EC2003, with over 500 attendees, was held on May 12, 2003.
Selected Panel Presentations are available for viewing. Click Here.

Times have changed. Learn to adapt with new, real world approaches to starting, funding and building your company. Attend the Nineteenth Annual Entrepreneurs Conference.

Conference Overview

Accelerate the growth of your company with advice from investors, successful entrepreneurs, and industry experts at the 19th Annual Entrepreneurs Conference. Times have changed. Learn to adapt with new, "real world" approaches to starting, funding and building your company. Share your perspective with entrepreneurs and investors, and gain insights from them. Dialogue with guest speakers, investors and business owners who share their experience and expertise. Explore questions that challenge all entrepreneurs and owners of growing companies:

• How can I secure funding to start/grow my business?
• What tools would prove beneficial in leading my organization?
• What strategies and tactics should I employ to retain/secure customers?

Rapid changes in our economy demand new approaches to achieve profitability, positive cash flow, and optimum use of skilled employees, directors and advisors. At the Conference, over 70 knowledgeable speakers will address these and other topics in 30 panel sessions.

The 19th Entrepreneurs Conference is presented by the Harvard Business School Association of Orange County to offer small business owners, entrepreneurs, and others the opportunity to expand their skills, make valuable contacts, and gather practical ideas for growing their business.

Who Should Attend

• Entrepreneurs and investors
• Established business owners and managers
• Anyone needing to finance business growth
• Those considering buying, selling, or starting a business
• Professionals providing services to entrepreneurs

An Evening With the Tech Coast Angels

Meet the Tech Coast Angels (TCA) at a walk-around dinner-and-wine, reception followed by the Finals of the 3rd Annual TCA Fast Pitch Competition. Entrepreneurs make 50-second funding pitches; judges select the three who win coaching from TCA and presentation sessions with VC firms. This exciting program follows immediately after EC2003; register for both this and EC2003 and receive a discount.

Lunch Keynote Speaker
Jerre Stead
Retired Chairman and CEO of Ingram Micro

Jerre Stead retired as Chairman and CEO of Ingram Micro in May 2000. He is now an active investor in start-ups and Chairman of two companies. Mr. Stead is known for his visionary leadership, global expertise and proven track record of success. When he took Ingram Micro public in 1996, it was the largest IPO in history for a technology company.

Morning Keynote Speaker
Ernest Higa
Japan's Entrepreneur of the Year

Mr. Higa is the most famous and successful American entrepreneur in Japan. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including from the Japanese Prime Minister, professional organizations, and is the only foreigner to be named "Entrepreneur of the Year" by the New Business Conference, a distinguished semi-governmental organization. In 1985, Mr. Higa opened the first home-delivery pizza store in Japan and started a nationwide pizza boom. He has since opened over 200 wholly-owned outlets to become the world's largest Domino's franchisee.