Each year, the Aggie 100 program recognizes the 100 fastest-growing Aggie-owned or Aggie-led businesses in the world.

The companies recognized this year reported a combined revenue of $18.2 billion – the highest in the eight years the program has existed. The top recipient was Navidad Resources, an independent oil and gas company founded in Tyler in 1992. It reported 206.14 percent growth. CEO and president Harold E. McGowen III ’82 said he was honored to be on the list with the other 99 companies. “You are some of the smartest and most capable people in the country,” he said. “These companies are created by men and women who inspire others to exceptional achievement.”

This year’s group included 40 newcomers, and eight of the recipients have been on the Aggie 100 list at least five times.

The key to the companies’ success is the entrepreneurial spirit, several of the speakers commented. “You people had the vision – in fact, the courage – to take some chances that most people wouldn’t take,” said Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin. “You’re here today because you were persistent and also successful. We applaud you. We think you embody the true spirit of Aggieland.”

Keynote speaker Dan Moran, an Aggie and former Marine whose Houston company funds veterans’ start-up companies, summed it up this way: “Aggie entrepreneurs never, ever, ever give up.” He called entrepreneurs “ the backbone of the economy… You’re going to get us back on track.”

The inaugural Summit Award, created to recognize the large-corporation Aggie 100 applicant with the highest average revenue, was given to Houston-based Oil States International. CEO Cindy B. Taylor ’84, who received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Mays, said her company is approaching $4 billion in growth this year. Taylor, one of the 2011 Mays Outstanding Alumni, is the mother of three Texas A&M students.

About Aggie 100

The Aggie 100 identifies, recognizes and celebrates the 100 fastest growing Aggie-owned or Aggie-led businesses in the world. The Aggie 100 not only celebrates their success, it also provides a forum to pass lessons to the next generation of Aggie entrepreneurs.

One-of-a-kind at the college level, the Aggie 100 was created by Mays Business School’s Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship. The center provides encouragement, education, networking and assistance to entrepreneurially minded students, faculty and Texas businesses.

Each year, Aggie 100 honorees are invited to campus for celebrations that includes an evening networking reception with fellow honorees and special guests from Texas A&M University, speaking engagements with Texas A&M students, breakfast with the deans of their colleges and an awards luncheon where the rankings are announced.

To be considered for the Aggie 100 program, companies (corporations, partnerships, sole proprietorships) must have been in business for at least five years and have had verifiable revenues of $250,000 or more for calendar year 2009.

The full list of 2012 recipients is available at aggie100.com/Aggie100Archives/2012/2012List.

In his previous career, Alvarez was a corporate strategist. He used those skills 10 years ago to start Genesys Works, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that helps inner-city high school students land internships in the corporate world. This year, 800 students were served in Houston, the Bay Area, Chicago and the Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Rafael Alvarez ’90

“Being in a nonprofit is not just doing social work, though that is an important aspect of it. It is also helping the less fortunate by helping them find opportunities in thriving corporations,” Alvarez explains. “It is something that can making a lasting impression on a young person and that will change lives for generations afterward.”

The Entrepreneurial Leadership Award honors a business leader who has been instrumental in the establishment and growth of a successful new venture – either a start-up or an entrepreneurial effort within an existing company.

While the primary purpose of the award is to honor a successful entrepreneur, the secondary purpose is to give students and faculty an opportunity to interact with and learn from the honoree. In addition to being honored at an awards ceremony, recipients speak to classes and host smaller roundtable discussion sessions while on campus.

Alvarez gave a lecture in the Ray Auditorium of the Wehner Building, then spoke at a luncheon in his honor. In the afternoon, he attended a roundtable with several students.

“There is a still a long way to go before my vision of Genesys Works comes true, but I take this award as a sign that I am truly on the right path,” Alvarez said before calling his wife Stephanie to the front of the room to join him in raising the glass statue. “She is the unsung hero who stays in the background. This is your award as much as it is mine.”

Genesys Works enables high school students to work in meaningful internships during their senior year in high school at major corporations where they discover that they can succeed as professionals in the corporate world.

Genesys Works’ innovative model has received wide recognition across the globe. Earlier this year, Forbes Magazine named Alvarez to the publication’s inaugural “Impact 30” list of the world’s top social entrepreneurs. When President Obama launched the White House Office of Social Innovation, Genesys Works was profiled as an example of social innovation that should be replicated across America. Alvarez has spoken about the Genesys Works model across the U.S. at universities, including Harvard and Rice, and has been the guest of government and educational leaders in Ireland to discuss solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues.

The Entrepreneurial Leadership Award, established at Mays in 2000, is named after the former president and chair of Conn Appliances, Inc. Carroll, Jr. and Dorothy Conn have made lasting contributions in the business and civic worlds, including support for the Conn Award through an endowment. The award honors those entrepreneurs who have the courage and the vision to launch companies that make a lasting impact on their communities and among their employees.

Past winners include L. Lowry Mays ’57 of Clear Channel Communications, Erle Nye ’89 of TXU, Pizza Hut co-founder Frank L. Carney, Administaff co-founder Paul J. Sarvadi and Jason’s Deli founder Joe Tortorice ’70.

The mission of the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship is to provide education and assistance to entrepreneurs and Texas A&M students and faculty.

The award honors a business leader that has been instrumental in the establishment and growth of a successful new venture. A “new venture” may be a start-up or an entrepreneurial effort within an existing company.

Rafael Alvarez ’90

“For a proud Aggie like myself, there are few things more gratifying than being honored by your alma mater,” said Alvarez. “But what is especially gratifying, is the fact that Texas A&M recognizes and values companies like Genesys Works, that are making a real difference in our education system and fundamentally changing communities in this country for the better.”

Thursday’s program will begin with a presentation and lecture by Alvarez at 9:30 a.m. in the Ray Auditorium of the Wehner Building at Texas A&M.

While the primary purpose of the award is to honor a successful entrepreneur, the secondary purpose is to give students and faculty an opportunity to interact with and learn from the honoree. In addition to being honored at an awards ceremony, recipients speak to classes and host smaller roundtable discussion sessions while on campus. Local business community leaders often join in, adding to the real-world flavor of the event.
Genesys Works enables high school students to work in meaningful internships, during their senior year in high school, at major corporations where they discover that they can indeed succeed as professionals in the corporate world.

Genesys Works’ innovative model has received wide recognition across the globe. Earlier this year, Forbes Magazine named Alvarez to the publication’s inaugural “Impact 30” list of the world’s top social entrepreneurs. When President Obama launched the White House Office of Social Innovation, Genesys Works was profiled as an example of social innovation that should be replicated across America. Alvarez has spoken about the Genesys Works model across the U.S. at universities, including Harvard and Rice, and has been the guest of government and educational leaders in Ireland to discuss solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues.

The Entrepreneurial Leadership Award, established in 2000, is named after the former president and chair of Conn Appliances, Inc. Carroll, Jr. and Dorothy Conn have made lasting contributions in the business and civic worlds, including support for the Conn Award through an endowment. The award honors those entrepreneurs who have the courage and the vision to launch companies that make a lasting impact on their communities and among their employees.

Past winners include L. Lowry Mays ’57 of Clear Channel Communications, Erle Nye ’89 of TXU, Pizza Hut co-founder Frank L. Carney, Administaff co-founder Paul J. Sarvadi and Jason’s Deli founder Joe Tortorice ’70.

About Genesys Works

Genesys Works, established in Houston in 2002, and now with locations in the Bay Area, Chicago and the Minneapolis/St. Paul, is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that engages inner-city high school students to break through barriers and discover through meaningful internship experiences that they can succeed as professionals in the corporate world.

About the Entrepreneurial Leadership Award

The award is presented each year by the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship, whose mission is to provide education and assistance to entrepreneurs and Texas A&M students and faculty. To learn more about the center’s efforts and programs, visit cnve.tamu.edu.

The EBV offers training in entrepreneurship and small business management to post-9/11 veterans with disabilities resulting from their service to our country. The EBV at Texas A&M is a significant collaboration between the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship (CNVE) and the Center for Executive Development at Mays. The cost is about $5,000 per participant, but thanks to the generous support of corporate sponsors and private individuals, the veterans are allowed to attend the entire program — including tuition, travel and accommodations — at no cost.

The Texas A&M Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities Class of 2012 (view more photos)

Pamela Curry, the EBV program coordinator and unofficial “mom” to each class that comes through Texas A&M, commented on the friendships that formed throughout the program. “The first night, I prayed that the right people would be brought together,” she recalled during the commencement ceremony. “God put a magnificent puzzle together, putting these people together. Each group that comes through this place, I think it can’t get any better – and then it does.”

Class member John Signorino called the program “a one-week MBA course on steroids,” and remarked on how “professionally and smoothly” it was presented. “You brought people from all around the country and all walks of life and executed the whole thing beautifully so that it impacted every one of us. We really appreciate it.”

At Texas A&M, ranked 7th nationally by the Military Times Edge for being a “veteran-friendly” campus, information shared by top faculty members and seasoned business owners provided a baseline of knowledge for participants.

This year’s class members hailed from around Texas, Georgia, Louisiana and Florida. Their projects ranged from the technical to the eccentric to the touchy-feely, and everything in between. Pam Tilley, creator of a plush toy shaped like a soldier’s helmet that will generate funds for veterans, dreams of selling them in H-E-B stores. Douglas Frederick of El Paso hopes to move to Georgia and emulate the renovation reality show “Property Brothers.” Liza Matos is working to export computers to Median, Colombia.

Cornelius Nash, a graduate from the EBV’s 2010 class, returned from Tombstone, Ariz., to serve on a panel to give advice and answer questions. While he was attending his class in 2010, the Marines chose his company as a subject matter expert on improvised explosive devices. “The things I learned in EBV and the mentors I met continue to help me to this day.” His wife attended the EBV family program at Florida State.

Rep. Bill Flores ’76 spoke to the veterans at the opening dinner. Gen. Hal M. Hornburg  ’68, a four-star U.S. Air Force general and commander, was the keynote speaker at the commencement ceremony. He told the graduates in their closing ceremony that life is “all about balance,” then he thanked them for their service – “not for what you have done, but for what you will do. Be a beacon in your communities, be a stalwart in the PTO meetings and the civic organizations. Take the things you’ve learned here and use it to make this a better place.”

ABOUT THE EBV CONSORTIUM

The EBV Consortium was formed in 2008 as a national educational initiative designed to help veterans with disabilities to make the transition to self-employment, develop professional networks and ultimately start and grow sustainable businesses. In addition to Texas A&M, the EBV Consortium is composed of the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles, the College of Business at The Florida State University, the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University, the College of Business at the University of Connecticut, the E. J. Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University and the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.

The EBV offers training in entrepreneurship and small business management to post-9/11 veterans with disabilities resulting from their service to our country. The EBV at Texas A&M is a significant collaboration between the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship (CNVE) and the Center for Executive Development at Mays.

“We have the opportunity to change lives for men and women who have given so much to us through their service to our country,” says Richard Lester, clinical associate professor and executive director of the CNVE. “It is a great honor and privilege that all of us share who become associated with the EBV program.”

The cost is about $5,000 per participant, but thanks to the generous support of corporate sponsors and private individuals, the veterans are allowed to attend the entire program — including tuition, travel and accommodations — at no cost. (To help support this program at Texas A&M, visit the Texas A&M Foundation website.)

The week’s schedule starts Saturday (July 28) with an orientation meeting and an opening reception. Workshops and guest speakers will be Sunday (July 29) through Friday (Aug. 3). On Saturday (Aug. 4), the participants will hear from an alumni panel, give their final venture pitches and participate in a closing reception.

New this year at Texas A&M’s program will be the recognition of a Distinguished EBV Alumnus.

This year’s participants hail from around Texas, George, Louisiana and Florida.

ABOUT THE EBV CONSORTIUM

The EBV Consortium was formed in 2008 as a national educational initiative designed to help veterans with disabilities to make the transition to self-employment, develop professional networks and ultimately start and grow sustainable businesses. In addition to Texas A&M, the EBV Consortium is composed of the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles, the College of Business at The Florida State University, the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University, the College of Business at the University of Connecticut, the E. J. Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University and the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

To find out more about the EBV at Texas A&M, visit ebv.tamu.edu or contact CNVE Assistant Director Ashley Crane at (979) 845-4882 or acrane@mays.tamu.edu.

The Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship (CNVE) at Mays Business School hosted the May 2 event, which was open to Texas A&M students of all majors and undergraduate and graduate classifications.

(L to R) CNVE director Richard Lester, first-place winner Patrick Daniels ’13 and Ideas Challenge sponsor Frank Raymond (view more photos)

Construction science major Patrick Daniels ’13 received $3,000 for his first-place project, “I.Q. Stat: Intelligent Climate Control.”

The second-place project, “PolyFilm Absorbable Adhesion Barrier,” was entered by biomedical engineering major Qun Liu ’12. She received $2,000.

Three projects tied for third place:

• “House of Geekdom” by university studies/business major Shelly Brenckman ’79,
• “Garment Drying Tags” by accounting/Professional Program–MGMT major Ben Bates ’12 and accounting/Professional Program–MIS majors Allison DeHaven ’12, Erin Evetts ’12, Kelsey Hermanson ’12 and Valerie Hernandez ’12, and
• “Kinectic People Power LLC “ by university studies/business major Shelly Brenckman ’79.

The Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) Product Development Center provided a sponsorship to help get ideas to market, and TEEX representatives approached the creators of two of the projects about taking them further.

The annual challenge at Mays cultivates Texas A&M’s collective entrepreneurial spirit, challenging Aggies of all majors and classifications to contribute their ideas. According to the CNVE website, the Ideas Challenge “helps students think in an entrepreneurial way and develop the competencies needed to identify and successfully implement new business ideas throughout their careers.”

Students were encouraged to participate in the competition individually or in groups. Idea submissions and competition entry are free, but require creative and careful planning to persuasively express original ideas.

For more information on the Ideas Challenge, visit cnve.tamu.edu/ideas.

Texas A&M University System officials, CNVE advisory board members and other stakeholders toured the program’s office space in Research Park. (view more photos)

During their out-of-town and local visits to incubators, MGMT 489 students interviewed incubator managers and community leaders with experience in economic development. As students learned more about the business incubation industry, the incubator research project evolved—making for quite a challenge near the end of the semester as MGMT 489 students became more involved with their sister class in the College of Architecture. ARCH 485 students produced space plans and custom furniture designs for a proposed “student startup space” at Texas A&M University’s Research Park, based on end-user needs articulated by MGMT 489 students.

Both teams of students revised their course deliverables several times to incorporate new data as it was developed and shared. For MGMT 489 students, this meant working to rewrite their business plan for a campus incubation program to assist student entrepreneurs. In response, ARCH 485 students had to “redesign the redesign of their redesigned architectural design plans,” as one senior noted. Students in both classes agreed that the process was like launching a startup business because collaboration between students was required to produce a cohesive, feasible product.

At the end of the semester, both classes presented their proposals to Jeffrey Seemann, vice president of research at Texas A&M University and chief research officer for the Texas A&M University System, during a stakeholders presentation that included Jorge Vanegas, dean of the College of Architecture, and other university and Texas A&M University System officials. An estimated 70 guests, including Richard Lester, executive director of the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship, and CNVE advisory board members, convened to hear students’ presentations and participate in tours of the student business incubation program facility.

This 4,704-square-foot office space, dubbed “The Startup Space” by students, served as the campus classroom for MGMT 489 students. A Phase II course, “MGMT 489: Incubator Implementation,” will be offered to a small group of undergraduate at Mays in the same space during the first summer 2012 semester.

The deadline to submit entries is 5 p.m. Friday. The competition will be May 2.

The Ideas Challenge, hosted by the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship (CNVE) is open to Texas A&M students of all majors, undergraduate and graduate classifications. Cash prizes and $8,000 in cash prizes is available for winning ideas.

The challenge cultivates Texas A&M’s collective entrepreneurial spirit, challenging Aggies of all majors and classifications to contribute their ideas. According to the CNVE website, the Ideas Challenge “helps students think in an entrepreneurial way and develop the competencies needed to identify and successfully implement new business ideas throughout their careers.”

Students are welcome to participate in the competition individually or in groups. Idea submissions and competition entry are free, but require creative and careful planning to persuasively express original ideas.

In previous years, hundreds of Aggies have participated in the Ideas Challenge, submitting proposed products and services ranging from folding bikes to hostels in Austin.

For more information on the Ideas Challenge, visit cnve.tamu.edu/ideas/.

Also open to all students, faculty, staff and the community is CNVE’s “Start-Up 101”—a three-night workshop series (April 3, 10, 17) for those interested in running their own businesses. Established entrepreneurs and business professionals educate attendees on how to transform an idea into a successful operating business.

Registration for Start-Up 101 ($50) is currently open. For more information, visit cnve.tamu.edu/startup101/.

Each year since 2003, teams of first-year MBA students have participated in the Venture Challenge. The teams are assigned an early-stage venture (often originating from Texas A&M research labs), and are asked to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise.

CNVE director Richard Lester (top right) and the first place team at this year’s MBA Venture Challenge (view more photos)

Richard Lester, executive director of Mays’ CNVE, calls the MBA Venture Challenge “a significant immersion for our students in experiential education. They investigate actual early-stage companies that are balancing the demands of new marketplaces in addition to financing and technological challenges.”

In order to do well in the competition, the MBA teams must objectively and meticulously evaluate each venture based on its viability in the competitive business arena. According to the CNVE website, “the Venture Challenge is a great way to showcase our students and diverse research portfolio to the business and investment community.”

Each team presents a two-minute elevator pitch based on its analysis of the venture to a panel of judges from the business and academic community. After the initial elevator pitches, the top six teams are chosen to present 15-minute “venture pitches” to a room full of judges, business representatives and peers. This year, the finalists’ ventures ranged from a respiratory drug to treat cystic fibrosis to an online travel-booking enterprise.

“The event brings a wealth of experience and expertise to Mays Business School, such as venture capitalists, bankers, technologists and many others,” says Lester. These qualified judges pepper the students with questions, revealing the MBA teams’ expertise (or lack thereof) in their researched venture.

Lester says the Venture Challenge is an integral part of full-time MBA students’ experience at Mays, claiming the competition provides a “rich educational experience for the students and a significant networking opportunity for our college and our attendees.”

This year’s winners were:

• First Place ($3,000): Jenna Beyer, Emil Boehm, Matt Buzby, Joel Cunninghman, D.J. McCarty and Joseph Pluhar; Incellerate
• Second Place ($2,000): Luke Baker, Mark Herman, Craig Hooker, James Kelly, Jr. and Scott Monk; The Patria Group Corp.
• Third Place ($1,000): Jemison Bartlett, Justin Gibbs, Sarah Hassan, Amey Karnik and Nicholas Vernon; Savara Inc.

Each year, the Aggie 100 program recognizes the 100 fastest-growing Aggie-owned or Aggie-led businesses in the world.

Gary Blair, Head Coach of Texas A&M University’s Women’s Basketball, gave the keynote presentation. After leading the Aggie Women to a 2010 NCAA National Championship, it was only fitting that he inspire the group of entrepreneurs by sharing his thoughts on perseverance, determination and true leadership. His vigor and enthusiasm for greatness was contagious as his words of wisdom echoed among this room of leaders.

The Aggie 100 posted an average compound growth rate of 41 percent. Tranzon Auction Resolutions of Cypress, Texas, topped the list with a remarkable compound annual growth rate of 276.82 percent. The complete list can be found at aggie100.com. The Top 10 Aggie 100 companies include:

1. Tranzon Auction Resolutions – Cypress, TX 276.83%
2. BMI Defense Systems – College Station, TX 207.04%
3. republic landscapes, llc – College Station, TX 141.70%
4. Miner Central Texas Ltd – San Antonio, TX 128.75%
5. Opportune, LLP – Houston, TX 101.91%
6. Jenkins Custom Homes – Austin, TX 94.13%
7. Accent Wire, Ltd. – Bradford, United Kingdom 94.01%
8. Power Funding Ltd. – Tyler, TX 93.52%
9. Leftfield Pictures – New York, NY 93.16%
10. OriGen Biomedical, Inc. – Austin, TX 85.99%

“Since the founding of Texas A&M University, Aggies have been leaving a legacy across all businesses and industries,” said Dr. Richard H. Lester, Executive Director of Mays Business School’s Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship. “Over the last seven years, the Aggie 100 companies have continuously proven that even in tough economic times, solid business ideas and hard work pay off.”

The Aggie 100 focuses on growth as an indicator of job creation, product and service acceptance, and entrepreneurial vision. The Aggie 100 were selected based on compound annual revenue growth rate for the 2008 through 2010 period. The oldest company earning a spot on the list was founded in 1955. In all, companies from 8 states and 4 countries were honored at the event. The city of Houston topped the list with 33 recognized businesses. Dallas/Fort Worth was close behind with 17, followed by 15 firms from the Austin/San Antonio area and 12 from Bryan-College Station.

About the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship

The Texas A&M Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship (CNVE) provides encouragement, education, networking and assistance to entrepreneurially minded students, faculty and Texas businesses. Founded in 1999, CNVE is part of Mays Business School’s Department of Management. CNVE enhances student education through campus speakers, competitions, work experiences and financial support. The Texas A&M faculty and Office of Technology Commercialization also benefit from CNVE’s educational programs, extensive business community network and the entrepreneurial services.

CNVE reaches the state’s business community through its educational programs, business assistance and access to University resources. In addition to the Aggie 100, one of CNVE’s key programs is the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities – an intense training for veterans interested in starting a business. CNVE is supported by corporate and individual members and sponsors who believe in the value of an entrepreneurial education program and the value of Texas businesses working with a world-class university.