Skip to Content

April 2008

2007-2008 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Awards

The third annual Excellence in Entrepreneurship Awards Banquet, sponsored by Southern Community Bank and Trust, was held on Thursday, April 10, 2008 at Bridger Field House.

ImageThe keynote speaker and special award recipient for this year's banquet was Dr. Debra Bryant, who received her Ph.D. in Microbiology from Wake Forest in 1980. Dr. Bryant, who is the CEO of Humagen Fertility Diagnostics, Inc., spoke to the banquet attendees about her own success in her field and shared her thoughts on how one becomes a successful entrepreneur.

Fifteen Excellence in Entrepreneurship Awards were presented to undergraduate and graduate student ventures as well as faculty members representing a variety of departments throughout the University. The Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award acknowledges individuals who have demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, achievement, and social responsibility and who will serve as inspirations to students, faculty, and staff.

This year's categories and award recipients are listed below:

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT AWARDS

Scientific Venture
Afton Vechery, Paris Furst & Wesley Johnson for WFU BioFuels. These three freshmen have formed a student-managed initiative to manufacture biodiesel using grease from the Pit. The group has collaborated with various Wake Forest departments and other individuals to secure an on-campus manufacturing facility and investigate the commercialization of a catalyst that would significantly increase the efficiency of the manufacturing process.

Artistic Venture
Mike Baireuther (History) and Caldwell Tanner (Studio Art) for The Lightning Brothers Comic Book. Two years ago, Mike and Caldwell began their venture, a comic strip series about Benji and Eddie Bell. The Bell brothers are overwhelmed with peer pressure and the stress of making friends at a new high school but discover that they have super powers that will help them overcome everyday teenage challenges and save their school.

Commercial Venture
Julie Musgrave (Finance), Scott Graber (Political Science), and Eleanor Smith (Economics/Art History) for WakeWash. This venture started out as a class project but became a sustainable campus-based laundry and dry cleaning service. The entrepreneurs have a regular customer base and plan to expand operations next year to include other laundry programs.

Laura Ormson (Communication) for Sandie Golfwear. As a member of Wake Forest's Women's Golf Team and a former junior golfer, Laura knew firsthand what would appeal to young female golfers; thus, she identified the opportunity to provide a fashionable clothing and accessory line for female junior golfers.

Social Venture
Matt Six (Business) for Deacon Express. Matt developed an on-campus initiative that provides a free shuttle service to and from football games. For the first time in the Fall of 2007, Deacon Express provided service to 1,150 students per game, almost one-fourth of the total student population.

Ali Carroll (Studio Art/Communication) for Adia. Ali was inspired by a summer trip to Nairobi, after which she envisioned a venture that would sell distinctive jewelry pieces made with beads imported from Kenya. She has recently purchased a plot of land in Kenya on which she plans to build a small manufacturing studio that will employ local women.


GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDS

Scientific Venture
Claude Hou (MBA) and Zach Denton (MBA) for Filigree Nanotech. In response to the need for more environmentally friendly batteries, Claude and Zach started Filigree Nanotech, a company that has developed an innovative manufacturing process for silver nanowires, which improve the performance of silver-zinc batteries. The company has two patents that are related to silver nanowire manufacturing and has another patent pending.

Online Venture
Laura Bullins (Fifth-Year Fellow) for The Unique Sheep. Laura's venture manufactures and sells hand-painted yarn used for knitting and crocheting. She sells the product to retailers, but has also found a way to connect with her customers through her online web presence. Customers submit photos and design ideas and can purchase the yarn directly from her website.

Social Enterprise
Chris Yuko (MBA), Megan Glazer (MBA) and Christopher Burch (MBA) for Project Nicaragua. In the Fall of 2006, Chris, Megan and Christopher came together with the common goal of making a difference, ultimately to launch their venture, "Project Nicaragua." By offering the knowledge of a renowned business school to third-world entrepreneurs and small-business owners in the form of on-site teaching seminars, these students hope to teach skills that are crucial to economic growth and stability and, ultimately, poverty reduction. The project is now planning on expanding their work to Africa as well.


FACULTY AWARDS

Mentoring
Dr. Dave Anderson (Biology) has been a mentor and an integral part in the formation of WFU BioFuels, a student business that is creating a biodiesel reactor and research facility on campus. He has worked with students and combined his scientific expertise with impressive entrepreneurial acumen to encourage administrative support of WFU BioFuels.

Bren Varner (Entrepreneurship & Social Enterprise) spends countless hours assisting and advising students with their entrepreneurial endeavors as well as their academic studies. He has gone beyond the role of a typical college professor, helping students realize their dreams of starting a venture and helping them access the resources they need to be successful in life. He has also created The Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program, which enables students to work one-on-one with entrepreneurs-in-residence and executives-in-residence.

Course Development
Mary Martin Niepold (English/Journalism) for "Writing For A Purpose." Professor Neipold began teaching this new course in the Spring of 2007. The class partners with local non-profit organizations to provide support in the form of web content, advertising and public relations. Professor Niepold challenges her students not only to develop as writers, but as writers with purpose and vision, using their education to reach out and impact communities, both locally as well as globally.

Dr. Dilip Kondepudi (Chemistry) and Dr. Herman Rapaport (English) for "Values, Entrepreneurship and Environmental Sustainability." This course provides a means for students to examine the way we live and learn to see how values are embodied in everything. It also encourages students to learn about problems associated with environmental sustainability and how this may come into conflict with economic, cultural, and social values in Western and non-Western societies. Lastly, it challenges students to inquire into entrepreneurial possibilities for the redesign and production of new products and systems.

Program Development
Barry Love (Entrepreneur-In-Residence) has given generously of his time and resources to support the Entrepreneurship program and to mentor student entrepreneurs. Mr. Love has also designed and taught an extra-curricular workshop on sales and presentation skills. This workshop will expand to a 1.5 credit-hour Special Topics course in the fall.

Community Involvement and Outreach
Jan Detter (Entrepreneurship & Social Enterprise) uses her gift of creativity to inspire growth in the entrepreneurial minds of her students. By providing an opportunity to look at social issues facing our community and world in a different light, her actions in the classroom have brought in new ideas from many community activists. Through this, many Wake Forest students have been presented with ideas, resources and support to embark upon community enrichment projects, incorporating creativity, community service, and entrepreneurship. Professor Detter will be teaching ESE100 Creativity and Innovation again in the Fall of 2008.


SERVICE LEADERSHIP AWARDS

Bill D'Alessandro (Business), for his design and continued maintenance of the Office of Entrepreneurship and Liberal Arts website.

Anne Ward (Political Science), for her involvement as the New Venture Seed Grant Chairman, the undergraduate representative for WFU Elevator Competition, and for her involvement with the WFU Entrepreneurship Society.

Thank You Southern Community Bank and Trust!

Image



Petitions--April 30, 2008

April 30, 2008
7:30 p.m.
Wake Forest University
MainStage Theatre, Scales Fine Arts Center.

Petitions is a Concert in which student dancers will perform with professional dancers featuring the choreography of Christina Tsoules Soriano, an assistant professor of dance at Wake Forest. Petitions will launch Soriano's entrepreneurial arts venture, CTS Dance Company, which will perform in June at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., and Providence College.

The concert is free and open to the public.

Click here for more information.