The Atlanta Chapter of Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs Network (OPEN) kicked off its 2012 activities by hosting a Business 101 Event on March 29th. The event was attended by professionals as well as young and aspiring entrepreneurs. The main focus of the event was to inform and motivate the professional and business community.

Ms. Lynne Henkiel, who leads the Innovation Led Partnership Program at Georgia Tech was the first speaker of the event. She is a veteran in establishing the 'incubation ecosystems' in Georgia. Ms. Henkiel gave a presentation on what resources are available through Georgia Tech for start-up businesses.

Mr. Aziz Hashim, a highly regarded franchisee and executive in the US restaurant and international retail space, was the second speaker. His captivating speech was focused on the 'strategies for success'. Mr. Hashim's frank talk focused on his experiences – what does it take to be successful, how he started his small franchise after finishing up his Electrical Engineering degree, and how he grew it to more than 60 restaurant chains in the US.

Ms. Shamina Vora, who is a veteran legal expert in corporate law and heads her own practice, was the last speaker. She elaborated on legalities of enterprise, tax liabilities, and the kinds of business structures that are suitable for various circumstances. Ms. Vora emphasized the importance of gaining legal counsel at the onset of starting the business and gave several examples where lack of such advice has resulted in tragic scenarios.

A Q&A session followed the speeches where the audience get a chance to ask questions. The scheduled thirty-minute networking session after the close of the meeting turned out to be an hour-long engaging experience.

Business 101 Event was organized by the Entrepreneurship Special Interest Group (SIG) within OPEN Atlanta. The Entrepreneurship SIG provides networking opportunities for the professional needs of new as well as existing businesses by providing a platform to facilitate exchange of knowledge, ideas, tools, and services to help the individuals succeed in their respective ventures.

OPEN is a national not-for-profit organization with a secular and non-political agenda of promotion of entrepreneurship and professional growth. OPEN has seven chapters across the nation.

To know more about OPEN Atlanta and to get involved, please visit the website at: http://www.openatlanta.org

Pictures from the event are below..

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