Stonyfield Farm Entrepreneurship Institute - 2010
Courtyard Marriott Grappone Conference Center, Concord, NH
March 25 and 26, 2010
The Carsey Institute and the Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire are proud to present the Stonyfield Farm Entrepreneurship Institute, a "boot camp" for community-minded entrepreneurs. The event will be held at a new location this spring at the Courtyard Marriott Grappone Conference Center in Concord, NH, and will include an expanded format.
Institute Overview
The Stonyfield Farm Entrepreneurship Institute is a program conceived by Gary Hirshberg in 1998 based on his experience growing Stonyfield Farm, Inc., from its humble start as a seven-cow operation in 1983 to its current $321 MM annual sales level. The institute has, in various forms, served hundreds of entrepreneurs by offering a safe, yet stimulating environment to learn about financing, marketing, managing change, and the many other areas that are fundamental to growing an enterprise.
In 2002, Gary joined with Michael Swack, then the dean of the School of Community Economic Development at Southern New Hampshire University, to sponsor the Stonyfield Farm Entrepreneurship Institute in its current incarnation. Michael had worked with Stonyfield Farm back in the early 1980s when it was in its start-up phase. Over the past eight years, the institute has grown, and when Michael came to UNH in 2008, the institute became a partnership between Stonyfield Farm and UNH’s Carsey Institute and Whittemore School of Business and Economics.
The Stonyfield Farm Entrepreneurship Institute is an interactive, intimate venue for networking, storytelling, and problem solving. Thursday features an expanded format, with lunch and sessions on finance, business, and entrepreneurship. On Thursday night, seasoned entrepreneur Gary Hirshberg, the CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farm; Trish Karter, CEO/chief deer, Dancing Deer Baking Company; and Michael Swack from the Carsey Institute and the Whittemore School of Business and Economics at UNH will tell "Tales from the Trenches."
Friday will feature the presentation of case studies in finance, marketing and organizational development. A few brave souls will be selected to sit on the "hot seat" to have cases they submitted ahead of time explored by professional respondents and fellow participants.
Registration
Information on registration, case studies, and scholarships will be available in January 2010.
Deadlines
Coming soon