ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, St. X grads create entrepreneurship scholarship
Several ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University and St. Xavier High School alumni have created a scholarship for St. X students interested in entrepreneurship.
ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, St. X grads create entrepreneurship scholarship
Four ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University alumni who all graduated from Cincinnati’s St. Xavier High School joined forces in a unique way to support both schools.
Michael Markesbery (2015, zoology), Co-Founder and CEO of Oros; Dan Pfeil (2018, mechanical engineering and molecular biology), Investment Manager at Techstars; Tsavo Knott (2018, interactive media studies and computer science), Co-Founder and CEO of Pieces for Developers; and Jason Holland (2001, supply chain operations and management), President and Chief Business Officer at Firework, are all proponents and supporters of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship. The four have combined financial resources to establish the St. Xavier-ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Entrepreneurship Scholarship.
Pfeil commented, “I am delighted by this partnership between St. Xavier and ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University and to support the next generation of entrepreneurial-minded students. Both of these organizations were instrumental in my development, so it is great to see them come together in this way. St. Xavier encouraged me to grow as a complete person, and ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University allowed me the opportunity to pursue multidisciplinary ideas. I am excited to see the impact that these students are able to achieve."
Markesbery added, "Tsavo Knott, Jason Holland, Dan Pfeil, and I are honored to support the next generation of entrepreneurs through the establishment of the St. Xavier-ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Entrepreneurship scholarship. Each of us, as St. X/ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú grads, attribute part of our entrepreneurial success to the tremendous support and encouragement that we received from our mentors, teachers, family, and friends. We founded this scholarship to pay forward a small portion of the support that we each have received from these esteemed institutions and their communities/alumni."
Their donation was doubled by the Farmer Family Foundation matching gift offer, creating a six-figure scholarship endowment which will support future graduates of St. Xavier’s entrepreneurship program who are enrolled at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University and co-majoring or minoring in entrepreneurship.
Tim Holcomb, Chair & Director, John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship, stated, "I am very excited for the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with St. Xavier High School. The school has an outstanding entrepreneurship program, and their upcoming pitch competition provides their students and those from many other schools, to “practice what they teach,” and we could not be happier to be able to support their efforts. This gift will enable the Department of Entrepreneurship to offer scholarships and comprehensive support to some of the brightest entrepreneurship talent in the region enrolled at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú. I could not be more thankful for this incredible gift."