The Miami University community will be inspired to dream, do, and deliver at the 2025 Entrepreneurship Summit.

Scheduled for April 26 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lee and Rosemary Fisher Innovation College@Elm, iNVENT U will offer a vibrant space for aspiring entrepreneurs, student startups, and innovators to showcase their businesses and share valuable resources. Miami students, alumni, faculty, staff, and outside community members are welcome to attend this Center for Career Exploration and Success event, with registration by April 22 strongly encouraged.

“We’re very excited for this year’s Entrepreneurship Summit,” said Jen Benz, the assistant vice president for Career Exploration and Success. “This event is one of the many highlights of our year because it brings together such innovative minds. Miami has a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and we’re proud to play a part in inspiring our students to pursue their dreams.”

iNVENT U features an action-packed schedule designed to allow participants to engage in real, unfiltered conversations about the challenges and successes of starting, sustaining, and advancing a growing business as a career. Its guest presenters include CEOs and founders from successful organizations based in southeastern Ohio.

Candice Matthews Brackeen, the founding partner and CEO of Lightship Capital, will address attendees as the keynote speaker about the importance of dreaming big. Through her Cincinnati-based portfolio service, she has guided hundreds of growth stage tech startups to more than $150 million in funding. She has also influenced state economic policy and established meaningful partnerships with companies like Chase, P&G, and Kroger.

Savon Gibson Sr., the founder of Empire Consulting and Gibson Financial Planning, and Amy Vaughan, the CEO and owner of Together Digital, will lead concurrent workshops following Brackeen’s keynote address. Gibson Sr., a financial planner, entrepreneur, and community leader known as the “People’s Planner,” will discuss how entrepreneurs can create a strategic financial game plan. Vaughan, an award-winning creative director who has architected campaigns for brands like Ford, P&G, and Walmart, will present digital marketing strategies for startups and growing businesses.

“Network outside of your box,” Gibson Sr. encouraged participants. “You never know how your business, or service, or product fits into someone else’s cultural environment. Talk to everyone. Introduce yourself. Ask them, ‘What business do you have?’ And then think, ‘How does my business fit within that business?’ Go to the Entrepreneurship Summit with five questions that you can ask everyone there.”

A pair of Miami alumna will then engage attendees in a fireside chat, sharing how innovators can turn their dreams into deliverable products or services. Kate deJesus ’22, head of content and marketing at Lightship Capital, leads digital marketing campaigns that help startup founders generate valuable impressions, drive partnerships, and amplify success stories. VaLanDria Smith-Lash ’23, founder of Coarse Culture, was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and has become known for her bold yet grounded approach to business.

“To maximize their experience, I recommend that students take the initiative when it comes to networking at this event,” Smith-Lash said. “They should make sure that they have their point of contact ready to go and that they are not afraid to ask questions and make their own connections.”

iNVENT U will conclude with a networking session. A Resource and Vendor Fair featuring businesses at various stages in their development will also run throughout the event, only pausing for Brackeen’s keynote speech.

Individuals interested in hosting a vendor or resource table must register by the April 22 deadline. Tables can be used to sell a product or service, share a resource, or promote full-time, internship, or volunteer positions with students.