24th EOY Dinner a Smashing Success
Release Date: Oct 14, 2009
Another Successful EOY!
More than 500 guests, UMKC and Bloch School staff, faculty and students gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of local and international entrepreneurs along with the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation at the Bloch School’s 24th Annual Entrepreneur of the Year Awards dinner.
This year’s reception also featured six student venture showcases from the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Honorees included:
Arthur M. Blank, co-founder of Home Depot, International Entrepreneur of the Year
John J. Sherman, president and CEO of Kansas City-based Inergy, Regional Entrepreneur of the Year
John P. and Susan S. McMeel, co-founders (with James Andrews) of Andrews McMeel Universal, Marion and John Kreamer Award for Entrepreneurship in Volunteer Community Service
High resolution photos are available upon request.
International Entrepreneur of the Year Arthur Blank (left), co-founder of Home Depot, receives his award from Bethany Derrough, chair, Council for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Henry Bloch, co-founder of H&R Block and Bloch School benefactor. Blank was honored with John Sherman, CEO, Inergy (Regional Entrepreneur of the Year) and John and Susan McMeel, co-founders, Andrews McMeel Universal (Kreamer Award for Entrepreneurship in Volunteer and Community Service).
John P. McMeel tells the Andrews McMeel story after accepting the Marion and John Kreamer Award for Entrepreneurship in Volunteer Community Service on behalf of himself, his wife and Andrews McMeel Universal.
John J. Sherman (left), president and CEO of Inergy, accepts the Regional Entrepreneur of the Year award from Dan Lowe, partner, RED Development, who was last year’s regional honoree.
Bloch Executive MBA alumna Kourtney Govro (left), founder of Sphere 3, one of the student ventures showcased at the UMKC Bloch School’s Entrepreneur of the Year Awards dinner, chats with Executive MBA student Maz Erdogan and his wife Seval. Erdogan was a finalist for the Student Entrepreneur of the Year award.
At the 24th Annual Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Dinner, from left to right: Henry Bloch, co-founder of H&R Block; Gary Forsee, president, University of Missouri System; John McMeel, Kreamer Award recipient and co-founder (with James Andrews) of Andrews McMeel Universal; Susan McMeel, Kreamer Award recipient, Andrews McMeel Universal; Leo Morton, UMKC Chancellor; Teng-Kee Tan, dean, UMKC Bloch School and Michael Song, executive director of the Bloch School Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
