Marketplace for Entrepreneurs conference is Jan. 14 The 20th annual Marketplace for Entrepreneurs Economic Development Conference, "North Dakota - The New Economy" is Wednesday, Jan. 14, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Bismarck Civic Center, Bismarck, N.D. The doors open at 7:30 a.m. U.S. Senator Kent Conrad and Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson will give the official welcome from organizing sponsors at 11:55 a.m. in the Main Arena Theatre, followed by the presentation of the 2009 Marketplace for Entrepreneurs Awards. Mark Zandi, chief economist, Moody's Economy.com will give the keynote address. He will share his insight into the root causes of our nation's economic downturn and how we might best emerge from it. Zandi is chief economist and cofounder of Moody's Economy.com, where he directs the company's research and consulting activities. Moody's Economy.com., a division of Moody's Analytics, provides economic research and consulting services to busiensses, governments and other institutions. His research interests include macro, financial and regional economics. His recent research has studied the determinants of mortgage foreclosure and personal bankruptcy, analyzed the economic impact of various tax and government spending policies, and assessed the appropriate policy response to bubbles in asset markets. He also conducts regular briefings on the economy. Zandi is quoted often in national and global publications, is frequently interviewed by major news media outlets, and is the author of Financial Shock, an expose of the subprime financial crisis. Zandi received his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania, where he did his research with Gerard Adams and Nobel laureate Lawrence Klein, and received his B.S. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.MarketplaceForEntrepreneurs.org .