Brand-Yourself.com entrepreneurs to headline day of personal and professional development

40 Below is excited to announce that its fifth summit, “Cinco de Summit” will be held on September 25, 2009 from 3:30-8:00 pm at the Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) located in historic Armory Square.

This year’s Summit will focus on themes of personal and professional development. Attendees will learn to live green, to enjoy Syracuse on a dime and to invest in their communities. Furthermore, participants will have the opportunity to learn the newest way to invest in themselves – online reputation management. The event will feature information from Pete Kistler and Trace Cohen, Syracuse University students who started Brand-Yourself.com, the world’s first online reputation management platform for job applicants to establish, maintain and monitor a professional web presence. “Everybody needs a way to find out what’s out there about them on the web, know what’s helping and what’s hurting them, understand what steps they can take to improve their position, and keep tabs on any changes that might affect their career,” said Pete Kistler, CEO of Brand-Yourself.com.

The 5^th Summit returns to a conference style format at a single location in downtown Syracuse. This year 40 Below will emphasize the networking component of the event, encouraging participants to take the opportunity to interact with each other, building upon their experiences throughout the day. “The Summit is all about bringing together a dynamic, diverse and talented group of young people all in the same place,” says 40 Below Chairperson, Dominic Robinson.  “It’s truly an energizing experience. Plus, it’s a great opportunity for people to build their personal and professional networks.”

“Cinco de Summit” will kick-off at 3:30pm. Programming will commence with an official welcome from 40 Below board chairman, Dominic Robinson, followed by brief presentations from 40 Below Task Force Chairs, discussing past, present and future projects as well as how to get involved. From there, attendees will break out into one of four informative sessions, with themes including how to live green, how to enjoy Syracuse on a dime, civic engagement opportunities and online reputation management. Starting at 6:00pm, attendees will have the opportunity to attend their choice of interactive sessions which will include a local merchant showcase, career preparation discussions, an exhibit of involvement opportunities in Syracuse, and a presentation of affordable entertainment options. Throughout the interactive sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to network with others and enjoy light food and drinks.

40 Below has played a significant role in re-energizing young professionals in Central Upstate New York. To date, more than 2,500 young professionals from across the region have attended one or more of 40 Below’s four record-breaking summits. Tickets for “Cinco de Summit”, the 5^th Summit, are $8 for students with a valid student I.D. and those who pre-register before the event and $10 on the day of the event. For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to: www.40belowsummit.com/summit. 

About Brand-Yourself.com

Brand-Yourself.com develops applications that help customers diagnose, strengthen and monitor the image they portray of themselves on the web to improve their odds of landing a job.

The company has attracted much attention both locally and nationally; they were one of five finalists in New York’s Creative Core Student Competition this past spring, and are currently competing to become Entrepreneur Magazine’s College Entrepreneurs of the Year, a national title. 

About 40 Below

40 Below is a volunteer-based civic minded organization united in a common purpose to:

Make Central Upstate a more vibrant place to live, work, learn and play;

Spark a cultural renaissance that will put the region on the “creative” map;

Harness the collective strength of its communities to make positive change.

For more information please visit our website at www.40belowsummit.com, or contact 40 Below programming coordinator Christine Elliott at celliott@40belowsummit.com.