The Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship will host the 2nd annual CEO National Trade Show from 4 to 6 p.m. on June 13 at the Keller Convention Center in Effingham, IL. The Midland Institute CEO program, which was established eight years ago as a way to give high school seniors the opportunity to learn about how to start and run a business, now serves 37 communities in five states, including Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado.
Michael Brummer, a 2010 graduate of the Effingham CEO program, said he was raised with an entrepreneurial spirit. His father, a businessman, often took Brummer to trade shows and encouraged him to talk to other business owners so he could see the importance of networking as a business owner.
After he was honored at a meeting earlier in the day, Craig Lindvahl spoke to state officials Thursday afternoon about the CEO program. He told Lieutenant Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti and the Governor's Rural Affairs Council during a meeting at Thelma Keller Convention Center that the program has been growing faster than ever.
When Hancock County decided to partner with the Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship to start their first CEO Program, they knew there were bound to be ups and downs.
An entrepreneur by the age of seven, Meadows knew he wanted to own and run businesses. By the time he was in high school, Meadows, an Odon, Indiana native, had trouble relating to his peers because while they were thinking about sports and video games, Meadows ran a produce market and lawn care business.