UMKC Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Announces Honorees for 28th Annual Entrepreneur of the Year Awards
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2013
Contact: Wandra Brooks Green
816-235-1601; greenwb@umkc.edu
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Council for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the UMKC Henry W. Bloch School of Management have announced the honorees for the 28th Annual Entrepreneur of the Year Awards celebration.
The EOY dinner will be held on Monday, Oct. 21 at the Henry W. Bloch Executive Hall for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which will open in August 2013.
This year’s honorees are:
James Sinegal, founder, former CEO, Costco
International Entrepreneur of the Year
In 1983, the first Costco warehouse location opened in Seattle, and in less than six years, it became the first company to grow its sales from zero to $3 billion. When Costco merged in 1993 with the first warehouse club for business shoppers – The Price Company – they become PriceCostco with 206 locations, generating $16 billion in annual sales. Officially changing its name to Costco in 1997, the company has grown worldwide with total sales in recent fiscal years exceeding $64 billion.
David Brain, president, CEO and trustee, EPR Properties
Regional Entrepreneur of the Year
EPR Properties is a specialty real estate investment trust (REIT) that currently invests in three primary segments: entertainment, recreation and education. EPR has more than 180 locations in 39 states, D.C. and Canada, with more than 250 tenants and $3.2 billion in total investments.
Jim and Virginia Stowers, co-founders, Stowers Institute for Medical Research
Marion and John Kreamer Award for Social Entrepreneurship
Inspired by their personal experiences with cancer and a desire to use their wealth to help humanity, James “Jim” E. Stowers Jr. and Virginia G. Stowers founded the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in their hometown of Kansas City, Mo. A physician by training, Jim Stowers switched careers and started a mutual fund company, American Century Investments. He pioneered the application of computer power to investment management and turned a stake of a few thousand dollars into one of the largest mutual fund companies in the country with more than $100 billion in assets.
Proceeds from the EOY dinner will benefit the Bloch School’s Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, one of Kansas City’s premiere resources for educating and creating the next generation of entrepreneurs. Learn more about EOY here.
About the University of Missouri-Kansas City
The University of Missouri-Kansas City, one of four University of Missouri campuses, is a public university serving more than 15,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students, and celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2013. UMKC engages with the community and economy based on a four-part mission: life and health sciences; visual and performing arts; urban issues and education; and a vibrant learning and campus life experience. For more information about UMKC, visit www.umkc.edu. You can also find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and watch us on YouTube.
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