UIC to induct 20 into entrepreneurship hall of fame
Twenty individuals will be inducted into the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame Oct. 8
The Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, part of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago, will honor 20 local businesspeople at a gala event Oct. 8.
The event, part of the institute’s 30th anniversary celebration, will be from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive.
The new inductees are being recognized for building successful businesses and fostering a thriving economic engine in Chicago (Editors: See list below).
“These entrepreneurs — and those that came before them — exemplify the depth, diversity and vibrancy of entrepreneurship in this great global city that is Chicago,” says Nancy Harvey, executive director of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at UIC. ”We are privileged to recognize these men and women as icons of Chicago entrepreneurship.”
The 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Wilbur H. (Bill) Gantz, president of PathoCapital, LLC. This year the hall of fame will also acknowledge UIC professor emeritus Gerald Hills, whose vision led to the establishment of the institute and the hall of fame.
The 2015 inductees are:
CHICAGO: Frank Andonoplas of Frank Event Design; Jason Beans of Rising Medical Solutions; Linda McGill Boasmond of Cedar Concepts Corporation; Pedro Cevallos-Candau of Primera Engineers, Ltd; Clint Coghill of Backstop Solutions Group; Billy Dec of Rockit Ranch Productions; Michael DeSantiago of Primera Engineers, Ltd; Mark Goble and Joseph Kuchta, both of GA Communication Group; Wilbur C. Milhouse III of Milhouse Engineering and Construction, Inc.; Sandeep Nain of SNtial Technologies, Inc.; Sarfaraz Niazi of Therapeutic Proteins International, LLC; Lee Shapiro of 7Wire Ventures; and Leslie Vickrey of ClearEdge Marketing
DEERFIELD: Timothy Walbert of Horizon Pharma, PLC
EVANSTON: J. Edward Colgate and Michael Peshkin, both of Tanvas, Inc.
MORTON GROVE: Julie Smolyansky of Lifeway Foods Inc.
SOUTH HOLLAND: Michele Hoskins of Michele Foods, Inc.
WHEATON: Lori Hilson Cioromski of TH Hilson Company
Inductees were nominated by current hall of fame members and Chicago area organizations engaged in educating, encouraging, and supporting entrepreneurship, including UIC, Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and PROPEL/iBIO Institute.
The oldest and most prestigious Chicago area entrepreneurship award, the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame celebrates entrepreneurs whose contributions have had an enduring commercial and social impact; enhanced their communities; and brought transformative innovations to life. Since 1985 the hall of fame has inducted nearly 500 visionaries who are role models for aspiring entrepreneurs. Notable previous inductees include Jeffrey Aronin of Ovation Pharmaceuticals and John H. Johnson of Johnson Publishing.
The Lifetime Achievement Award has been presented for 20 years to an extraordinary Chicago entrepreneur. Among the previous awardees are Edward and Bettiann Gardner of Soft Sheen Products, Gordon Segal of Crate and Barrel, Glen Tullman of Allscripts, and Arthur Velasquez of Azteca Foods.
Founded in 1982, the Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies is UIC’s resource for inspiring and supporting entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial life-skills across all disciplines at UIC, for students, faculty, staff, and alumni — and in the community. The institute offers innovative programs designed for broad audiences and tailored with a bias toward action that extend and complement traditional university courses.
For more information or to buy tickets, please visit the website. Media availability for the inductees will be 6-7 p.m. To schedule interviews, contact Jeffron Boynés, (312) 413-8702; email jboynes@uic.edu.
