Nineteen local entrepreneurs will be honored in the 17th Annual Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards hosted by the Business Ledger and their sponsoring partners.
The awards will be presented at a reception beginning at 4:30 p.m. to be held on Thursday, September 15 at the Hilton Hotel Lisle/ Naperville, 3003 Corporate W Drive, Lisle.
Presenting sponsors for this year’s awards program are: Focus Capital Advisors, Northern Illinois University School of Business; and B. Gunther & Company.
Awards will be presented in 7 categories. The honorees will also be profiled in the October 17th issue of the Business Ledger. This year’s honorees are:
- Early Stage: Jill Foucre, Mache, Glen Ellyn; Kathy Steele, Red Caffeine Marketing & Technology, Lombard; Quinten Thompson, QT3 Systems, Aurora; Kelly Yearwood, Pits for Patriots, Bensenville.
- Growth: Lynn Day, Bottle & Botega, Glen Ellyn; Chad Holstead, Business Knowledge Systems, Plainfield; Marc LeBlanc, Gages Lake Auto & Light Truck, Gages Lake.
- Innovation: Padmini Sriman, EmotiPlush, Naperville; Denise Smith, Smith Physical Therapy & Running Academy, Crystal Lake.
- Lifetime Achievement: Mike Justice, Grid Connect, Naperville.
- Outstanding Service to Entrepreneurs: Kathleen Caldwell, Caldwell Consulting Group, Woodstock; Mike Cavanaugh, Small Business Advocacy Council, Chicago; Leslee Cohen, Hershman-Cohen, Chicago / Deerfield; Joe Micaleff, Grow Up Sales, Libertyville.
- Regional Spirit: Sue Cain, Corporate Learning Institute, Wheaton; Claude Gendreau, La Banque Hotel, Homewood;
- Young Entrepreneur; Gina Hines, Alder Grove Counseling, Downers Grove; Andre Janus, Cristaux International, Elk Grove Village; Chris Lesner, Project World Impact, LLC, Wheaton.
Cost to attend the reception is $55 per person. You must register online at http://www.dhbusinessledger.com no later than September 9. For additional information call Jim Elsener (jelsener@dailyherald.com), at 630-955-3593.
The Business Ledger is the leading provider of business news and information about businesses and the economy in suburban Chicago. The Business Ledger is a sister publication to the Daily Herald and part of the Paddock Publications family.