DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 6, 2011) – President and co-founder of Houlihan Capital, Andy Smith, will present an upbeat and energetic message for aspiring entrepreneurs during the Entrepreneurial Speaker Series, Thursday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m.
Andy Smith is an entrepreneur, investment banker and certified public accountant. He is the president and co-founder of Houlihan Capital, a leading investment banking and valuation firm. Smith started his original investment banking business from the basement of his Chicago home in 1996 and the company grew to more than 150 employees with offices in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, London, and Accra, Ghana (Africa). Smith has provided merger and acquisition advisory services, capital raising, and valuation services to development-stage companies, as well as some of the world’s largest hedge funds and publicly-traded companies.
Smith will share his insights and secrets about what makes entrepreneurs great and how they can dramatically shorten the learning curve and increase their chances for success by copying the success of others.
Smith has worked with dozens of entrepreneurs and has helped them achieve the American dream of building and then profitably selling their businesses. Past clients include Bernie Simpkins (S&S Enterprises), Louis Huntley (Huntley-Jiffy Stores), Tom Miller (Handy Way), Jim Keisling (Compression Polymers), Gordon Petherick (Q-Mart), Glenn Welstad (Labor Ready), Phil Nick (Western Funding), Bill Newman (Newman Oil), George Ashby (Clay Petroleum), Richard Andolshek (Grocery Shopping Network), and many more.
In 2007, L. Gale Lemerand, a successful Volusia County Entrepreneur and a long time supporter of Daytona State College, provided an Endowment to the Daytona State College Foundation to found the "L. Gale Lemerand Center for Entrepreneurship." As a component of this Center, the Entrepreneurial Speaker Series complements Daytona State's comprehensive educational programs such as the Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Supervision and Management, the associate's degree programs in Business and Accounting Technolology, and a certificate program in Entrepreneurship as well as programs and training offered by the Small Business Development Center. Lemerand’s generous contribution will continue to bring to Daytona Beach a series of nationally recognized leaders in industry and government to inspire and educate students, faculty, staff and all residents of Volusia and Flagler counties. Previous presenters include S. Truett Cathy, Chick-fil-A Founder, Mori Hosseini, chairman and CEO of ICI Homes, Warren Brown, CakeLove founder and host of the Food Network’s “Sugar Rush” program, Cameron Johnson, who has been recognized as one of the most successful young entrepreneurs in the world, and Heidi Ganahl, the top dog of Camp Bow Wow – a $40 million leader in the pet and franchise industry.
The April 14 presentation takes place in the Hosseini Center (#1200) located on the College’s Daytona Beach Campus at 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. Seating is limited. Reserve your seat today by calling the Small Business Development Center at 386.506.4723 or e-mail sbdc@DaytonaState.edu.
-30-
**image available upon request**
MEDIA CONTACT
Glyn Johnston, Vice President, Marketing, Communications & Events, 386.506.4499, johnstg@DaytonaState.edu
A Member of the Florida College System
Daytona State College assures equal opportunity in employment and education services to all individuals without regard to race, sex, color, age, religion, disability, national origin, political affiliation or belief, or marital status.
