UC Center for Entrepreneurship Celebrates Award Winners at the 14th Annual Banquet

 On Thursday, May 10, the UC Center for Entrepreneurship Education & Research presented the 2012 Entrepreneurial Stars on the Square Awards, at McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant overlooking Fountain Square in Downtown Cincinnati. The annual gathering recognizes entrepreneurial achievement from a lifetime of accomplishment to those just beginning their entrepreneurial journey.

“This year we are most fortunate to once again celebrate the on-going achievements of Greater Cincinnati’s incredible entrepreneurial ecosystem,” noted Charles H. Matthews, the Center’s executive director and emcee of the event. “Cincinnati entrepreneurs contribute to the economy, the community, and the realization of the American dream.”

The event was sponsored by First Financial Bank, a Launchpad sponsor, as well as Angel sponsors that include: KMK Law, Gold Medal Products, The Business Courier and West Chester Holdings.

As in prior years, the 2012 event recognized excellence and success in and outside the university, as well as those who have given back to the community. The 2012 honorees included:

Lifetime Achievement in Entrepreneurship:

• Richard D. Hannan, Retired / Founder, Mercury Instruments, Inc.

Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence:

• Charles Stix, Founder, Stixco

• Carl Satterwhite, Founder & President, RCF Group

Christopher J. Nawalaniec Distinguished Service Award:

• Elizabeth A. Edwards, Founder, Metro Innovation

Emerging Faculty Entrepreneur Achievement Award:

• W. Keith Jones, PhD, UC College of Medicine

Joshua Rudd

, BBA ’12, received the

2012 Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Entrepreneurship.

Rudd, an entrepreneurship major, exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit.  He and fellow exchange student Antoine Burnier-Dechon launched Piola Shoes.

The 2012 awards program also recognized a number of student entrepreneurs participating in competitions:

• 2011 Cecil Boatright Business Case Competition—1st Place team: Midwest Furniture, James Bell, Elizabeth Hamburg and Bryan Wolf

• 2012 National Small Business Institute® Case of the Year Competition—3rd Place Team: Daelia’s Biscuits, Chris Foti, Jennifer Hacker and James Willis

• Carl H. Lindner College of Business Undergraduate New Venture Plan Competition—1st Place Team: Tek Tak / Akscentz, Stephanie Albers, Breeana Dixon, Rosalie Giesel and Krista Streckfuss

• Reality Check Cross-Town Undergraduate Business Plan Competition—2nd Place Team: Tek Tak / Akscentz, Stephanie Albers, Breeana Dixon, Rosalie Giesel and Krista Streckfuss

• Lindner College of Business MBA New Venture Plan Competition—1st Place: UC Spirit of Enterprise Graduate Business Plan Competition—2nd Place; SDSU Venture Challenge, R. Michael Pack Innovative Technology Award; University of Oregon New Venture Challenge, 1st Place Trade Show, 1st Place Lightning Round; Venture Labs Investment Competition (formerly MOOT Corp), 2nd Runner-Up—Team: Ischiban Neural Engineering Systems, Pooja Kadambi, Ron Meyers, Joe Lovelace and Aaron Kurosu

Several scholarships were also awarded to students at the ceremony:

Bearcat Bridge Fund Award

($5,000 in seed capital to each team)

• Team: Ischiban Neural Engineering Systems

• Team: Piola Shoes, Joshua Rudd and Antoine Burnier Dechon

The California Scents Scholarship in Entrepreneurship

• William Gage Whitehead

Albert W. Goering Memorial Scholarship

, to further studies in entrepreneurship

• Maria Cassidy, Benjamin Combs, Alexander Cook, Lane Hart, Brittany Lewis, Alexander Loewenstine, James Love, Rachel Niederhausen and Jared Yates.