Friday, September 9, 2011

Building Bridges for Business Hosts Welcome to Oz



Pittsburgh, PA – September 7, 2011

Welcome to Oz – Where Small Business and Sustainability Collide

Allegheny County, The City of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University Small Business Development Center, Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Chatham University and Building Bridges for Business will host Welcome to Oz – Where Small Business and Sustainability Collide to educate and empower business owners. The third seminar in the SOLD OUT series will be held on October 10, 2011 at the Fairmont Hotel. The key note speaker will inspire attendees and 15+ resources will share strategies to be sustainable and grow their business.

The five organizations partnered and will host the October event and several other events scheduled in neighborhoods in the greater Pittsburgh region. Every event provides access to education and the region’s amazing business resources. Details for the October 2011 Welcome to Oz event are located on http://www.buildingbridgesforbusiness.org/.

These events will allow participants to expand networking opportunities and meet valuable business resources at the same time. Fifteen sustainable and green companies will be on hand to share cash generating/environment saving techniques. Major sponsors include The Pittsburgh Technology Council, The Pittsburgh Business Times, Fireman Creative, c-leveled, Enterprise Rent a Car, Cold Cypress, solutions4networks, Louis Plung and Comcast Business Class. Register for this event at www.buildingbridgesforbusiness.org.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl will be providing opening remarks. "Small businesses are the lifeline of neighborhood business districts and their success and growth is key to maintaining a livable and vibrant City", said Ravenstahl. "Through opportunities like this, we hope to help small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs achieve success by educating them on the many tools and existing programs that are currently available."

The event’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Winslow Sargeant Chief Advocate for Small Business Research and Regulatory Affairs. President Obama appointed Winslow to this role in 2009. His background:

• Entrepreneur/Small business start up owner, Co-founder, Aanetcom—A Fabless semiconductor company in Allentown, PA Company was acquired: for $800M in March 2000 by PMC Sierra

• Government Official: National Science Foundation, Program Director, SBIR/STTR Program

• VC experience: Kauffman Fellow, Managing Director, Venture Investors, LLC (2006-2009)

• President Obama Appointed: Nominated, Chief Counsel for Advocacy, 2009, a Senate-confirmed position
Received Recess appointment, August 2010

"The vision for the Building Bridges for Business community is an environment where entrepreneurs can grow and advance their business, support other business owners, and develop as entrepreneurs giving back to their community," says Building Bridges for Business founder Linda Handley, an entrepreneur, author and business advisor. "We want to bridge the valuable resources in Western Pennsylvania with business owners and residents who want to start a business," says Amanda Wodzenski, President of Building Bridges. Building Bridges for Business was created based on the need Handley and others saw in the area understanding that small and start up business owners have limited finances.

Building Bridges for Business focuses on business growth, promotion, management, and people who want to launch a new business. In the past year, Building Bridges has grown and showcases over 30+ Pittsburgh resources. Building Bridge’s goal is to create an organization that truly serves the "small" business owner or struggling entrepreneur.

There is no fee or yearly membership rate to join as a general member of Building Bridges for Business. That is one of the major factors that differentiates Building Bridges from other business and networking groups. Additionally, Building Bridges has plans to offer educational webinars empowering and educating entrepreneurs throughout the year. The variety of programming, allows Building Bridges for Business to provide value to the greatest number of education and business resources regardless of budgetary and time constraints. Visit www.BuildingBridgesForBusiness.org for a full listing of resource partners, educational opportunities and events.

Linda Handley
Building Bridges For Business
342 South Highland Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Contact: 412.475.9010
info@buildingbridgesforbusiness.org
http://www.buildingbridgesforbusiness.org/

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