Newswise — CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia – The University of Virginia Darden School of Business will launch the fourth annual Tayloe Murphy Resilience Awards later this month. The competition honors and supports Virginia entrepreneurial enterprises that demonstrate sustained vitality and commitment in areas characterized by high unemployment, high poverty and low entrepreneurial activity.
“The Resilience Awards really highlight those small businesses that are uplifting local communities. A strong, resilient business is an integral part of a community as well as our functioning society,” said Dean Krehmeyer, executive director of the Institute for Business in Society (IBiS), the competition sponsor.
The 2012 Resilience Award winners hailed from the communities of Cheriton, Harrisonburg, Norfolk, Prince George County and Sedley, Virginia. These businesses survived fires, big-box competition and the lingering effects of the recession. They bridged cultural divides, supported local charities and brought hope to places where industries have disappeared. Above all, they demonstrated resilience and positively contributed to their communities.
“The Resilience Awards recognize small businesses that do things the right way. These companies foster innovation, strengthen communities and create jobs,” said Darden Professor Greg Fairchild, a nationally-known expert on entrepreneurship. “Over the past few years I’ve been amazed at the dedication and perseverance that these business owners demonstrate.”
Fairchild and other faculty study years of data from businesses entering the competition to determine what makes a business resilient. The data informs research that identifies strategies and lessons that can apply to other enterprises, regardless of industry or location.
Through ongoing media coverage, opportunities to engage key business and government leaders and enrollment in a week-long course at Darden’s highly rated Executive Education program, five Resilience Award winners each year receive the recognition and resources to help their company and community continue to grow and succeed.
One of last year’s winners, Katrina Didot, the owner of A Bowl of Good Café, in Harrisonburg, Virginia, completed her courses in March and said about her experience, “Being in the Executive Education Program at Darden gave me exposure to and taught me more about income statements, cash flow statements and balance sheets in a way that greatly deepened my understanding. I now feel much more confident interacting with our financial manager and am more keenly aware of what is happening with our numbers at any given time.” The mission-driven, Harrisonburg-based restaurant responds to the community’s needs by providing healthy, locally sourced food.
How to Apply
Cities in Virginia that qualify include: Bedford, Bristol, Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Chesapeake, Covington, Danville, Emporia, Falls Church, Franklin, Fredericksburg, Galax, Hampton, Harrisonburg, Hopewell, Lexington, Lynchburg, Manassas, Martinsville, Newport News, Norfolk, Norton, Petersburg, Portsmouth, Radford, Richmond, Roanoke, Staunton, Suffolk, Waynesboro, Williamsburg and Winchester.
Counties in Virginia that qualify include: Accomack, Alleghany, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Bland, Brunswick, Buchanan, Campbell, Caroline, Carroll, Charles City, Charlotte, Craig, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Dinwiddie, Essex, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Grayson, Greensville, Halifax, Henry, King and Queen, Highland, Lancaster, Lee, Louisa, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Montgomery, Nelson, New Kent, Northampton, Northumberland, Nottoway, Orange, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Prince Edward, Prince George, Pulaski, Richmond, Rockbridge, Russell, Scott, Shenandoah, Southampton, Smyth, Southampton, Surry, Sussex, Tazewell, Warren, Washington, Westmoreland, Wise and Wythe.
To determine if your area qualifies by ZIP code, please contact Nancy Price at [email protected] or +1-434-989-3562.
The deadline to apply or recommend a business for the 2013 application is 31 July. Semi-finalists will be chosen by a panel of judges in August. Finalists will be named in September and invited to attend the award ceremony on 15 October at the Darden School of Business, where the winners will be announced. The Tayloe Murphy Resilience Awards are presented in conjunction with Virginia Business magazine.
For questions or information, contact [email protected] or a member of the Communication team.
About the Darden School of Business
The University of Virginia Darden School of Business is one of the world's leading business schools, offering MBA, Ph.D. and Executive Education programs. The unique Darden experience combines the case study method, the highest-ranked faculty whose research advances global managerial practice and business education, and a tight-knit learning environment to develop responsible and complete leaders who are ready to make an impact.
About the Darden Institute for Business in Society (IBiS)
The Darden Institute for Business in Society (IBiS) aims to be a leading global catalyst and convener of thought, information and action at the interface of business and society, and to promote the development of leaders to positively impact society through their roles in business.
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