Carolina Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Inducts New Laureates
The McColl School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte, along with its Entrepreneurial Leadership Circle (ELC), will continue its tradition of honoring distinguished business leaders at the 13th annual Carolinas Entrepreneur Hall of Fame on Sept. 26 at Quail Hollow Club. The event celebrates the contributions of entrepreneurial leaders who have created innovative pathways to success and career opportunities in the Carolinas and beyond.
“Each year, we honor individuals that represent the true spirit of entrepreneurism,” said Keith Luedeman, a member of the ELC’s selection committee and founder of goodmortage.com. “These dynamic visionaries have made bold choices that have impacted the economic landscape of this vibrant city and we honor them for their commitment to shaping the next generation of business leaders.”
This year’s Class of 2023 Inductees include Louis Foreman, founder and CEO of Enventys Partners, and Jennifer Appleby, executive chair of Wray Ward. Betsy Hauser, founder and CEO of Tech Talent & Strategy, will receive the 2023 Innovator of Distinction award.
In addition to serving as an adjunct instructor of entrepreneurship and innovation in the McColl School of Business, Foreman leads Enventys Partners, a successful ideation, crowdfunding, product development, and marketing firm in Charlotte. He began his first entrepreneurial venture while a sophomore at the University of Illinois and has since created 10 successful start-ups, while inspiring the creation of over 20 others. He is a renowned inventor with 10 registered US Patents and his firm, Enventys Partners, is responsible for developing and filing hundreds more. In addition, Foreman is an Emmy® award-winner, accomplished author, government advisor, and advocate for entrepreneurs and intellectual property rights. In 2022, he was inducted into the International IP Hall of Fame.
A respected business leader and engaged community leader, Appleby began her 30-year career at Wray Ward as an art director. Over time she would become its longest-serving president and chief creative officer, leading the organization for more than two decades. Under her leadership, she transformed Wray Ward into the largest integrated marketing and communications firm in the Charlotte region and one of the largest woman-owned agencies in the southeast. Appleby has received numerous awards throughout her career including Queens University’s CharlotteBusinessWoman of the Year Award, the Charlotte Business Journal’s Women in Business and Most Admired CEO awards, and most recently, the Charlotte Business Journal’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Appleby retired from day-to-day agency management in December 2022 and serves as the agency’s executive chair.
This year’s Innovator of Distinction Award will be presented to Betsy Hauser, founder of Tech Talent & Strategy, a tech recruitment, training, and staffing company. In addition to being a dedicated mom of four children, Hauser recently founded The Talent School, a private K-12 hybrid school in Huntersville. Named one of Charlotte’s 50 Most Influential Women, Hauser has implemented training techniques that have improved the technology industry by providing diverse talent pipelines to drive growth, innovation, and diversity. She has received numerous accolades such as Emerging CIO of the Year, 40 Under 40, and Most Admired CEO.
Carolinas Entrepreneur Hall of Fame inductees are selected by a committee comprised of entrepreneurs, business leaders, and historians representing both North Carolina and South Carolina. Laureates are selected based on a set of criteria that include looking at each honored individual’s legacy of shaping the business and economy throughout the Carolinas and beyond. Learn more about the selection committee and past Hall of Fame classes by visiting the Carolinas Entrepreneur Hall of Fame webpage.