WISE Center hosts Feb. 27 movie screening on entrepreneurial courage

WISE Center hosts Feb. 27 movie screening on entrepreneurial courageFebruary 15, 2007Amy Schmitzaemehrin@syr.edu

The WISE Center at Syracuse University’s South Side Innovation Center (SSIC) will host a special screening of the film “Two Dollars and a Dream” on Tuesday, Feb. 27, at 5 p.m. The movie, made by Stanley Nelson, is a biography of Madame C.J. Walker, the child of slaves freed by the Civil War, who built a fortune on skin- and hair-care products and became America’s first self-made millionairess. By interweaving social, economic and political history, “Two Dollars and a Dream” also offers a view of black America from 1867 to the 1930s.

The movie screening will be followed by a discussion with Juanita Bass, founder of the White House Berries Inn and Juanita’s Soul Classics. Bass will discuss “A Heritage of Entrepreneurial Courage, Then and Now,” including how to overcome challenges of and barriers to starting and growing a business, and inspirational tips for aspiring entrepreneurs on how to maintain courage when starting a business. Bass opened The White House Berries Inn in Bridgewater, N.Y., in 1988; it is now a nationally known restaurant and bed & breakfast, famous for its classic American soul food cuisine and authentic Victorian appointments.

“This is a unique opportunity for women entrepreneurs,” says Connie Gregory, director of the WISE Center. “The film screening and conversation with Juanita Bass will offer great insight into what it takes to start and grow a business — and will illustrate how much passion and drive women entrepreneurs have. It will truly be an inspirational evening.”

The cost of the event is $10. Parking is available at the South Side Innovation Center, 2610 S. Salina St. Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities. R.S.V.P. by Feb. 23 to JoAnn Puchir, administrative coordinator, at (315) 443-8634.

The WISE Center, created in October 2006 with a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), provides a broad portfolio of entrepreneurial training programs for women entrepreneurs, as well as a virtual incubator for a number of women-owned businesses. The WISE Center complements other entrepreneurial activities of the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship in the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University.

For more information or to schedule interviews, contact Amy Mehringer, communications manager for the Whitman School of Management, at (315) 443-3834 or aemehrin@syr.edu.