Schoppe Serves as Panelist at 2002 National Graduate Women in Business Conference

For the topic at hand—Entrepreneurship: What Every Entrepreneur Should Know—Ms. Schoppe and her four fellow panelists discussed what it takes to start a business, providing anecdotal stories about their own challenges and opportunities. "We had a pretty diverse range of experience, so collectively I think we were able to provide advice that will be helpful in any situation," said Ms. Schoppe.

Other panelists included:

• Robbie Hardy, founder of Atlantis Group, LLC
• Dr. Kay Wagoner, president and CEO of Icagen, Inc. (a biotech company)
• Petra Weishaupt-Smith, chief financial officer of A4 Health Systems
• Sara Donaldson, an agent for State Farm Insurance Companies.

And Jeff Reid, executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology Venturing (Kenan Institute for Private Enterprise) served as the panel moderator.

The five panelists gave the women attending the session a "reality check," helping them understand what they could realistically expect in their first few years in the business world and how to plan now for later entrepreneurship. Attendees left the session with some ideas for achievable goals, interim steps to begin achieving them, and other information on how to become successful entrepreneurs.

"Fuentek is a great example of entrepreneurial success," said Mr. Reid. "The company’s business model is unique with its team of independent consultants working together under Laura’s guidance. Her high-quality people are super performers and, even more importantly, are happy working in this way. Fuentek’s success with this model is unprecedented, and Laura serves as a wonderful role model for other future entrepreneurs."

The 2002 GWIB conference included eight sessions led by panels of experts focusing on the energy industry, finance, marketing, technology, and other topics. In addition, presentations were made by leading professionals, such as Ruth Taylor, program director of venture capital at IBM Corp., who spoke on leading change; Geoff Gettinger, who served as a speechwriter for the Clinton Administration, who discussed the art of presentation; and Monica Wooden, managing director of MercuryGate International, who focused on team building.

Keynote speeches were made by representatives of Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, and McColl Garella. Saturday’s keynote panel discussed ethical leadership.

More than 400 women attended the conference; participants included MBA students from around the country as well as those currently working in business.

Founded in 1979 at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and now headquartered at Rice University, GWIB is a not-for-profit organization designed to address issues women face in business and dedicated to the education and promotion of women in business. "It was an honor to be asked to participate on this panel," said Ms. Schoppe. "I consider it very important to encourage women to be innovative and ethical in business."