The East Tennessee State University student Entrepreneurs Club will host three speakers on Monday, Nov. 5, from 5-6 p.m. in the ETSU Innovation Laboratory Classroom.
Lee Robertson and Leanna Robertson of Valley Equipment Co. will offer tips and discuss the challenges of working in a small business.
Along with his brother Gary and their brother-in-law Dexter Newman, Lee Robertson is co-owner of the business, founded by his father and a partner 55 years ago.
Located in Jonesborough, the company sells industrial machinery and re-manufactures used equipment.
Leanna Robertson, Lee’s daughter, earned a master’s degree in technology at ETSU in 2000 and was a graduate assistant for Dr. Andy Czuchry, who holds the AFG Chair of Excellence in Business and Technology at ETSU. She serves as marketing director for the family business.
Allison Stewart will discuss entrepreneurship in Latin America. She graduated from ETSU with an MBA in 2001.
After working as a business analyst through Intellithought at Eastman Chemical Co., she joined the Peace Corps and served three years in El Salvador as a municipal development volunteer.
Among her projects were assisting with the founding of a local cooperative, working with a school to fund and build two classrooms and teaching life skills to youth and children.
The public is invited to this free program.
Directions to the ETSU Innovation Lab can be found by visiting www.etsuilab.org/map.asp.
The classroom is located in an annex behind the main building, and parking is available.

Author