Three graduates to receive awards from McNeely Center

Steve Jobs once said that a company like Apple is not all about engineering, design, manufacturing and marketing prowess.

“It’s technology married with the liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields the results that makes our hearts sing,” Jobs said when he introduced the iPad in April 2010.

The liberal arts help students learn how to synthesize information, connect dots, analyze facts, think logically and make educated decisions — real-world skills that contribute to entrepreneurial success, according to writer David Simanoff on the online website Business Administration Information.

The three people who have earned 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards from the Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship – Teresa Mazzitelli, Steve Cummings and Elizabeth (Madden) Ogren - would certainly agree, as they used their broad liberal arts backgrounds at CSB and SJU to launch and grow their ventures.

They will be honored from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, at the Metropolitan Ballroom and Clubroom, Golden Valley, Minnesota.

• Mazzitelli ’72 (communication, theater double-major) is receiving the CSB Entrepreneur of the Year award;
• Cummings ’83 (natural science major) is receiving the SJU Entrepreneur of the Year award;
• Ogren ’85 (French major) is receiving the CSB/SJU Social Entrepreneur of the Year award.

The CSB and SJU Entrepreneur of the Year awards recognize the achievements of CSB and SJU graduates, respectively, who best exemplify the ideals of entrepreneurship by starting and successfully managing one or more ventures in a way that demonstrates notable entrepreneurial characteristics and achievements while practicing Benedictine values in the workplace and in their lives.

The CSB/SJU Social Entrepreneur of the Year award recognizes the achievements and qualities of a CSB or SJU graduate who best exemplifies the ideals of social entrepreneurship by starting and successfully managing one or more ventures that enriches humanity or addresses a social issue in a way that demonstrates notable entrepreneurial characteristics and achievements while practicing Benedictine values in the workplace and in their lives.

By presenting these awards, the Donald McNeely Center recognizes and celebrates successful alumnae/i entrepreneurs who embody the entrepreneurial spirit and demonstrate the Benedictine values in their professional and personal lives. The awards have been presented annually since 2011.

Teresa Mazzitelli

Mazzitelli’s entrepreneurial flame was ignited in 1988 when she launched The Mazzitelli Group, a retained executive search firm providing professional recruitment services to companies, organizations and institutions.

She has been in the executive search industry since 1976, beginning her professional career in human resources before later joining a Minneapolis search firm, where she went on to become the company’s vice president.

Steve Cummings

After earning a master’s in toxicology from the University of Minnesota, Cummings co-founded Nova Consulting Group, which is an international multidisciplinary consulting firm providing services in the areas of environmental and facility assessment, compliance investigation and corrective action services.

Nova staffs offices throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Asia, with its headquarters in Chaska, Minnesota.

Liz Ogren

Ogren was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s in 2007. Compelled to find a broad avenue to share the amazing impact of exercise, she founded Pedal and Roll for Parkinson’s, a grassroots organization dedicated to getting people “off the couch” and engaged in daily exercise to alleviate Parkinson’s symptoms. 

What started as an annual bike ride and fundraising event has evolved into a year-round initiative to help people with Parkinson’s keep moving.

Ticket options

There are three individual admission options for the event. A $75 Accelerator Admission includes event admission, two drink tickets and fast track access at the Accelerator Bar; a $50 Event Admission includes event admission and access to cash bar stations; and a $35 Young Alum Admission includes a discounted admission for 2014-2018 class years, event admission and access to cash bar stations (limited to the first 100 young alums). Individuals and organizations can also support the next generation of Bennie and Johnnie entrepreneurs through event sponsorship and student ticket sponsor opportunities.

Please contact Kelli Gradin, McNeely Center coordinator, for tickets or sponsorship opportunities or more details.