Nominations

**Company nominations are currently closed for the 2018 OEN Tom Holce Awards**

“Award-winning” has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

The OEN Tom Holce Entrepreneurship Awards program honors the skill and courage that it takes for entrepreneurs to create a business out of an idea. You can’t win if we don’t know about you, so this is your opportunity to put your hat in the ring.

Nominees are subjected to a rigorous judging process led by a committee of prominent entrepreneurs and business leaders. After an initial review of the nomination materials, semi-finalist companies participate in both off-site and on-site interviews. Finalists are determined in early September, and winners are announced at our annual OEN Tom Holce Entrepreneurship Awards Dinner in October.

We honor entrepreneurs and companies across all sectors and stages in the following categories:

Bootstrap Stage Company Award

Companies with projected revenue for the current year less than $0.5 million

Early Stage Company Award

Projected revenue for the current year of $0-$1 million

Development Stage Company Award

Companies with past-year revenue of at least $1 million and projected revenue for the current year of $1-$8 million

Growth Stage Company Award

Companies with past-year revenue of at least $8 million and projected revenue for the current year of over $8 million

Game Changer Award

Honoring an innovative new product or service that has great potential to disrupt its industry

Battle of the Schools Award

Honoring the legacy of William Wyatt Starnes

Entrepreneurial Achievement Award

Recognizing an entrepreneur or founding team with a record of outstanding achievement in the last 18 months

Bootstrap Stage Company Award

Projected revenue for the current year less than $0.5 million

Recognizes a for-profit startup that has achieved significant milestones over the last 12 months without ever raising equity or debt capital. The company may have small funding sources through personal resources, friends and family or receivables. Revenue $0 – .5 million.

Early Stage Company Award

Projected revenue for the current year of $0-$1 million

The Early Stage Company Award recognizes a for-profit startup that has achieved significant milestones over the past 12 months and may have raised angel, venture or grant funding (NSF as an example). Revenue $0 – 1 million.

Development Stage Company Award

Companies with past-year revenue of at least $1 million and projected revenue for the current year of $1-$8 million

Recognizes for-profit companies who are improving their product or service and are adding staff to support their growth. These companies have recognized revenues at a minimum of $1 million in the previous calendar year. They also have projected revenues for the current year in the range of $1-$8 million and should either show a historical trend toward positive cash flow or have a credible plan to reach that objective in the near-to-mid-term.

Growth Stage Company Award

Companies with past-year revenue of at least $8 million and projected revenue for the current year of over $8 million

Recognizes for-profit companies who have a fully marketable product or service and have acquired a critical mass of customers. These companies have recognized revenues at a minimum of $8 million in the previous calendar year. They also have projected revenues for the current year in excess of $8 million and, if not profitable, are generating cash flow and are financially self-sustaining.

Game Changer Award

Honoring an innovative new product or service that has great potential to disrupt its industry

This award honors both nonprofit and for-profit enterprises that offer a novel solution to a social problem. This social enterprise has a commitment to impact that is central to the mission of the business, a viable business model, and a compelling answer to the question, “Why is your solution better than existing solutions?”

Entrepreneurial Achievement Award

Recognizing an entrepreneur or founding team with a record of outstanding achievement in the last 18 months

Instead of recognizing a promising or successful enterprise, this award recognizes an individual or founding team’s successful entrepreneurship and their professional creativity, risk-taking, and savvy decision-making, as well as their leadership and vision. This award recognizes achievements made in the last 18 months.

Battle of the Schools Award

Honoring the legacy of William Wyatt Starnes

OEN asks institutions of higher education throughout the state to nominate one student (or person affiliated with one of the school’s entrepreneurial programs) who will carry on Wyatt’s legacy.

Nominees must:

embody Wyatt’s distinguishing qualities: demonstrating enthusiasm, willingness to work hard toward a goal, fearlessness when it comes to taking big risks, and commitment to changing the world for the better
be between the ages of 18 and 29, and
be affiliated with an academic institution, whether as a current student, former student, or a participant in an incubator or other entrepreneurship-focused program