Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community

11th Annual WISE Symposium to Be Held April 16

Friday, March 8, 2013, By News Staff
Share
entrepreneurshipspeakers

Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (WISE) will bring powerhouse entrepreneurial guest speakers to the 11th annual WISE Symposium on Tuesday, April 16 at the Oncenter in Syracuse, N.Y. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and features a jam-packed day of inspiring activities, speakers and networking. More than 1,000 attendees are anticipated.

Robin Chase, founder of Zipcar, delivers the afternoon keynote address, “Sharing: A Simple Approach for Maximizing ROI,” in which she will unveil her entrepreneurial journey and discuss going ‘green’ in her businesses and strengthening innovation through technology.

Pamela Slim, morning keynote speaker, is author of “Escape from Cubicle Nation”  (Penguin, 2010), a best-selling book and popular blog for aspiring and growing entrepreneurs. Slim’s speech, “Crafting Your Body of Work,” will inspire attendees to achieve their potential by dreaming big and then making it happen through tools, resources and a supportive community of their peers.

Other notable speakers include Nell Merlino (also a WISE 2012 keynote speaker), founder of Make Mine a Million $ Business and Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence, who will be hosting a business pitch competition and workshop, as well as Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey, co-founders of Barefoot Wine. Starting out with no money and no knowledge of the wine industry, they used out-of-the-box thinking coupled with solid business principles to build a leading national brand. They relied on “worthy cause marketing” instead of conventional advertising to grow a loyal following and promote their favorite causes.

Additional 2013 WISE Symposium speakers include:
• Nicki Keohohou, founder of Direct Women’s Selling Alliance;
• Cheryl Wood, award-winning speaker, corporate consultant, author and business strategist who specializes in equipping audiences to stretch their thinking, expand their expectations and “play a bigger game;”
• Thaler Pekar, an internationally recognized pioneer in the field of organizational narrative and communication and a Syracuse University alumna;
• Erica Dhawan, generational thought leader; and
• local women entrepreneurs and business/leadership experts who will be sharing their experiences, challenges and insights on a variety of topics.

“The energy at the WISE Symposium is palpable. The best thing about the day is the excitement that radiates throughout the room—networking between sessions is a great opportunity for attendees to deepen their overall knowledge, and pick up tips and tricks along the way,” says Lindsay Wickham, events and communications manager for the WISE Symposium. “This spirit continues at the WISE Women’s Business Center—we support the start-up and growth of successful and passionate women entrepreneurs in CNY all year long.”

Attendees may register for an all-inclusive, all-day ticket for $85, or may choose to register only for the afternoon expo for $30. Registration for full-time students is $20. To register, visit wise2013.eventbrite.com, or contact Wickham at lwickham@syr.edu or 315-443-3550. Here’s a sampling of what WISE Symposium attendees will enjoy:

• more than 60 speakers covering topics such as work/life balance, leadership, social media, strategic thinking, business planning, marketing, intrapreneurship, identifying/pursuing opportunities and more;
• an interactive business expo providing sales and learning with 100 businesses and now featuring the WISE Talks stage;
• WISE Women’s Business Center Connections Café ,offering mini-counseling sessions for entrepreneurs;
• an award ceremony honoring the Ann Michel Distinguished Entrepreneurs of the Year;
• book-signing sessions with guest speakers in the WISE Reads library lounge; and
• all-day networking, breakfast, lunch and cocktail reception and an event resource binder.

The Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship, in the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, drives the ever-increasing success of the conference by providing critical support and services for the event since its inception in 2003, which drew 300 attendees.

  • Author

News Staff

  • Recent
  • Syracuse University and University of Bergen Host Transatlantic Alliance for Law, Outreach and National Security Conference
    Monday, August 4, 2025, By Robert Conrad
  • National Grid Summer College Scholars Program Invests in Energy Literacy
    Thursday, July 31, 2025, By Hope Alvarez
  • Bowlers Wanted for Faculty and Staff Bowling League
    Thursday, July 31, 2025, By News Staff
  • Lender Center New York Event Gathers Wealth Gap Experts
    Wednesday, July 30, 2025, By Diane Stirling
  • After Tragedy, Newhouse Grad Rediscovers Her Voice Through Podcasting
    Wednesday, July 30, 2025, By Chris Velardi

More In Campus & Community

Doctoral Candidate Wins Grant for Research on Infrastructure, Violence and Resistance in Pakistan

Bramsh Khan, a Ph.D. candidate in social science in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, has been awarded a prestigious Wenner-Gren Foundation Dissertation Fieldwork Grant. The Wenner-Gren Foundation, established in 1941, is dedicated to advancing anthropological knowledge throughout…

Co-President of Disability Law Society Eyes Career in National Security Law in Washington

Kaitlin Sommer L’26 is always planning ahead. Throughout her life, she has continuously asked herself, “Is there a better or more efficient way to do this?”, “Am I advocating for what I need?”, “How can I figure this out by…

National Grid Summer College Scholars Program Invests in Energy Literacy

National Grid and Syracuse University’s Office of Pre-College Programs have partnered to inspire the next generation of innovators through the National Grid Summer College Scholars Program. The program will support selected Syracuse City School District high school students for the…

Bowlers Wanted for Faculty and Staff Bowling League

Do you enjoy bowling? Would you like to try bowling? Are you looking for a fun activity with your colleagues? The Syracuse University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) Faculty and Staff Bowling League is seeking new…

Lender Center New York Event Gathers Wealth Gap Experts

Nearly 30 Syracuse University faculty and postdoctoral researchers and nationally known thought leaders who study the wealth gap in America explored the issue at a recent event in New York City hosted by the Lender Center for Social Justice. The…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.