In an effort to increase interest and membership, the Iowa State University Entrepreneurs Club has invited two speakers to the club’s first meeting tonight.

As part of the club’s new mission, to encourage entrepreneurship on campus, Shelley Coldiron and Judi Nielson will speak at the meeting at 7 p.m. in Room 294 of Carver Hall.

Coldiron is an associate scientist in the Institute for Physical Research and Technology (IPRT) and founded Advanced Analytical Technologies, Inc.

As part of her research, Coldiron has tried to create a company to sell her technology and will elaborate on the subject at the meeting.

Nielson, who is assistant director of the Small Business Development Center in the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, will explain to the club some of the benefits the center offers to students.

The ISU Entrepreneurs Club was around last semester, but members said it was not publicized much. This spring the club wants to get back on its feet.

“It has been off and on getting back into it again,” said Amanda Graves, club promoter and sophomore in math.

The club currently only has an executive team of six members, but has had 72 people interested in joining throughout last semester.

“This semester our main goal is to get membership,” she said.

In an attempt to achieve this goal, the club is trying to get dynamic speakers.

“[Coldiron] has her own technology that has not been on the market yet,” Graves said. Coldiron has also been involved with the ISU Pappajohn center, which is an assistance available to all students wanting to start their own business, she said.

Nielson played a big role in lining up Coldiron as a speaker for the ISU Entrepreneurs Club, and does many other things to help the club through the Pappajohn Center.

“The club has a similar mission as the Pappajohn Center and provides us with a group of students with interest in the things we’re doing,” she said.

The center is available to show support for students and give them opportunities.

Neilson said Coldiron would be a good example of what the center can do for hopeful entrepreneurs.

“We are a business adviser for [Coldiron], and we gave her assistance to start her business through the center,” she said.

Neilson said one of her goals is to make students aware that the center is available to start entrepreneurial ventures.

Speakers have also be scheduled by Nielson for March and April.

Next month the club will host the president and chief operational officer of the American Meat Protein Corporation, another client the ISU Pappajohn Center has helped.

In April, Jeff Vallier, founder of Tesstronics, which is another Pappajohn Center client corporation, will also speak.

“We have these people speaking to the Entrepreneurs Club to expose them to the challenges and success stories and how to utilize what we do to make businesses more successful,” Nielson said.

Other ways the Pappajohn Center assists the ISU Entrepreneurs Club is by providing an internship program, a series of entrepreneur forums, an entrepreneur camp in the summer at which students are counselors and fundraising projects.

Next year the center will hold an undergraduate business plan competition which members of the club can take part in.

The ISU Entrepreneurs Club encourages interested students to become members and people to attend the meetings, starting with the first one tonight.