Talk about higher education this week, and about the construction business next week, during two sponsored breakfasts for business people.

This Friday, Greater Spokane Inc. is hosting an overview of higher ed featuring five area university officials: Rodolfo Arevalo (EWU), Christine Johnson (CCS), Thayne McCullough (Gonzaga), Brian Pitcher (WSU Spokane) and Beck Taylor (Whitworth) will all discuss why a good K-12 system is critical for area growth and development.

Area school levies will also be reviewed. The event is at GU's Cataldo Hall, 502 E. Boone, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. It's $25 for GSI members or $55 for others. Registration: here.

Next Thursday, Jan. 19, Larry Swartz, president of Lydig Construction, will discuss the construction industry and company's 56-year history in Spokane. The event is the next Executive Connect Breakfast, hosted by the nonprofit Connect Northwest.

The event runs from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Georgian Ballroom, Spokane Club.

Registration is $30 and can be arranged by visiting the Connect Northwest reservation form.

If you still can’t figure out what INHS does, and what they’re doing in the area of electronic health records (EHR), the chance to get some answers is next week, during the next Executive Connect Breakfast, at the Spokane Club.

It will be a session Dec. 9 with Tom Fritz, CEO of INHS, the nonprofit company that does a number of administrative and service functions for area hospitals. Among them is the role of managing the electronic records system that allows many regional hospitals and clinics to keep a steady flow or medical data back and forth.

Fritz will be the speaker at the meeting, in the Georgian Ballroom, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Doors open at 7 a.m.

Registration for $30 is required by going here. To ask questions, call 509.358.2114.

One of Spokane’s key venture groups, Spokane Angel Alliance, is hosting a workshop and presentation on “Trends in Raising Capital” on Sept. 30, 2 to 5 p.m.

It’s at Red Lion Inn at the Park, at 303 W North River Drive. A reception will follow until 6 p.m.

Cost is $50 but free to members of the alliance. To register, go to the site of Connect Northwest, which is coordinating the event; Northwest Venture Partners, of Spokane, is sponsor.

Bob Okabe, managing partner of RPX Group LLC, will be the key presenter. The topics covered are:

• A walk-through of basic analytic methods and tools.
•  A discussion of term sheet mechanics.
•  A discussion of the best practices for meeting investor expectations.
•  A review of company valuation methods.

For more information: contact Catherine Greer at catherineg@connectnw.org or 509-358-2114.

McKinstry Co. Executive Vice President David Allen is the next speaker in the Executive Connect Breakfast series, at the Spokane Club on Thursday, Sept. 23, at 7:30 a.m.

The breakfast series promotes area business networking and sharing of ideas.

Allen will discuss the work McKinstry is doing in the Spokane region related to energy and green tech. He is also chair of the Washington Clean Technology Alliance and was recently co-chair of Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce’s Regional Leadership Conference.

Tickets for the breakfast are $30, with registration suggested. For details go to www.connectNW.org.

Next week’s July 22 Executive Connect Breakfast will feature Jennifer Hall, one of the key people who helped launch the Main Market Cooperative, a full-fledged food retailer and nutrition education center.

Presented by Connect Northwest, the morning session starts at 7:30 a.m. in downtown Spokane, in the downstairs Georgian Room of The Spokane Club.

The breakfast runs until 9 a.m. Reservations are suggested and cost $30.

Hall has a slew of credentials. Beyond working to open Spokane’s Main Market Co-op, she has been a leader of the Slow Food Spokane River Convivium, co-chair of Slow Food’s National Ark of Taste Committee, and an appointed member of the USDA National Organic Standards Board.

For additional information, go to http://www.connectnw.org/news/eventview.aspx?eventid=22