BOONE—The spirit of American entrepreneurism is alive and well and poised to take Boone by storm Feb. 29 when the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour (EET) visits Appalachian State University. The event runs from 3-7 p.m. in Valborg Theatre located beside the Walker College of Business.

EET offers free food, giveaways, cash prizes and a great way to learn how to make money and change the world by doing what you love.

The event is free and open to everyone but attendees must RSVP at www.extremetour.org (scroll down to the university’s logo and click on RSVP).

For more information, contact Julia Rowland with Appalachian’s Center for Entrepreneurship at (828) 262-8325 or rowlandja@appstate.edu.

The Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour is presented by VenturePort.org and sponsored by Inc. Magazine and Appalachian’s Center for Entrepreneurship.

Founded by two award-winning, 25-year-olds, Michael Simmons and Sheena Lindahl of Extreme Entrepreneurship Education, the tour is comprised of many of America’s top young entrepreneurs who have made, earned or sold a company for millions and/or made a huge impact before the age of 30.

The EET will be highly motivational for any student, faculty, staff or community member who dreams of pursuing their own business or wants to strengthen their knowledge and skills to become a successful employee in today’s workforce. In a world of rapidly evolving technology and globalization, being able to leverage the entrepreneurial mindset regardless of career path is critical to success.

The tour features four nationally known speakers plus successful Appalachian graduates. The speakers are:

• 2006 graduates Jon West and Chad Ledford, co-founders of 3tailer, a niche eCommerce company with multiple retail Web sites operating out of Charlotte.
• Chad Michael, a 2003 graduate and owner of Boone-based ArborCare, and Jason Berry, a 2002 graduate from Footsloggers Outdoor Clothing and Gear.
• Alex K. Tchekmeian, president and founder of AKT Enterprises, comprised of 16 companies, ranging from merchandising and Web development utilities, to the development of live music venues and bars.

  Tchekmeian’s drive and ambition in the entertainment field led to the development of AKT Enterprises. With a rapidly increasing client base of more than 2,500, AKT Enterprises has been named one of the fastest growing, most innovative companies to develop in today’s entertainment industry. With sales in excess of $1.2 million in 2007, Tchekmeian is confident that he can double, if not triple, sales within the next year.

• Nick Nanton, known as “The Celebrity Lawyer,” and named “Best of the Bar” and “One of Orlando’s Top 10 Young and Powerful.” Prior to becoming an attorney, Nanton spent more than a decade immersing himself in the entertainment industry as an award-winning songwriter and producer, and surrounding himself with celebrities. He has worked on projects and negotiated deals, from large scale events to reality television shows, involving celebrities like Bill Cosby and President George H.W. Bush. Nanton is a voting member on the annual GRAMMY awards and served as CEO of Cinemark Music Group LLC. Cinemark Music Group is a subsidiary of Cinemark USA Inc., one of the largest motion picture exhibitors in North America with 3,288 screens in 33 states and internationally.
• Sheena Lindahl, co-founder of Extreme Entrepreneurship Education and co-author of “The Student Success Manifesto” and “All or Nothing, Now or Never.” She was recently named by Business Week along with her partner Michael Simmons as one of the country’s top 25 entrepreneurs under 25.
• Arel Moodie, from Brooklyn, N.Y., one of America’s top young speakers who has been featured on Fox News and in USA Today. In college he started his own successful Internet company, www.placefinder.com, a Web site that helps college students find off-campus housing, roommates and sublets.

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