2013 Winners

College of Saint Benedict Entrepreneur of the Year winner

Lisa Spoden '83

Lisa Spoden, a 1983 graduate of CSB, is the founder, president and CEO of Strategic Implementation Solutions, based in Washington, D.C. The firm specializes in creating a vision for a client, or bringing a vision to fruition. Strategic planning, project and program implementation and business development are its primary services. Her primary work currently revolves around business development for several clients. Prior to starting Strategic Implementation Solutions, Spoden owned and developed Strategic Health Care, which provided managed care contracting, association management, federal grant writing, policy development and advocacy services for health care providers. She currently is a member of the CSB Board of Trustees.

Click here to watch Lisa's awards speech.

Saint John's University Entrepreneur of the Year winner

Mike Wethington '79

Mike Wethington, a 1979 graduate of SJU, is president and CEO of Outsell, LLC, which is a digital marketing software company based in Minneapolis. In addition to leading Outsell, he is the managing partner of SynetVentures, a Minneapolis-based venture capital firm focused on bringing proven business systems and a network of experienced professionals to take innovative business opportunities to the next level. Earlier in his career, Wethington was the founder and CEO of Synet Service Corporation, an information systems management consulting firm that successfully merged with Predictive Systems, Inc. in 2000. He is a former member of the Board of Regents (now Trustees) at SJU, and was a finalist for the 2012 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in the Upper Midwest.

Click here to watch Mike's awards speech.

CSB/SJU Entrepreneur of the Year winner

William Kling '64

Bill Kling, a 1964 graduate of SJU, serves as president emeritus of the American Public Media Group. APMG is the nonprofit parent company of Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) in St. Paul, radio groups in California and Florida and American Public Media (APM), the national public radio network that serves over 900 public radio stations. He was the founding president of MPR - which began in 1967 as classical music station KSJR in Collegeville - and APM, which is the second largest national producer of public radio programming. Kling was a founding board member and incorporator of National Public Radio, and was the founding chairman and president of Public Radio International. He is a member of the SJU Board of Trustees, and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree in 2011 from SJU. Kling was awarded the Edward R. Murrow Award in 1981 by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to recognize outstanding contributions to the industry by an individual.

Click here to watch Bill's awards speech.