On November 17, 2011, some of America's most successful company founders are coming to the University of Illinois at Chicago to participate in the Great Lakes Entrepreneurial Bash, a panel discussion event by and for entrepreneurs.

"How do you start a company from scratch and turn it into a hundred-million-dollar success story? That's a question untold numbers of entrepreneurial dreamers have asked," says entrepreneur and author Robert Jordan, the event's planner. "The founders participating in our national Entrepreneurial Bash tour did just that, and they'll divulge surprising secrets, share stories of challenge and triumph, and pass along nuggets of wisdom that we hope will motivate and inspire a whole new generation of entrepreneurs and business innovators."

The 2011 Entrepreneurial Bash tour started in New York City at the NYSE on October 3, then traveled to Washington D.C. on October 17. Each leg of the Entrepreneurial Bash features a different group of founders who have agreed to go on record about what it takes to win in any economy. "It's their way of giving back to the business community," says Jordan. If their advice on raising seed capital; hiring the right team; bouncing back from setbacks; and becoming leaner, smarter, and meaner than competitors sparks new startups that generate jobs, that would be an ideal outcome, he adds.

The tour was inspired by Robert Jordan's critically acclaimed book, How They Did It: Billion Dollar Insights from the Heart of America—a book of ideas, stories, and inspiration from 45 company founders who have collectively created $63 billion in value from scratch.

The confirmed speakers for the Great Lakes Entrepreneurial Bash in Chicago include Mike Domek of TicketsNow; Tony Faras of MGI Pharma; Ron Galowich of Initiate Systems and First Health Group Corp.; Jim Gray of optionsXpress; and Dane Miller of Biomet. The event is November 17, and runs from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m., at the UIC Forum in Chicago. To learn more about the speakers or to register, visit www.entrepbash.com.