UC Center for Entrepreneurship Congratulates Award Winners at the 13th Annual Banquet

The University of Cincinnati (UC) Center for Entrepreneurship Executive Director Charles Matthews served as emcee for the 13th annual event and College of Business Dean David M. Szymanski also shared in the program on behalf of the College of Business. The annual awards were established in 1999 to honor excellence in entrepreneurship for those who have enjoyed entrepreneurial success, both in and outside the university.

The annual gathering recognizes entrepreneurial achievement from a lifetime of accomplishment to those just beginning their entrepreneurial journey.  “I stand in awe of the tremendous drive, dedication and determination displayed by the past, present and future entrepreneurs,” noted Dr. Charles H. Matthews, Executive Director and Professor of the UC Center for Entrepreneurship Education & Research. “Our honorees represent a timeless tradition of translating ideas into action.”

Honorees included:

Lifetime Achievement in Entrepreneurship

David M. Lance, Co-Founder, Restaurant Management Inc.

Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence
Edgar L. Smith, Jr., Chief Executive Officer, World Pac Paper, LLC

John P. Burns, President & General Manager, Cincinnati Bell Technology Solutions, Inc.

Lieutenant Colonel Jeffery E. Lay, Co-Founder, Talon Eight, LLC

Established Faculty Entrepreneur Achievement Award
Dr. Chong Ahn, Professor, College of Engineering & Applied Science

Emerging Faculty Entrepreneur Achievement Award
Dr. Georg F. Weber, MD, PhD, Winkle College of Pharmacy

Inaugural Distinguished Service Award

Christopher J. Nawalaniec, National Sales Manager, Stedman Machine Company

“It was very special to be able to present this inaugural award for Distinguished Service in the field of Entrepreneurship to Chris,” said Matthews.  “He is a double alum of UC, the Colleges of Engineering and Business.  He has been a tremendous resource to the students, serving on numerous committees, the College and the E-Center, Chairing the E-Center’s Advisory Board for five years, and more.”  Nawalaniec and his wife, Julie, an entrepreneur herself, founder of Dicon Health Services, have been outstanding supporters of UC. In the future, the award will be known as the “Christopher J. Nawalaniec Distinguished Service Award” to be given by the E-Center Board to a worthy recipient.

The 2011 awards program also recognized a number of student achievements in entrepreneurship including the 2011 Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Entrepreneurship, Jennifer Hacker, and recognition of the student entrepreneurs participating in the Cecil Boatright Business Case Competition, the Small Business Institute® Case of the Year Competition, the UC undergraduate and graduate business plan competitions, as well as the UC Spirit of Enterprise Business Plan Competition. Several scholarships were also awarded to students at the ceremony.

The student honors presented that evening were:

2011 Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Entrepreneurship

Jennifer Hacker.  Hacker is graduating in June from the UC College of Business with a double major in Entrepreneurship and Marketing and will be joining Procter & Gamble in brand management in its Los Angeles offices.

1^st Place 2010 Cecil Boatright Business Case Competition
1^st Place 2011 National Small Business Institute® Case of the Year Competition
Team: Midwest Fasteners
Neil Black, Charles Rinehart, Jason Pittinger and Jordan Brewer

1^st Place College of Business Undergraduate New Venture Plan Competition
Team: Expedient Car Detailing

Sam Birchenough, Jennifer Hacker, and Keith Weller

1^st Place College of Business MBA New Venture Plan Competition
Semi-finalist, UC Spirit of Enterprise Graduate Business Plan Competition Finalist, University of Louisville, Cardinal Challenge Venture Competition
Team: Green Life Energy 
Ron Meyers and Charles Schwartz

A number of students were recognized with scholarships to pursue their studies in Entrepreneurship:

The California Scents Scholarship in Entrepreneurship was awarded to Amin Shawki and the Albert W. Goering Memorial Scholarship recipients were Maria Cassidy, Benjamin Combs, Lane Hart, Alexander Cook, Brittany Lewis, Alexandra Loewenstine, James Love, Rachel Niederhausen, Jared Yates, Raymond Burzynski, Jillian Mackzum, Matthew Schoch, Kevin Siegle and Taylor Spears.

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The Center for Entrepreneurship Education & Research at the University of Cincinnati, founded in 1997, provides a forum to educate students who seek to create jobs rather than just have one. The Center also provides a state-of-the-art entrepreneurship curriculum not only for potential entrepreneurs, but for people in the many organizations that interact with small, entrepreneurial and family owned businesses on a daily basis. www.ecenter.uc.edu