2025 Entrepreneurship Summit Schedule

Aligning with the Jesuit values of Georgetown University, the Leonsis Family Entrepreneurship Prize honors and supports Georgetown students who have launched or are preparing to launch new business ventures that will address problems in the world around them. Each year, teams or individuals compete to win an amount determined from the annual pool of $100,000. Ultimately, the Leonsis Family Entrepreneurship Prize builds awareness around the innovation and accomplishments of Georgetown’s entrepreneurs and strengthens the university’s reputation as a place where ambitious students can turn their passions into entrepreneurial ventures.

The prize is supported by Ted Leonsis (C’77, Parent’14, ’15), a longtime entrepreneur, investor, founder, majority owner, chairman, and chief executive officer of Monumental Sports & Entertainment; his wife, Lynn; his son, Zach (MBA’15), president of Media & New Enterprises at Monumental Sports & Entertainment; and his daughter, Elle (C’14).

Check in and enjoy a continental breakfast as well as an opportunity to mix and mingle with fellow attendees before the program begins.

Leaders in the Georgetown entrepreneurship community will offer greetings, an overview of the day’s programming, and reflections on Georgetown’s unique brand of common good entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneur and sports team owner Ted Leonsis (C’77, Parent’14, ’15) and world-renowned chef and humanitarian José Andrés (Parent’23, ’26) sit down for an inspiring conversation, moderated by Norah O’Donnell (C’95, G’03, HON’24), about the intersection of entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and community impact. They will discuss how businesses can be powerful agents for common good, the responsibilities of leadership, and their shared belief that success is best measured by the lives you uplift. Together, they’ll explore real-world strategies for balancing profit with purpose, building resilient communities, and redefining the American Dream through service and innovation.

What is the dynamic between an entrepreneur and their investor really like? In this candid and intimate founder/funder conversation, our speakers will share how they stay aligned despite different (and sometimes conflicting) priorities, as well as how they navigate the challenges and tough conversations intrinsic to their partnership.

After lunch, we’ll come back together as a group, where a representative from each lunch breakout session will share the most valuable takeaways and lessons learned in their room’s conversation. This ‘download’ time will allow the full audience to benefit from the rich conversations that took place in each room.

There are multiple paths to building and scaling a company dedicated to the common good. Join us for a discussion on how the U.S. government helps to support entrepreneurship and the value behind a B Corp Certification. Our panelists will share their unique perspectives as a leader at B Lab, a former U.S. Small Business Administration official, and a founder of a B Corp company.

Join us for Hoya Talks! Our accomplished speakers will each deliver a short and powerful presentation showcasing an idea, story, or lesson about entrepreneurship. These bite-sized talks will offer impactful takeaways on the following topics:

Scaling Social Enterprises: Seth Goldman
Moving Beyond Self-Care: Entrepreneurship and Purpose-Driven Wellbeing: Shelby Renee Giles (SCS’16)
Community Building for Change: TK Petersen (B’12)
AI for the Common Good and Nonprofits: Cheryl Contee (MBA’04)
The Courage to Make a Difference: The Interface Story: Dan Hendrix

In our afternoon keynote experience, Benjamin Zander, founder and conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, will speak to what entrepreneurs and leaders in any industry can learn from the transformative power of music. This session will empower attendees to view music through a new lens relevant to their leadership skills.

Tom Raffa (B’76, Parent’10) will close out the event with key takeaways and themes from the day’s programming.

Since its founding in 2012, the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Alliance has represented the voices of entrepreneurs among Georgetown’s alumni community. The GEA is proud to confer the Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards to celebrate the contributions of alumni entrepreneurs who embody and exemplify a passion for innovation and the Georgetown spirit of “people for others.”

Join us as we celebrate our 2025 Excellence Awards winners:

Entrepreneur of the Year: Michael Praeger (B’90)
Outstanding Investor: Sherrese Clarke Soares (B’98)
Rising Star: Shavini Fernando (G’18)
Best of Hospitality: Geoff Tracy (C’95)
Best of Retail and Consumer Products: Laura Yecies (MSFS’86)
Best of Social Impact: Christy Keswick (B’97)
Best of Technology: Jonathan Carson (B’95)

Hors d’oeuvres and a beer & wine open bar will be available.