefit of the city’s residents and future generations.

Dr. David M. Rolling has presented at the North American Society for Sport Management, Florida Sport Administration and Physical Education, International Sport & Society, National Business and Economics Society Conferences, as well as various campuses across North America. His consulting work includes bid proposals, contract negotiation, and facility design, and he will share his expertise and knowledge in securing a sporting event.

David M. Rolling, Ph.D., holds an appointment as associate professor within ������’s College of Business. In his role directing the graduate sport administration program, he teaches courses in law, finance, facility design & management, psychology, sociology, and marketing. He is also the internship coordinator for the program.

Dr. Rolling holds a doctorate of philosophy in Sport Administration focusing in Human Resource management from the University of Kansas. He has published or been cited in Athletic Business, Prairie Business Magazine, and the The Sponsorship Connection, and is on review boards yearly for various academic textbooks.

John is a true icon of Northwest Indiana, whose remarkable journey has left a lasting impact on the region. With a career spanning from his service in the US Marines to his work at the Chicago Tribune and ventures in steelmaking to healthcare, John has consistently demonstrated leadership and vision for Northwest Indiana.

Most notably, he founded the Society of Innovators to celebrate and highlight the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of Northwest Indiana, bringing attention to the region’s achievements and potential. John’s legacy of innovation and dedication serves as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs everywhere.