The Entrepreneur Center @NVTC Congratulates Winners of the Inaugural Entrepreneur Navigator Awards

Program Honors Leaders Who Mentor and Advise Entrepreneurs and Startups in the Greater Washington Region

HERNDON, Va., Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Entrepreneur Center @NVTC, a resource for technology-focused startups and entrepreneurs, announced today the winners of the first Entrepreneur Navigator Awards held Wednesday night at The Tower Club in Tysons Corner, Virginia. This new program honors individuals and organizations that have mentored and advised entrepreneurs and startups in the Greater Washington region, as well as helped improve the quality of the entrepreneur community.

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And the winners are…

Navigator Award: Mike Lincoln, Partner, Cooley Godward Kronish LLP – As a partner in the Venture Capital and Mergers and Acquisitions practice group and head of the East Coast Business Technology Group for his firm, Mike focuses on venture capital, public and private offerings, mergers and acquisitions and the representation of technology and emerging growth companies. An active member of the region's entrepreneur community, Mike teaches a course on emerging growth companies and venture capital as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Virginia School of Law and serves on the Board of Directors of both the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association and the MindShare program.

Other finalists for the Navigator Award were Jonathan Aberman of Amplifier Venture Partners and Steve Meltzer of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.

Organization Navigator Award: MindShare – MindShare's mission is to help CEOs from the most promising technology and life sciences companies in the greater metropolitan area build sustainable organizations by creating opportunities and a sense of community, as well as fostering teamwork in a collegial environment. MindShare provides CEOs an opportunity to meet with their peers from the area's best emerging companies as well as with organizing board members and speakers. Once a month, select CEOs from these companies are invited to discuss current issues they are facing and exchange best practices, as well as meet other successful entrepreneurs that can serve as mentors as they build their companies. MindShare's Harry Glazer accepted the award on the organization's behalf.

Other finalists for the Organization Navigator Award were the George Mason University School of Management and TiE DC.  

Lifetime Navigator Award: April Young, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, U.S., MMV Financial – Prior to joining MMV, April was with Comerica Bank for 10 years as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of the Mid-Atlantic Technology and Life Sciences Division. Earlier in her career, she was Executive Director of the Potomac KnowledgeWay Project, and Senior Fellow for Regional Economic Development at George Mason University's Institute for Public Policy where she was the founding executive director of the Northern Virginia Roundtable.  As an active member in the Northern Virginia business community, April's experience has included serving as Director of the Virginia Department of Economic Development, Senior Vice President of NVR Development and Executive Director of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. In addition, she is the co-founder of MindShare.  

"In the Greater Washington Region, we are fortunate to have many dynamic individuals and organizations that are willing to offer their expertise and life experiences to those that want to start their own businesses," said Kristin D'Amore, Director, The Entrepreneur Center @NVTC. "People and organizations like the ones we recognized with these awards continue to shape our area's business community and make it an even more desirable place to begin a new venture. We congratulate all the winners of our first Navigator Awards for their tireless efforts within the entrepreneur community."

About The Entrepreneur Center @NVTC

Created by the Northern Virginia Technology Council five years ago, The Entrepreneur Center @NVTC is a resource hub for technology-focused start-ups and entrepreneurs at every stage of their lifecycle. The Entrepreneur Center fosters entrepreneurship in students, mentors the first-time entrepreneur, advises and supports the experienced entrepreneur and facilitates strategic business relationships in the technology community. Visit www.nvtc.org/tec.

About The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC)

The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) is the membership and trade association for the technology community in Northern Virginia and is the largest technology council in the nation. NVTC has about 1,000 member companies representing more than 200,000 employees. Its membership includes companies from all sectors of the technology industry and the service providers that support these companies, as well as universities, foreign embassies, non-profit organizations and governmental agencies. NVTC is recognized as the nation's leader in providing its technology community with networking and educational events; specialized services and benefits; public policy advocacy; branding of its region as a major global technology center; initiatives in targeted business sectors and in the international, entrepreneurship, workforce and education arenas; the Equal Footing Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that serves local area youth; and The Entrepreneur Center @NVTC which mentors new technology entrepreneurs. Visit NVTC at www.nvtc.org.

SOURCE Northern Virginia Technology Council