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For the second year in a row, ���ӽ� University will honor the success of Orange business leaders across the globe at the ’CUSE50 awards. This annual celebration features 50 of the fastest-growing businesses founded or owned by ���ӽ� alumni. The inaugural honorees included a marketing agency CEO, a party rental company owner, a creative event production company founder and many others.

Applications for the are being accepted now.

“���ӽ� University’s is home to one of the first academic entrepreneurship programs in the U.S., and we have a longstanding tradition of supporting and elevating the entrepreneurial aspirations of our students,” says��. “The ’CUSE50 Alumni Entrepreneur program is a natural extension of that tradition, and a unique opportunity to connect our alumni entrepreneurs with our current students and faculty.”

Alumni of any school or college, graduates of ���ӽ� University executive education programs and alumni of entrepreneurship programs operated by the�� are eligible and encouraged to apply.

“���ӽ� University alumni are doing extraordinary work all over the world, and I am thrilled that we are going to recognize the business acumen they developed at ���ӽ�. What I’m most excited about is that our honorees will return to campus to pass along valuable insights to the next generation of Orange entrepreneurs,” says , ���ӽ� University’s chief advancement officer.

Honorees will be recognized on campus on Thursday, Nov. 14, in the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building. While on campus, ’CUSE50 honorees will also share insights with each other and current students, as part of a series of campus engagement sessions planned for Friday, Nov. 15, during the ’CUSE50 Symposium.

��Do you want to compete to be recognized in the inaugural class of ’CUSE50 awardees?

The eligibility criteria for the ’CUSE50 awards are as follows:

• Applicants must be alumni of ���ӽ� University and be either a majority owner or hold a C-suite level leadership position in the company;
• Applicants must have founded their business at least three calendar years prior to the date of application for ’CUSE50 recognition;
• Must have had verifiable revenues of $100,000 or more in 2021; and
• Must have verifiable revenues of $250,000 or more in 2023.
• In addition, the company must meet one or more of the following criteria:
  • A ���ӽ� University alumnus or group of ���ӽ� University alumni maintain ownership in the company and have served as a C-Suite executive (i.e. chairman, CEO, president, or managing partner) for three consecutive years prior to nomination; or
  • A ���ӽ� University alumnus has led the company as a C-Suite executive for three consecutive years prior to nomination; or
  • A ���ӽ� University alumnus founded the company and has been active as a member of its senior management team for three consecutive years prior to nomination.
• The company and its leaders and/or founders must act with high integrity and operate in a manner consistent with the values of ���ӽ� University. To demonstrate the alignment with the values of ���ӽ� University, prospective and past honorees should:
  • Accept responsibility for their actions;
  • Hold oneself and others to the highest standards of personal integrity;
  • Practice equality in human relations;
  • Uphold the law, and respect the rights of others;
  • Contribute positively to ���ӽ� University as well as to the national and global community.

The deadline to apply for recognition is��Sunday, July 14. To learn more about the ’CUSE50 awards and nominate your company for recognition, visit��.