The Seventh Annual Entrepreneurship Awards Banquet was held April 19th, 2012. Nominated by their peers, these individuals embody the entrepreneurial spirit in thought and action. The following are the Award Winners for the 2011-2012 academic year.
In addition to entrepreneurial recognition, students were also recognized for their creative and innovative pursuits.
Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award for an Artistic Venture
Startzee
Owners: Johanna Kilbride, senior Art History major; and Christine Morrison, senior Psychology major.
About the business: These students are in the process of creating an on-line clearling house for high-quality student artwork thus providing student artists with a channel of distribution for their work, while providing buyers with a convenient and affordable way of purchasing art.
Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award for a Social Venture
Together Life
Owners: Hannah Moredock, junior English major; Fred Bierbower, senior History major; Daniel Anghel, senior Economics major; John Coble, junior Health and Excercise Science major.
About the business: Together Life is a non-profit, social networking website focused on creating virtual and real world community for hospital patients living with a cronic or life-limiting illness.
Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award for a Commercial Venture
VoyVoy, LLC
Owner: Charles Stanton, senior Economics major.
About the business: VoyVoy is an eco-friendly company that sells three different polos and three different tee-shirts, as well as customizable hats. The polos and tees are all manufactured in Peru and are hand knit and dyed from 100% Pima Cotton. Their manufacturer is certified in fair labor practices and uses environmentally-friendly dyes. VoyVoy donates a certain percentage of their profits to a non-profit organization that works toward protecting the environment.
Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award for a Scientific Venture
Lighthouse Reef Conch Project
Leaders: Allison Gruber, junior Biology major; Sanders McNail, junior History major; and Maxwell Messinger, junior Biology major.
About the business: This venture incorporates both scientific and environmental related goals. The first goal relates to researching ways to preserve and protect a pristine marine atoll 60 miles off the coast of Belieze. The second goal is to provide alternative employment for Belizian fisherman who are in danger of overfishing the atoll.
Service Leadership Award
Lucy Lan, TEDx Director
Jake Graham, Director of Publicity and Communications
Mariama Holman, Director of Creativity
Mike Papakonstantinou, Co-director of Programming
Kristina Durr, Co-director of Programming
Mari Ishibashi, Co-director of Logistics
Lisa Hong, Co-director of Logistics
This group of undergraduate students joined forces to coordinate the very first TEDX conference at Wake Forest University on February 25, 2012. They recruited 17 speakers for a full-day of inspirational talks in three areas -- Technological Innovation, Social Impact, and Entrepreneurial Venture. Over 1100 people attended the conference.
Creativity and Innovation Awards
Jonathan Williams, junior Mathematics major; and Hannah Moredock, junior English major.
Recognized for: showing exceptional dedication to the process of creation through class participation and project development.
Christina Oelsner, First-year student
Recognized for: Thinking BIG and fearlessly putting her ideas forward and finding ways to explore them.
Faculty Entrepreneurship Excellence Awards
For course development
Ananda Mitra, Communication
Course: Dr. Mitra developed and first taught this course in fall 2011. Communication, Technology and Entrepreneruship has become one of the most popular in the minor in Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise. Students explore technology verticals, look for the latest developments, and start their own independent projects. Read more about Dr. Mitra's course here.
Russell D. and Elfriede Hobbs Awards
The endowment provides seed grants, internships, and other support for undergraduate students, and the Russell D. and Elfriede Hobbs Award for Entrepreneurial Achievement for Student and Faculty Entrepreneurs. Winners receive $2500 in recognition of their entrepreneurial achievements.
Faculty Award for Exceptional Support of Entrepreneurship
Jan Detter, Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise
Jan Detter teaches ESE100 Creativity and Innovation, and ESE320 Social Entrepreneurship. Detter continually inspires and encourages students to think outside of the box by taking them on field-trips, bringing in interesting speakers and inviting them to her own studio. This spring, she took a leading role in advising the TEDx student team. With her impressive list of social capital, she connected the team with potential speakers and others who could help with sponsorships. Throughout the planning process and during the conference event, she provided guidance and a steady source of positivity.
Student Award for a Social Venture
Bill Zandi, junior Philosophy major
Venture: Students Helping Students is a 501-C3 non-profit organization that reallocats unwanted school supplies, furnishings, equipment, books, and classroom materials from affluent to schools that are in need or have been devastated by disaster.
Student Award for a Commercial Venture
Joseph Sciarrino, senior Economics major
Venture: Cloud Connect is an innovative solution because it utilizes cloud computing to increase connectivity, decrease data loss, put privacy first, while making a strong case for the eventual abolition of physical phone books.
