Midwest Society of Professional Consultants

Wednesday, April 6th, 2005 Program

5:00 P.M. Registration

5:20 P.M. Program

The Chicago area is ripe with organizations, agencies, and networks that assist entrepreneurs and business owners. Whether it's generating more sales, becoming a smarter business owner, building a stronger network, or accessing hard-to-find capital, our region has what you need. Learn about the many entrepreneurship support organizations (ESOs) in the city and suburbs, some of which you may know, others that you probably have never heard of. Bottom line...they help you at the top.

Raman Chadha is the Executive Director of the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at DePaul University, where he also teaches Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management, Entrepreneurship Strategy, and Business Plan Development. Prior to joining DePaul, he ran his own strategy and planning consultancy for eight years, through which he helped over 200 entrepreneurs start, grow, and manage their companies. Raman has also started two other ventures, and co-founded two non-profit organizations in Chicago dedicated to the support and education of emerging entrepreneurs. He also created the continuing education course, Start Up! Chicago, a 10-week program in which students learn the steps necessary to develop a business plan for a new venture. He is very active in the Chicago entrepreneurial community, as a speaker, writer, and advocate. Raman's entrepreneurial career path began after earning an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the J.L. Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He also holds a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Announcements/Introductions: 6:15 P.M.

Break/Informal Conversations: 6:40 P.M.

Dinner: 7:00 P.M.

After Dinner Program: 8:00 P.M.

Did you or someone in your office deliberately set out to devise the most complex, multi-step, most confusing process for handling a piece of work? Probably not, yet what do you face each time this work is performed? You say, "I need to do something about this… yes, I will next week." Does next week ever come? Many of us follow steps in a process that have been around a long time as a result of habit. The process has evolved over the years based on good ideas at the time, yet we need to make good on our promise to ourselves to find a better way. There are quick, effective and sustainable solutions available that can insure optimum performance. Borrowing on the proven tools and techniques from Lean Manufacturing (The Toyota Production System), we can create office-based improvements and transform our operations into a Lean Enterprise.

Walter O'Dowd provides consulting services in the areas of project management and continuous improvement. Utilizes tools and techniques based on Lean Enterprise principles (Toyota Production System). Clients realize improvements in administrative processes and manufacturing operations through the identification and elimination of wasteful activities. Employees are trained in a systematic process that focuses effort on creating value in the eyes of the customer. Methods relate to employees from the shop floor to the corporate boardroom. Walter has twenty years of progressive leadership responsibilities in sales, engineering, customer service, production and strategic planning. He received his Mechanical Engineering degree from Louisiana State University. He solves problems with creativity versus capital expenditures and applies team building, problem solving and total employee involvement in solutions. Walter is an MSPC member.

Registration fee includes dinner and programs.

Early registration must be made by NOON the Monday before the scheduled meeting:

• Members/Spouse/Guests: $40.00
• Non-members:                  $50.00

Late registration or at the door:

• Member/Spouses/Guests: $45.00
• Non-members:                  $55.00

To make a reservation: 312-201-0596