For the second year in a row, the University will honor Orange ingenuity with two days of celebration, networking and a friendly pitch competition as part of the .
The honorees make up an impressive group of the —from baby monitors and kitchen scrubbers to weekend getaways and candle companies, and everything in between.
On Thursday, Nov. 14, the will recognize the 2024 honorees, culminating with a live reveal of the top 10 fastest-growing Orange businesses.
“We are excited to be hosting this event again this year to welcome our distinguished alumni back to campus to honor their remarkable accomplishments,” says Tracy Barlok, senior vice president and chief advancement officer. “Our graduates possess a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and it’s essential to recognize the significant impact they are making globally through their businesses.”
The evening’s festivities will also include a conversation with , celebrity chef and baker from A&E’s hit shows “Cake Dynasty” and “Legends of the Fork.” Valastro will participate in a fireside chat during the awards ceremony, sharing the personal ingredients behind his entrepreneurial success.
for the event.
Winners of the 2023 ’CUSE50 Alumni Entrepreneur Award (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)
Honorees of the ’CUSE50 Alumni Entrepreneur Awards will headline the ’CUSE50 Summit the following day on Friday, Nov. 15, at the . The summit is open to student innovators, entrepreneurs and creatives across campus, as well as anyone who wants to develop an entrepreneurial mindset for personal and professional success.
Students will meet and network with alumni at the ’CUSE50 Summit. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)
This event promises to be the biggest innovation and entrepreneurship summit of the year and is a chance to meet and network with top thinkers on engaging, practical and forward-thinking opportunities that will inspire creative thinking and provide real-world takeaways.
Topics will include building a startup from scratch, bootstrapping and developing a growth mindset, building a personal brand, team building, leadership, resilience and well-being, the creator economy, innovation in the digital age, and embracing change to drive personal growth and success. Last year, hundreds of students attended and came away with ideas and connections, as well as mentors and investors.
for the event, which will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting in the Flaum Grand Hall and then moving to Whitman classrooms for 10 panel discussions with ’CUSE50 honorees. Conversations will be moderated by student innovators who will serve as “firestarters” for discussions with ample opportunity for audience participation.
“These events offer a distinctive learning experience for our students,” says Mike Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and executive dean of the Whitman School. “The ’CUSE50 Awards ceremony and Summit allow students a unique opportunity to engage with alumni who began their entrepreneurial journey at ϲ, bridging the gap between our graduates and the entrepreneurial dreams of our current students.”
The summit will also include lunch in Flaum Grand Hall, followed by a spirited “Five for Five” student pitch competition in Lender Auditorium, where the top five campus innovation teams will participate in a spirited “Shark Tank”-style format for a “winner take all” $5,000 grand prize selected by’CUSE50 honorees.
For more information about the event, visit the .
Alumni panel discussions at the ’CUSE50 Summit (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)
