Chuck E. Cheese Founder Delivers Keynote at MicroEnterprise Graduation

NAPLES, Fla. - June 20, 2013 - PRLog -- The Goodwill Southwest Florida MicroEnterprise Institute graduated seven hopeful entrepreneurs on June 19.  The ceremony was held at the Naples Chamber of Commerce (2390 Tamiami Trail North, Naples). The session marks Collier County’s first graduating MicroEnterprise class. Classes have previously been held throughout Lee and Charlotte Counties.

The Goodwill Southwest Florida MicroEnterprise Institute is a training program to help emerging entrepreneurs start new ventures and grow small businesses. Graduates complete a 12-module business and management training course over six weeks and work with mentors who are successful businesspersons.  

Chuck E. Cheese founder and Naples resident Gene Landrum, Ph.D. delivered the keynote address, entitled, Follow Your Bliss for a Remunerative Life. Landrum has started five businesses and is a member of the CEO Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame.

“I know success,” Landrum says of his years in business. “You deserve the right to chase your dream, go down your own road. Never ever listen to experts. Experts have a psychological aspect of being stuck on what is- go to what can be. Go to where the pack isn’t.”

Landrum is the author of 20 books on entrepreneurship and currently is a teacher on entrepreneurship as part of the MBA program at Hodges University in Southwest Florida.

Graduates Doris Dunmars, Travis Hanrahan, Debroah Lasek, Shemnon Miyamoto and Stephanie Robbins were all on hand to receive the certificates symbolizing their completion of the small business training course. Marla Benoist and Nicholas James also completed the class but, were unable to attend the graduation.

“I have the greatest admiration for those that helped out during this class,” says graduate Robbins. “The MicroEnterprise Institute represents hope and collaboration. I was struggling and then I found this class.”

Session facilitator Joanne Show and session coach Neftail Espinosa also attended the graduation and received certificates of appreciation. This session of the MicroEnterprise program was sponsored by Central Bank Southwest Florida.

The next MicroEnterprise session starts August 19 and will be held in Cape Coral. To apply visit www.goodwillswfl.org/microenterprise.

The Goodwill Southwest Florida MicroEnterprise Institute is administrated by Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida and is part of Goodwill’s mission to help people with disabilities and disadvantages overcome their barriers to employment and independence. To learn more about the SWFL MicroEnterprise Institute, please visit www.goodwillswfl.org/microenterprise or (239) 995-2106 ext. 2219.

For more information about Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, visit www.goodwillswfl.org.