The Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas recently signed an agreement with Ernst & Young (EY) to be the exclusive educational sponsor of the Upper Midwest EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® Awards, recognized as one of the most prestigious business award programs in the country.
As one of the first universities to teach the discipline, the University of St. Thomas has been a leader in entrepreneurial education for the past 32 years. Likewise, EY has been at the forefront of identifying game-changing business leaders while celebrating American ingenuity. Past award winners have disrupted industries, created new product categories and successfully brought innovation and technology to traditional industries.
The Upper Midwest program, which encompasses Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, includes past award winners with University of St. Thomas connections: Paul Wagner '85 (Minnesota Wire), Chris Heim '86, '97 MBA (HighJump Software), Joe Keeley ’03 (College Nannies & Tutors) Robert Coughlan (Capstone Publishing), Randall J. Hogan (Pentair), Lee R. Anderson Sr. (APi Group) and regional and national overall winner Dick Schulze, the benefactor of the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship.
“We're proud to partner with the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards,” said Brian Abraham, associate dean of entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas. “We empower our stakeholders to solve materially significant problems by thinking critically, acting wisely and working skillfully to advance the common good in a morally responsible manner. EY has done a remarkable job recognizing the top business leaders around the country who embody what it takes to be successful entrepreneurs.”
Award winners are selected in a number of industry categories through a highly-scrutinized application process by a panel of independent regional judges, including previous winners of the award, leading CEOs and private capital investors and other regional business leaders.
“EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is not just an awards program, it is an ongoing network of top leaders,” said Todd Papa, program director for the Upper Midwest program. “The entrepreneurs we honor across the region create a positive ripple effect in our communities, our capital markets and our economy and we're excited to welcome the Schulze School to this network of business leaders and industry change-makers across the Upper Midwest.”
The Entrepreneur Of The Year program honors entrepreneurs regionally in June. All regional honorees will be invited to the Entrepreneur Of The Year national gala on November 19, 2016, in Palm Springs, California.
The Schulze School of Entrepreneurship is the only of its kind within a business school, providing undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship programs, public entrepreneurship and business education, and opportunities for funding new ventures.
