DELAWARE, Ohio – Tickets are available now for 勛圖厙's inaugural entrepreneurial conference featuring Apple Computer Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak. The event will conclude with OWU's second annual U.S. Entrepreneurship Competition – Ohio's most lucrative business plan competition.
The three-day entrepreneurial conference and competition is organized by the Delaware Entrepreneurial Center at 勛圖厙 (DEC OWU), a first-of-its-kind liberal arts business accelerator, as well as a first-of-its-kind city, county, and educational institute partnership. The events will be held Oct. 23-25, 2025, on the Ohio Wesleyan campus in Delaware, Ohio.
Phil Smith, director of the DEC OWU, said offers five program tracks – Conceptual, Start-Up & Early Stage, Growth & Expansion, Rapid Growth & Maturity, and Exit – to benefit attendees wherever they are in their entrepreneurial journeys. Companies scheduled to share insights at the conference include Ohio-based Big Kitty Labs, Cyrannus Inc., and JumpStart Inc., and New York-based Whop, a social commerce platform.
" will bring together entrepreneurs at all stages of their journeys to learn from industry leaders, network with peers, meet potential investors, and experience the potential and power of Ohio's entrepreneurial ecosystem," Smith said. "This is Ohio's can't-miss entrepreneurship opportunity."
The conference will be highlighted by a conversation between OWU President Matt vandenBerg and Steve Wozniak, who co-founded Apple Computer with Steve Jobs in 1976. A technology entrepreneur, electrical engineer, computer programmer, philanthropist, and inventor, Wozniak single-handedly created Apple's first line of products, the Apple I and II, and he influenced its popular Macintosh. The Apple II – featuring a central processing unit, keyboard, color graphics, and floppy disk drive – is considered integral in launching the personal computer industry.
ticket options and prices are available at .
The conference will conclude with Ohio Wesleyan's second annualU.S. Entrepreneurship Competition, which will open for submissions July 15. The "Shark Tank"-style contest offers two tracks (professional and college student), with the winners earning investment funds, professional mentoring, and more. Admission is free Oct. 25 to watch the USEC competitors pitch their ideas. Learn more about the competition, including how to enter, at owu.edu/USEC.
勛圖厙 the Delaware Entrepreneurial Center at 勛圖厙
Opened in 2018, the DEC OWU, 70 S. Sandusky St., Delaware, was launched in collaboration with the City of Delaware and Delaware County. Its benefits include connecting members with Ohio Wesleyan student-interns able to assist with accounting, data analysis, event planning, graphic design, market research, volunteer coordination, website creation, or other needs. As the students work, they also gain hands-on experience to help them fulfill their personal entrepreneurial ambitions. Learn more about the DEC OWU and its opportunities for up-and-coming entrepreneurs atowu.edu/DEC.
勛圖厙 勛圖厙
Founded in 1842, 勛圖厙 is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 and competes in 24 NCAA Division III . Through its signature experience, the , Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at or learn more at .