University of Michigan's Entrepalooza Symposium to Feature Ari Weinzweig of Zingerman's

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Entrepreneurship programs from across the University of Michigan will come together to host the annual Entrepalooza symposium on Friday, September 21 at the Michigan League. This year's event will highlight food entrepreneurship, giving attendees the opportunity to learn directly from successful founders through hands-on workshops and a showcase fair.

The event will kick off with a keynote address from Ari Weinzweig, co-founder of Zingerman's, a group of gourmet food businesses headquartered in Ann Arbor. In 1982, Weinzweig, along with his partner Paul Saginaw, founded Zingerman's Delicatessen with a $20,000 bank loan, a degree from the University of Michigan, a few years of experience in restaurant kitchens and a whole lot of determination. The delicatessen opened with two employees and a small selection of specialty foods and exceptional sandwiches. Today, that single store with two employees has grown into a nationally renowned food icon, and the Zingerman's Community of Businesses has grown to 10 businesses with more than 750 employees and more than $55 million in annual revenue. Weinzweig regularly travels across the country and the world teaching organizations and businesses about Zingerman's approach to business and remains an active part of the community.

Following Weinzweig's 9:00 a.m. keynote and Q&A and an opportunity for networking, prominent food entrepreneurs will lead a series of workshops on launching and growing food product and service businesses with positive culture, food impact and sustainability, investing in food and agriculture and innovating beyond startup. Representing multiple facets of the local ecosystem, the entrepreneurs will include:

• Eric Ersher, founder and CEO of Zoup!, who will lead a workshop on positive corporate culture
• Bob McClure, co-founder of McClure's Pickles, who will lead a workshop on innovating beyond the startup phase
• Aaron Desatnik, senior associate at Ceres Partners, who will represent food/agriculture investment along with fellow alumni panelists
• Ryan Gourley, director of Tech Arb, who will moderate a panel on sustainability

The event will conclude with a food fair, exhibiting diverse food-related startups, many founded by University of Michigan alumni and students. The first 100 attendees will have the opportunity to meet these founders, learn about their experiences, take in food tech demos and try product samples.

Hosted by the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, along with campus partners including the Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of Engineering, the School of Public Health's Innovation & Social Entrepreneurship program, TechArb, the student venture accelerator at the University and Innovate Blue, the University's campus-wide entrepreneurship initiative, Entrepalooza is an annual event that brings entrepreneurial leaders together to share their insights and experiences with students, alumni, faculty and members of the broader business community.

For more information, including a full schedule, or to register to attend the event, please visit http://entrepalooza.umich.edu/. To receive event updates or share your thoughts from the symposium, use hashtag #epalooza on Twitter.

About the Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies
The Institute and its Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity Finance bring together an impactful combination of deep-seated knowledge, enriching experiences and strategic opportunities from the front lines of entrepreneurship and alternative investment. Students' learning experiences are further enhanced through internships, entrepreneurial clubs, business competitions and campus-wide events that foster valuable networking and engage the business community. The Institute's five student-led investment funds, with over $9M under management, immerse students in the entrepreneurial business sourcing, assessment and investment process. Founding Zell Lurie advisory board members include Samuel Zell, chairman of Equity Group Investments, and Eugene Applebaum, founder of Arbor Drugs Inc. For more information, visit the Institute's website at www.zli.umich.edu.

About Michigan Ross
The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is a vibrant and distinctive learning community grounded in the principle that business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in today's dynamic global economy. The Ross mission is to develop leaders who make a positive difference in the world. Through thought and action, members of the Ross community drive change and innovation that improves business and society.

Ross is consistently ranked among the world's leading business schools. Academic degree programs include the BBA, MBA, Part-time MBA (Evening and Weekend formats), Executive MBA, Global MBA, Master of Accounting, Master of Supply Chain Management, Master of Management, and PhD. In addition, the school delivers open-enrollment and custom executive education programs targeting general management, leadership development, and strategic human resource management.

SOURCE Zell Lurie Institute

Related Links

http://www.zli.umich.edu