Georgetown University Alumni Association Announces Recipients of Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards Recognizing Social Impact, E-Commerce and Technology Innovators
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Georgetown Entrepreneurship Alliance (GEA) and the Georgetown University Alumni Association (GUAA) have announced the multiple recipients of the annual Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards. These awards honor Georgetown University alumni who have launched successful business ventures. Winners were honored at an awards ceremony at WeWork White House, home of the Georgetown Venture Lab.
"Georgetown University strives to prepare the next generation of global citizens to embody the Jesuit values of service to others and service to the community," said Julia Farr, executive director, Georgetown University Alumni Association. "I applaud these innovators who are exemplary role models to our students."
This year's winners include:
- Entrepreneur of the Year: Doug Bouton (C'07) is President & COO of Halo Top Creamery, an LA-based flavor-packed, low-sugar ice cream with no more than 360 calories per pint. Halo Top (which retails for about $5 per pint) annual sales soared roughly 20,000 percent last year, and it recently beat out Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's to become the best-selling pint in America.
- Social Impact: Lynn Margherio (C'88) is Founder & CEO of Cradles to Crayons, which provides over 1,200,000 children from birth through age 12 with the essentials they need to thrive. Based in Boston with chapters in Chicago and Philadelphia, Cradles to Crayons has empowered over 50,000 volunteers to create a future free of childhood poverty.
- Best of Retail: Monica Ferguson (B'00) is Co-Founder & CEO of Solemates, a Manhattan-based female-founded, female-focused consumer goods brand dedicated to making shoes more comfortable and long-wearing. Worn by celebrities such as Demi Lovato and Carrie Underwood, and listed on Oprah's Favorite Things, Solemates are carried at DSW, David's Bridal, and CVS.
- Rising Star: Luisa Santos (C'14) is Founder of Lulu's Ice Cream, which crafts ice cream from scratch using locally-sourced ingredients and liquid nitrogen. Lulu's Ice Cream started as an undergraduate dorm room experiment during Luisa's time on campus, 2014 but quickly expanded to local DC farmers' markets and now permanently resides in a brick-and-mortar shop in Miami. In addition to creating frozen treats, Lulu's Ice Cream also provides personal finance and social entrepreneurship training for all employees.
- Best of Hospitality: Jake DeCicco (B'16) is Co-Founder & COO of KITU Super Coffee (formerly SUNNIVA Super Coffee) a New York-based company that creates healthy alternatives to bottled coffee and energy drinks. KITU Super Coffee is made with organic Colombian coffee, coconut oil, and lactose-free protein, at only 80 calories per bottle. Founded in 2015, it now outsells the Starbucks Frappuccino at a ratio of three to one. KITU just launched a sugar free, protein packed creamer containing MCT oil, a fat-burning, metabolism-revving superfood.
- Best of Tech: Luke Schoenfelder (C'12) is Founder & CEO of Latch the world's first smart access system that allows property owners to unlock doors with their smartphones or grant home access to guests with temporary access codes. Currently headquartered in New York City, Latch has successfully raised over $96 million in private funding and has completed projects in almost every major U.S. metropolitan market.
The Georgetown University Alumni Association launched the GEA in 2012 to serve as a catalyst for entrepreneurship and innovation for the Georgetown University alumni community. Leveraging the Jesuit mission to create leaders in the service of others, the GEA strives to foster and inspire social entrepreneurship. Become a member on the GEA's website, or find them on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram to learn more.
SOURCE Georgetown University Alumni Association
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