2020

Entrepreneur of the Year

Dennis Carlson ’86, chairman and CEO of WeDriveU

Since founding WeDriveU in 1988, Carlson has led WeDriveU's growth as the leader in shuttle transportation solutions. Besides serving as chairman and CEO of WeDriveU, he also leads the Shuttle division for National Express America, operated independently by WeDriveU.

Carlson’s vision for transforming transportation has been featured by the Financial Times, Fox Business News, The New York Times, and The Mercury News. His entrepreneurial spirit inspired the company’s early growth as the leader in professional chauffeurs who drive executives in their personal car, and he continues to advance WeDriveU’s vision to address clients’ evolving mobility challenges with workplace and campus commuting solutions for companies, universities and hospitals.

Carlson was a CPA at Arthur Andersen, Co. prior to founding WeDriveU.

An accounting major, Carlson highlights “I’ve wanted to be an entrepreneur ever since I learned the word in a management class at Saint John’s, so being named the Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship 2020 Entrepreneur of the Year is an incredible honor.”