University of Evansville

2006 International Speaker Series Announced

The University of Evansville announces its 2006 International Speaker Series, which will feature such noted socially conscious international business experts as unconventional entrepreneurs Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, founders of Ben and Jerry’s Homemade, Inc.; vice president of marketing for Toyota Motor Sales and a former product developer of the new Scion, James Farley; Former US Ambassador and Senator Carol Moseley Braun and Founder of The Body Shop Dame Anita Roddick. Each of the presentations will be provided free to the public by UE’s Institute for Global Enterprise in Indiana.

The series kicks off February 16 at 7 p.m. at the Centre, with the master’s of ice cream – Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield – known better in most households as Ben & Jerry. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, founders of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc., turned a storefront venture into a $160 million dollar ice-cream empire. Their story is one of the least conventional successes in American business. The Council on Economic Priorities and the U.S. Small Business Administration have recognized Ben and Jerry’s corporate commitment to social responsibility and creative management. Come hear their scoop on the growing international influence of the socially conscious corporation.

On April 5, the vice president of marketing for Toyota Motor Sales in the U.S., James Farley will speak at 7 p.m. at The Centre. Farley has had a lifelong interest in anything to do with automobiles, earning him the designation as a young child of “Jimmy Car-Car.” Farley started restoring cars with his grandfather, an engineer for Packard, when he was 12. He bought and restored his own first car – a ’66 Mustang – when he was 14 and drove it across the country a year before he had his license. Today, Farley’s original love of automobiles and his organizational skills learned at a young age, have contributed to his and Toyota's successes. Prior to his current position over all of Toyota’s marketing for North American, Farley focused on product development, sales, logistics and distribution for the innovative Scion, and later was named vice president of that division, where he was responsible for all Scion activities. Farley, who's been with Toyota since 1990 has held other positions within Toyota including with Lexus, Toyota's truck divisions, and with Toyota Europe.

In the fall, Carol Moseley Braun will speak on Sept. 26 at the Victory Theatre at 7 p.m. A pioneer in law and politics, Carol Moseley Braun, focuses on conversations about food and food policy, public education, racial integration and diversity, and women’s social and political progress. A prominent Democratic candidate in the 2004 Presidential race, Carol Moseley Braun qualified for more states’ ballots than any woman in history. Ambassador Braun’s public service includes experience in local, state and national government, where she has served as a U.S. Senator, U.S. ambassador, as well as County Executive Officer, State Representative, and Assistant United States Attorney. She is now a private sector entrepreneur in the growing field of organic products. Braun has established herself as an agent for change, passionate about preserving the American Dream for the next generation.

Finally, on Oct. 24, Dame Anita Roddick will speak at 7 p.m. at the Victory Theatre. Roddick will speak openly about her entrepreneurial journey – the highs and the lows. Committed to socially and environmentally friendly corporate policies and determined to prove that politically correct can be profitable, Roddick will take first hand about creating a business responsive to employees and the environment. Roddick is the founder of The Body Shop, a natural-ingredient based cosmetics company with over 1,980 stores, serving more than 77 million customers in 50 different markets across 25 different time zones. Traveling the world in search of innovative new ingredients Dame Roddick also looks for ways of improving the standard of living for the farmers who produce these ingredients. She has earned honorary degrees from nine different schools and has been awarded dozens of business, communication and human right awards.

UE’s Institute for Global Enterprise in Indiana, founded in 2003 with a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc., has a mission to be a catalyst and resource for international business success through research, training and informational services.

For more information call 812-488-2455 or to register go to the Institute’s website at http://www.globalindiana.com.