Babson College Undergraduate Earns Innovation Award at EO's Global Student Entrepreneur Awards Competition

WELLESLEY, Mass., Nov. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Babson College undergraduate senior Dinesh Wadhwani, cofounder of ThinkLite, LLC, received the Innovation Award and was among the Top 5 in the 2011 Global Student Entrepreneur Awards Competition at the 2011 GSEA Global Final.

More than 1600 student business owners from 42 countries were nominated for the 2011 competition, a program of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO). From November 17 - 19, the top 30 student finalists convened at the New York Stock Exchange to vie for the title of Global Student Entrepreneur of the Year and win over $150,000 in cash and in-kind business services and a one-year mentorship with Redbox Founder, Mike DeLazzer.

Wadhwani is a Babson senior and founder of ThinkLite LLC, which provides customized energy efficient green lighting solutions. Wadhwani, who is a second-time global finalist, founded ThinkLite in 2009 with another Babson student after learning of the lack of choice available in the green lighting industry. http://rethinkrelite.com/

He is also the co-founder of three other companies:  Slick Stick, Wadhsoft, Inc. and Turn the Campus.

Also among the 30 finalists was Babson undergraduate James Hilton '12, who cofounded Jacox-Hilton, a consulting firm in the US and Canada that services producers in the life insurance industry. The firm increases production through MGAs and directly at advisor offices by performing client book analysis and valuation services. It uses a system of proprietary models and analyses to show precisely where there are opportunities to increase production while providing additional value to clients. http://jacoxhilton.com/

Babson College was one of the top-ranked colleges in the competition, receiving 21 student nominations.

2011 GSEA Global Finals

As the premier global competition for undergraduate students, GSEA inspires students to adopt entrepreneurial endeavors by bringing global visibility to student business owners who are innovative, profitable, and socially responsible. As an Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) program, GSEA operates a global series of competitions for student entrepreneurs who are attending a recognized high school, college, or university; own a for-profit business; are principally responsible for its operation, and have been generating revenue for a minimum of six consecutive months.

Global Student Entrepreneur Awards

As the premier global competition for undergraduate students, the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) inspire students to adopt entrepreneurial endeavors by bringing global visibility to student business owners who are innovative, profitable, and socially responsible. Since 1998, GSEA, a program founded at the John Cook School of Business at Saint Louis University, has honored outstanding students who juggle a full course load while running their own businesses. The Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) took on leadership of GSEA in 2006 to offer student entrepreneurs access to a global network of mentors, resources, and connections from the most influential community of entrepreneurs in the world.  GSEA is generously supported by major foundations, including the NYSE Foundation, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Ernst & Young, and the Todd Thomas Foundation. To nominate a student entrepreneur or to get involved, go to www.gsea.org.

EO

The Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) - for entrepreneurs only - is a global community that enriches members' lives through direct peer-to-peer learning, connections to experts, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. EO is the catalyst that enables entrepreneurs to learn from each other, leading to greater business success and an enriched personal life. EO is comprised of more than 7,000 members in 38 countries, with an average member age of 39 and average annual revenue of US $14.4 million. The organization is committed to building the world's most influential community of entrepreneurs. For more information, go to http://www.eonetwork.org.

Babson College

Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader for Entrepreneurship of All Kinds(r). The College is a dynamic living and learning laboratory, where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society -- while at the same time evolving our methods and advancing our programs. We shape the leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to create economic and social value. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought and Action(r) as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value. For information, visit www.babson.edu.

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SOURCE Babson College