Pair of Pittsburgh Entrepreneurial Icons Recognized With Awards
PITTSBURGH, June 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association (PCVA) honored two visionary entrepreneurs for their accomplishments and contributions to the business community at a Wednesday luncheon at the Duquesne Club. Donald H. Jones, Managing Director and founding partner of Draper Triangle Ventures, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award and Dennis Ciccone, CEO of Carnegie Learning, Inc. was bestowed the 2012 Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The luncheon was sponsored by Draper Triangle, Ernst & Young, Innovation Works and Pepper Law.
"We have the great honor to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments and impact of two of these iconic Pittsburgh entrepreneurs," stated Kelly Szejko, President of the PVCA. "Don Jones is an entrepreneurial legend, and Dennis played a major role in one of Pittsburgh's most celebrated success stories."
Jones is a prolific entrepreneur, a seasoned investor, a sought-after advisor and a beloved professor whose philanthropic legacy includes the Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business. Through the Center, his work on numerous boards, and his investment expertise, Jones has literally influenced generations of innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders.
Throughout his career, Jones launched four companies, including Control Systems Research, Technology Recognition Corp., International Cybernetics Corp and Industry.Net and is currently a director of several portfolio companies. He earned an undergraduate and graduate degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
Before Dennis Ciccone joined Carnegie Learning, Inc., a Pittsburgh-based publisher of innovative math curricula for middle school, high school and post-secondary students, he was the founder and managing partner of Lycos Ventures, the venture capital arm of Lycos, Inc. In this capacity, Ciccone raised more than $75 million from partners that included Michael Dell, Paul Allen's Vulcan Ventures, BNY Mellon, Sumitomo and Triangle-Draper Fisher, among others.
In his role with Carnegie Learning, Ciccone managed six years of 25 percent year-over-year growth in bookings with no capital investment and ultimately was instrumental in identifying a buyer and negotiating the sale of the company in 2011 to the Apollo Group for $97 million.
The Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association was founded in 1982 to serve as a catalyst for venture capital and entrepreneurship in western Pennsylvania. The group launched its Entrepreneur of the Year awards program in 1994.
SOURCE Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association
WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?
Newsrooms &
Influencers
Digital Media
Outlets
Journalists
Opted In
Share this article