The upcoming Women in Business conference, "Breaking Through: The Sky is Not the Limit," will include tours of North Dakota State University facilities. Scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 9:30 a.m. at the Skills and Technology Training Center Millenium room, the event is sponsored by Fargo South DECA chapter, with assistance from personnel at the NDSU Research and Technology Park.
DECA is an association for high school students studying business activities, including such areas as marketing, management and entrepreneurship.
The event is expected to attract more than 40 students from Fargo North, Fargo South, West Fargo and Moorhead High Schools. The conference's intent is to give high school girls an opportunity to hear about opportunities from women business leaders.
Scheduled speakers include Judy Green of United Way of Cass-Clay and Ann McConn from Alerus Finacial. Roundtable discussion leaders will be Erienne Fawcett, lecturer of communication at NDSU; Tammy Miller from Border States Electric; Jill Krahn of The SPA; Deb Mathern from the Fargo Public Schools Federal Credit Union; and Shelly Gompf of Ulteig Engineers.
The Youth Entrepreneurship Program of the NDSU Research and Technology Park is aiding the conference. Paul Tefft is the project consultant.
"At the Research and Technology Park, we want to be to identify younger entrepreneurs, instead of waiting until they are freshmen or sophomores in college," Tefft explained. "We're working with marketing education teachers and school administrators in the community to encourage events like this conference."
The high school students also will visit the NDSU College of Business at Richard H. Barry Hall at 12:15 p.m. and tour the Technology Incubator at the Research and Technology Park at 1:15 p.m.