Planning for change, growth is Business 380 breakfast panel topic

CEDAR RAPIDS - Making innovation part of your business plan will be the topic of The Gazette's second Business 380 Excellence Business & Breakfast of the year on Thursday at the downtown Cedar Rapids Public Library.

Networking and a light breakfast will begin at 7 a.m. in Beems Auditorium on the second floor. The panel and question-and-answer session will start at 7:45 a.m. in Whipple Auditorium.

'Be Your Own Box” will be the theme, featuring a discussion on innovative approaches to some of today's more complex issues in running and growing a business in Eastern Iowa. Panelists will be Eric Engelmann, president and CEO of Geonetric Inc. and founder of Iowa Startup Accelerator; Tim Guenther, Clickstop president and CEO; and Lynn Manternach, MindFire Communications president and brand arsonist.

Tickets are available at thegazette.com/tickets or by calling (319) 398-8345.

The presenting sponsor for this free event is the Better Business Bureau, and ITS is the networking sponsor.

In addition, the deadline has been extended until May 31 for nominations for the second-annual Business 380 Excellence Awards. The awards recognize for-profits and not-for-profits in a number of categories that include achievements in technology, civic partnership, corporate culture, manufacturing and health care, among other fields.

You can see the full list - and nominate your own organization or one with which you've done business - at thegazette.com/businessawards2016.