Redevelopment of Norris University Center’s East Lawn to begin this summer
April 5, 2024
EVANSTON, Ill. --- Ben Parr, venture capitalist and former editor-at-large of the news website Mashable, and Norbert Riedel, president and CEO of the biopharmaceutical company Naurex, Inc., will discuss what’s on the entrepreneurship horizon at Northwestern’s fourth annual Entrepreneur@NU conference to be held Friday, April 25.
The popular entrepreneurship conference, this year with the theme “Next Frontiers,” will bring together hundreds of business leaders and budding entrepreneurs, including students, alumni and members of the Chicago-area community. Entrepreneur@NU’s goal is to encourage mechanisms for promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in all areas of life.
Sponsored by Northwestern’s Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Norris University Center, 1999 Campus Drive, on the Evanston campus. The event is open to the public, but advance registration is requested.
Riedel will deliver his keynote speech from 9 to 10 a.m. Formerly a corporate vice president and chief science and innovation officer at Baxter International, Riedel now oversees Naurex, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing therapies for difficult-to-treat depression as well as other challenging diseases of the central nervous system.
Parr, a 2008 Northwestern alumnus and one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30” in 2012, will deliver his remarks from 2 to 3 p.m. He is an award-winning journalist, author, entrepreneur and investor. As co-editor and editor-at-large of Mashable, he wrote more than 2,400 articles on social media and technology. He also served as a columnist and commentator for CNET.
In addition to the Northwestern Venture Challenge -- where startups compete for a cash prize -- the conference will include panels on topics related to starting and running a business, including many aspects of a successful business model. Topics will include women in entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial marketing. Participants also can sign up for free legal and career management clinics as well as lunch with venture capitalists.
Multiple departments across the University interested in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship have provided assistance in planning Entrepreneur@NU.
For general information and to register, visit entrepreneur.northwestern.edu.
