ANN ARBOR – New Enterprise Forum will host a panel discussion on the specifics of building your first team June 16 at the Holiday Inn in Ann Arbor.

This discussion should help entrepreneurs better understand how to you find, recruit, and pay for the talent needed to help grow a start-up. The event takes place at 5:00 p.m. Free to NEF members, the cost is $20 for non-members and $5 for students.

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The participants for this event include:

Bhushan Kulkarni ? CEO, InfoReady Corporation and former CEO of GDI Infotech. Kulkarni resigned from GDI in March 2010 to lead the spinoff, a software start-up whose initial product helps users mine databases for government funding opportunities. InfoReady has since landed $1.1M in venture capital to fund sales and product expansion.

Ted Dacko ? Founder and CEO of Arbor Dakota and previously CEO of HealthMedia? Inc. Arbor Dakota ?helps early stage companies implement growth strategy which will in turn, enhance shareholder value.? The firm has ?particular expertise with ?Software as a Service? (SaaS)…and helps companies with their growth acceleration strategies, strategic marketing plans, and sales discipline.?

Adrian Fortino ? CEO, Shepherd Intelligent Systems, which is commercializing the University of Michigan?s Magic Bus program. That software, tested by the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority earlier this year, allows system riders to follow bus progress on their smart phones. Adrian has an extensive background in engineering, operations, entrepreneurship, venture capital and private equity. He also volunteers at Ann Arbor Spark, helping area talent transition from corporate to entrepreneurial environments.

Our moderator will be Elliot Forsyth, Vice President and COO for talent enhancement at the Michigan Economic Development Corp. Forsyth was previously vice president of human resources and business services at Ann Arbor-based information technology company ProQuest. In his new position at MEDC, he oversees all work force development and adult education programs.

Showcase Presentation: Each month, NEF highlights emerging companies and provides them a Showcase Presentation. This month, our presenter will be Verdi Ergun of Own Point of Sale Corporation, which provides a web-based cash register that allows business owners to track sales by product, keep tabs on revenues, run reports, and more.

Business Introductions/Open Forum: The evening’s agenda includes Business Introductions/Open Forum, during which attendees have the opportunity to make a concise, 10-second pitch for themselves, their company, product/service, or need.

Meeting location: Holiday Inn, 3600 Plymouth Rd. in Ann Arbor. Registration and networking begin at 5:00 p.m. with the program starting at 5:45 p.m.

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