Chapman University to host Cross-Border Entrepreneurship Conference

ORANGE, Calif. – Chapman University is hosting the Cross-Border Entrepreneurship Conference (“CBE”) to be held on Saturday, October 20, 2012. This conference will provide opportunities for individuals, members of business and professional organizations, private capital and government entities from both the United States and Mexico to explore alliances among operating companies and investor groups on both sides of the border.

“Since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was enacted, the two economies have enjoyed almost two decades of successful economic collaboration, which has led to increased efforts by individuals, investment groups, and both U.S. and Mexican government agencies to further enhance the favorable investment environment by developing funding mechanisms and assistance programs to facilitate cross-border relationships.,” said Richard Sudek, director of Chapman’s Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship who is hosting the conference in partnership with Chapman’s Wilkinson College of Humanities, the Orange County Technology Exchange Network (www.octaneoc.org), TECMA (www.tecmaoc.org) and Consejo Empresarial ProMexico.

Topics covered at the conference include a roadmap to establish business with Mexico, introduction to cross-border sources of capital, details of government agency support on both sides of the border, and legal and accounting considerations Benefits and risks of doing business in Mexico. The keynote speakers include Hector Barreto, Small Business Administration Administrator from 2001-2006; Kevin Klowden, managing economist at the Milken Institute; Alejandra Garcia-Williams, Mexico’s General Consul in Santa Ana; and Fernando Niebla, managing partner, International Tech Partners.

“Despite all the media hype as to why one should stay away from Mexico, ie: danger, violence and sheer disregard for authority, there are countless reasons to connect with this country,” says Christopher Buckstein, director of Chapman’s eVillage (entrepreneur village). “For the U.S., Mexico is the third largest trading partner after Canada and China as of June 2010. We’ll debunk the myths and give you the real deal as to what is actually taking shape in regards to entrepreneurship and the state of the economy.”

The event takes place Saturday, October 20, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Chapman’s Beckman Hall, Room 404. Tickets are $75 and include breakfast, lunch and a cocktail reception. More information can be found at http://www.chapman.edu/events/cross-border.aspx.

To register visit http://tecmaoc.org/cbecinfo/.

Consistently ranked among the top universities in the West, Chapman University provides a uniquely personalized and interdisciplinary educational experience to highly qualified students. Our programs encourage innovation, creativity and collaboration, and focus on developing global citizen-leaders who are distinctively prepared to improve their community and their world.

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