DeDivahDeals

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Posts Tagged ‘Riverfront Ballroom’

Delaware Today’s Women in Business Luncheon

Hello friends and Happy Tuesday

Last week I attended Delaware Today’s signature event, Women in Business Luncheon (Upstate) which was held at The Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington.  This annual event is held to showcase and highlight Delaware’s women in business and provides a great opportunity to network, share and connect with others.  It was a warm and beautiful December day made even more so by the smiling faces on the many men and women who came out in support. Delaware Today Luncheon The lobby of the Chase Center was filled with hundreds of people engaged in lively conversations, and various Sponsors of the luncheon had tables of information, giveaways and games.  Music by Phillip Berger entertained the crowd with mellow sounds until noon, then we made our way into the main Ballroom for lunch and the afternoon program. Delaware Today Luncheon Delaware Today Luncheon Delaware Today Luncheon

Inside the Riverfront Ballroom each table was decorated with a fresh and fragrant floral arrangement provided by Belak Flowers.  The owner Barbara Williams was seated next to me and we had a pleasant conversation throughout lunch.  On each seat was a take-away-tote bag provided by Del-One and it contained a few goodies from Bayada, YMCAde, Goldey Beacom College, Christiana Care, Ursuline Academy, Morris James LLP and Continental Jewelers.

The meal was delicious and consisted of a mixed greens salad, 1/2 Cornish Hen, Couscous, Steamed Broccoli and Cauliflower.  It was definitely far more than what I normally eat, so unfortunately the slice of cake remained uneaten!

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Dr. Maria Hess, Editor-in-Chief of Delaware Today Magazine opened the program acknowledging the recipients of this year’s Women in Business Awards. As each name was read the women stepped to the podium and it was wonderfully encouraging to see the diversity among them all.  You can find the full list of recipients along with their photos on the Delaware Today website.

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Delaware Today Award Recipients

Emcee and NBC10 anchor, Tracy Davidson introduced the guest speaker, Dr. Janice Nevin, Chief Medical Officer, Christiana Care Health Systems.

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Dr. Nevin gave an enlightening and sometimes humorous presentation.  She acknowledged the men and women who challenged her, giving her the resiliency to break through sexual barriers that once held her back.   Graduating from the once all-male St. Andrews High School in Middletown, was just the beginning of her becoming “the first female” in many areas of her life including during Medical School.  

Sheer determination and learning to “lean in” makes her the wonderful wife, mother, and Chief Medical Officer who is compassionate and resilient despite the odds. 

The day ended just as it started with lots of lively conversations, networking, sharing and smiles.  

Thank You Delaware Today for honoring these wonderful women!

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C.O.D.E. Conference


On Saturday The Money School of Delaware held it’s annual C.O.D.E. Conference for National Entrepreneurship Week at the Chase Center on the Riverfront.   This FREE event was held to give guidance to the small business community in the state of Delaware.

The doors opened at 8:00 am, and after completing a registration form you received a reusable shopping bag courtesy of Shoprite.  Attendees then entered the Riverfront Ballroom where over 30 exhibitors including the SBA, SCORE, PNC Bank, Wells Fargo, DEDO, Traci Lynn Jewelry and the YWCA had tables that showcased their products/services as well as items for sale or small giveaways.

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On this cold and rainy morning the hot coffee and danish was a welcomed delight, but for each of the attendees all of various ages and ethnic backgrounds they delighted in a common goal; to obtain information and guidance to make their small business more successful.  Small businesses are the engine that drives the economy in Delaware and if they are successful, we are all successful.

The conference was kicked off by Mary Caracciolli, The Money Confidant, who emphasized that the day wasn’t about networking but about meeting people, building relationships and doing something for someone else.  Opening remarks were made by Lt. Governor Matt Denn, a major supporter of education in the state.  Chase was the #1 sponsor of C.O.D.E. and Daryl Graham spoke about the importance of supporting small businesses.  Ken Anderson, a DEDO rep stated that small businesses have created the most net new jobs in the state of Delaware.  State Treasurer Chip Flowers was also in attendance and video remarks were given by Governor Jack Markell and U.S Senator Chris Coons.

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Judy Travis, Founder of Stockings for Soldiers Delaware spoke of how passion drives your business and presented a slide show.  Last year, over 10 thousand packages containing 47 thousand stockings were made and shipped thanks to the many volunteers who devoted their time.  Volunteers in this effort included students from elementary schools to members of Senior Citizen centers, but donations and volunteers are always needed.  One of the major rewards in volunteering for this program is knowing you are improving the morale of our troops serving overseas.

There were two sets of morning sessions from which to choose that began at 9:30 am: Business Start-up 101, and Run Your Business, Don’t Let It Run You.  The next two sessions started at 11:00 am: The Business of Your Business and Service…Your Secret Weapon To Success!

I sat in briefly in all 4 sessions and found them to be very informative, enlightening and one was quite entertaining.  Ellyn and Robert of SBA and SCORE started their session by having everyone stand and sing along to the song “Good night, I Gotta Feeling”, by The Black Eye Peas, it was a great way to rev up the brain cells.

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A light lunch of pizza, and snacks were provided before the final General Session, “Understanding Social Media”, presented by Eric Holtzclaw, Founder and Chief Strategist of Laddering Works, LLC.  Using a PowerPoint presentation Eric highlighted the various groups of social media users; discussed understanding social media and how it makes an impact on today’s business.

Audience participation with questions followed, several asking how social media impacts their small businesses and why it was important to brand themselves on the Internet.  Social Media whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or Google+, is here to stay however, the advice of only using what is comfortable was the underlying message from Eric.

The conference ended with the awarding of Door Prizes ranging from a $100 gift card to autographed copies of Eric’s new book, Laddering: Unlocking the Potential of Consumer Behavior.  Overall, it was a great event for anyone with or who is thinking about starting a small business in the state of Delaware.  Kudos to the staff of The Money School for all their hard work and effort that made this yet another successful event.

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National Entrepreneurship Week Delaware 2013

CELEBRATE 

National Entrepreneurship Week
Delaware 2013

CODE Conference 

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Chase Center on the Riverfront

8:00am – 2:00pm 

Thinking about starting a business? 

Already in business but looking for help? 
Want to understand social media?

   

THEN DON’T MISS THIS! 

 

Speakers   Breakout Sessions   Exhibits 
Continental Breakfast & Light Lunch 
Free Resources   Free Parking 
DOOR PRIZES 

 

FREE but REGISTRATION REQUIRED!

 Click here to register or

toll-free 877.307.6858

CODE is a state-wide coalition organized in 2007 to support the Delaware small business
 community. 
 Its mission is to guide the small business community and the public to resources,
 organizations and companies that can provide the information, skill development,
 knowledge and support needed for small business development.
CODE is a program managed by DFLI  with support from Chase
 

CODE Program 2013 FINAL