A conference dealing with new enterprise and economic development initiatives today, Project NEED IT was designed to familiarize decision makers at all levels of the public, private, and educational sectors with the best new enterprise development projects being carried out in the United States today. During the conference, a series of papers and discussions focused on methods for launching innovative technology-based enterprises, ways of identifying and training potential entrepreneurs, means of helping minority group members and women to participate in entrepreneurship, procedures for starting a financing program, ways to finance for growth, proven techniques for strengthening entrepreneurs' management and technical skills, methods for helping firms explore entrepreneurial markets, and public and private partnerships. (This report comprises a discussion of Project NEED IT, a Project NEED IT conference agenda, a list of conference speakers, and profiles of 24 organizations manifesting exemplary strategies for accomplishing the eight entrepreneurship objectives and goals addressed during the conference.) (MN)