EIU Media Relations

"Entrepreneurship Week" at EIU to feature alumni guest speakers

Two Eastern Illinois University alumni guest speakers will give presentations as part of "Entrepreneurship Week," which starts Wednesday, November 7 and extends through November 14.

Mike McKenna, an Eastern alumnus, and Diamond McKenna, who own Diamond Assets LLC, will give a presentation at 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 7. Dale Morrissey, an Eastern alumnus and CEO of the Developmental Services Center in Champaign, will be the second speaker at 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 14. Both presentations will take place in the Lumpkin Hall Auditorium, on campus at 600 Lincoln Avenue, Charleston. 

Diamond Assets buys and resells refurbished Apple hardware and is the seventh-fastest growing company on the Inc. 5000 list of businesses in the United States.

Developmental Services Center places people with disabilities in local business, helps them find jobs and helps them to become more independent.

The McKennas will discuss business entrepreneurship while Morrissey will be talking about social entrepreneurship.

EIU marketing professor Marko Grünhagen said he hopes the speakers expand what students think entrepreneurship is.

"We want students to be aware of the different ways that people can actually be entrepreneurs," Grünhagen said.

Taylor Gresens, treasurer of the Entrepreneurship Club, said she hopes there is a good turnout for the speakers and hopes the students can see what it takes to open their own business.

“Both speakers that are coming have turned their passions into business, so students can see that it doesn’t necessarily have to be the standard brick-and-mortar store,” Gresens said.

Gresens said if students can find their own personal interests and find a way to turn that into a business, then they will be able to do what they love and make a profit at the same time.

Students will be able to meet both speakers at a meet-and-greet reception in the Lumpkin Hall student lounge following each presentation.

To learn more about EIU’s various programs and services, visit the EIU website at www.eiu.edu, or call EIU’s public information office at (217) 581-7400.