����app�ٷ���վ�� President Connie Ledoux Book and Haya Ajjan, dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, will present the medal on Wednesday, April 22, at 4:30 p.m. in the LaRose Digital Theatre inside the Ernest A. Koury Sr. Business Center.

The celebration is open to the campus community.

����app�ٷ���վ�� Linda Findley ‘95

Linda Findley joined Sleep Number in April 2025 and is recognized for her expertise in operations, organizational transformation, marketing strategy and global expansion.

She has held senior leadership roles across several high-growth companies. From 2009 to 2012, she was based in Hong Kong, leading global marketing, business development, and customer service for Alibaba.com Ltd. She later served in executive roles at Evernote Corp. from 2012 to 2015, including chief operating officer.

Findley was chief operating officer at Etsy from 2016 to 2018, overseeing product, design, marketing and customer engagement and acquisition. She then served as president, chief executive officer, and director of Blue Apron from 2019 to 2024, leading the company through significant transformation and growth.

In addition to her executive leadership, Findley has served on the board of directors of Ralph Lauren since August 2018 and has been board chair of HeliosX since February 2025.

Findley graduated from the School of Communications and holds a master’s degree in journalism from UNC-Chapel Hill. Her leadership is defined by a focus on innovation, adaptability and driving meaningful organizational impact.

����app�ٷ���վ�� the ����app�ٷ���վ�� Medal for Entrepreneurial Leadership

The ����app�ٷ���վ�� Medal for Entrepreneurial Leadership is co-presented by the Love School of Business and the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. Since 2009, the award has recognized an entrepreneur who is an industry leader and exemplifies ����app�ٷ���վ��’s values, including integrity, innovation and creativity, a passion for lifelong learning and a commitment to building a dynamic community.

����app�ٷ���վ�� the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

The Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship was established through an endowment gift from Ed and Joan Doherty P’07, entrepreneurs from Saddle River, New Jersey, and parents of Kerry Doherty Gatlin ’07. The Dohertys have served on the university’s Parents Council, and Ed Doherty currently serves as an Elon Trustee. Their company, Doherty Enterprises, Inc., is one of the nation’s leading franchise operators of family restaurants, including Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, Panera Bread and Chevy’s Fresh Mex.

Oaks Originals is a Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship program that provides student business owners with opportunities to showcase their products to the Elon community. Students are able to access pop-ups, workshops, networking and consulting events that help them to further their journeys as entrepreneurs.

Many student business owners at Elon have worked to incorporate sustainability into their products and designs.

Shriya Baru ’25 is an accounting major at Elon, and her business, Kolis USA, started as a passion project that allowed her to channel her creative interests, and has grown into a lifestyle brand that incorporates Indian design through handcrafted products including candles, jewelry and accessories. Oaks Originals has allowed Baru to further her passion for entrepreneurship while maintaining a commitment to sustainability in various forms.

“KOLIS connects to sustainability through small-batch, handcrafted production that minimizes waste, reusable candle jars and durable materials, reduces transportation impact, and a focuses on cultural sustainability,” Baru said.

Noah Elliott ’28, is an economics and financial technology major whose business, Elliott Ringworks, makes and sells fine jewelry. Throughout his time at Elon, Elliott has become particularly interested in how business and management connect to jewelry making. His jewelry-making process involves the recycling of silver and metal scraps:

“I take my old scraps from previous projects, such as off-cuts and old rings. I then combine that with new silver in the form of a coin and heat it up to 1763 degrees. It all melts together and I can pour it out into usable ingots and make more jewelry out of it,” said Elliott.

For more information on student vendors at Oak Originals, visit this link. For more information on student groups involved with sustainability on campus, please visit the Office of Sustainability’s website.

Before leading a media brand that now reaches more than 11 million readers annually, Collins was an ����app�ٷ���վ�� student preparing for a career in finance. “The most transformative part of my time here wasn’t just the internships or the study abroad,” said Collins. “It was the relationships. My wife, my best friends, the people who helped me open doors early in my career, all of that started here.”

Those connections led to his first job after graduation. “I told everyone I wanted to move to New York and work in financial services. Through a friend’s family connection, my resume ended up with the right person. That led to Citigroup,” he said. “I just kept sharing what I wanted to do and who I wanted to meet.”

After three years at Citi, Collins began his MBA at Duke University. A law school course on venture capital and private equity introduced him to entrepreneurship through acquisition. “That one experience told me this is something I’m clearly interested in.”

Instead of building a startup, Collins pursued acquiring and operating an existing company. He joined RBC Capital Markets to gain deal experience, launched a search fund, and acquired HousingWire in 2016.

As his team grew, he learned the value of specialization. “It’s really important to have a team that knows how to get in a lane, stay in a lane and execute,” Collins said.

When asked how students can stand out in the workplace, Collins pointed to curiosity and initiative. “The people who ask, get,” he said. “Even if they report to someone a few levels down, they’re willing to say, ‘What are you working on right now? How can I help?’”

He also emphasized adaptability. “Business priorities change. They change often,” he said. “The willingness to ask, ‘What’s the priority now? What do I need to learn to help the business get to the next level?’ is just really important.”

Reflecting on his time at Elon, Collins said, “I probably could have built stronger relationships with some of the professors. There were definitely points in the first few years out where I wish I had someone I could turn around and ask a question to.”

His advice to students was clear: “Don’t wait for anybody to give you permission,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to take a risk before it feels right. If you get down a path and realize you don’t like it, do something different. Pivot.”

After graduating from Elon with a degree in business administration, Collins began his career in finance, working in investment banking with RBC Capital Markets and serving as vice president of national sales and marketing at Citi. In 2016, he acquired a media company focused on housing and real estate and has since expanded it into a multi-brand platform recognized for its market intelligence, data insights and industry events.

Collins also leads, Riomar Capital, an entrepreneurial investment firm focused on media, data and technology and serves on several industry boards. His career reflects a blend of financial expertise, strategic growth, and innovation within the business media landscape.

The event will be held in conversation with Dylan Ketchum ’11, a Doherty Center Advisory Board member, who will guide the discussion.

����app�ٷ���վ�� the C. Ashton Newhall Endowed Lecture Series

Named for ����app�ٷ���վ�� trustee C. Ashton Newhall ’98, this lecture series brings accomplished entrepreneurs to campus each year to share their insights on managing risks, capitalizing on opportunities and innovating in today’s marketplace. Featuring candid talks and interactive sessions, the series offers students, faculty, and the broader community a valuable window into the inner workings of entrepreneurial success, from sparking an idea to sustaining long-term growth.

The solution became , a Chrome extension, and soon an AI-powered shopping platform with a personalized feed that pulls looks from Gen Z’s favorite brands.

After several months of user research, advisor meetings and early testing, the founders booked a four-hour whiteboard session with Sean McMahon, associate professor of entrepreneurship.

“Professor McMahon’s guidance helped us take everything we’d been working on and turn it into something attainable and scalable,” said Graffeo, who earned a degree in human resource management and is from Mount Sinai, New York. “His support means a lot to us and we’re super grateful.”

Mathis is part of the Stanford University Innovation Fellows program at Elon, an experience that strengthened his approach to design thinking and solution-building. Leyda, who earned a degree computer science, statistics and public health is the first woman on ����app�ٷ���վ�� hackathon team and drew on marathon coding events to lead the platform’s technical build.

In the School of Communications, Daniel Haygood, professor of strategic communications, advised the founders as they ran interviews and focus groups that refined OneTap’s market research.

Months of iteration paid off when OneTap impressed judges at the Innovation Challenge hosted by the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

Ongoing guidance from the Doherty Center linked the founders to alumni, while a recent grant from the university’s Entrepreneurship Fund will help the group accelerate their plans.

“The Doherty Center’s alumni introductions have opened doors in tech, fashion and fundraising we couldn’t reach on our own,” said Dixon, who earned a degree in economics from Westchester, N.Y.

With Dixon and Graffeo already working in Manhattan, the team will base OneTap in New York City after graduation to stay close to fashion brands, investors and ����app�ٷ���վ�� mentors.

“We want OneTap to be the go-to platform where people discover, organize and buy clothes that match their style—all in one place. Think of a personalized home feed like TikTok or Instagram, but for clothes. We’re building OneTap to personalize shopping,” Mathis said.

This spring, her Raleigh-based company, , captured one of just , a $50,000 award drawn from more than 120 statewide applicants.

The idea for Kahmino began the first time Casey tried to buy a home.

“My agent asked where I wanted to live, and I realized I knew nothing about Raleigh’s neighborhoods. It was easy to find the available 2 bed/2 bath, much harder to find the right lifestyle fit,” said Casey.

The frustration lingered until 2023, when she paused her career to backpack through Europe. While walking Spain’s 500-mile Camino de Santiago, Casey met fellow pilgrims who were also re-imagining their lives, a moment that clarified how profoundly community shapes happiness.

“The Camino showed me you can choose the life you want, but you need the right place to live it,” Casey said. “I came home, named the company Kahmino and started coding.”

When working with home buyers, real estate agents use Kahmino’s AI services to assist buyers in finding their perfect neighborhood match. Buyers fill out a survey that asks them about their priorities. Questions include their typical weekend activities, their preference for a home’s character, and preferences for the quality of a school district, among others.

For example, a homebuyer looking for a historic bungalow in a good school district with trendy brunch options will have their preferences submitted to Kahmino’s AI model, yielding results that show neighborhood matches for that buyer.

Within months she had a working prototype and a small roster of paying customers in the Triangle and Charlotte.

Back on campus for ����app�ٷ���վ�� Night of Networking for student-athletes, Casey’s former teammate introduced her to Raychel Lockwood, director of development for the Love School of Business.

Lockwood reviewed Casey’s NC IDEA micro-grant proposal, offered alumni introductions and pointed her toward additional campus resources.

Dean Haya Ajjan paired Kahmino with two graduate analytics teams that explored revenue models and a potential pilot for graduating seniors and relocating faculty.

Dina Rousset, director of the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, drew on her experience mentoring previous NC Idea grant winners to critique Casey’s slide deck, organize mock interviews and make Triangle-area introductions.

Casey quickly began paying the help forward, judging the Elon Innovation Challenge and speaking with Innovation Scholars about the realities of launching a company.

“Their questions were sharper than mine at their age,” she says. “Being back at Elon keeps me energized.”

Kahmino’s traction and Casey’s success with last year’s $10,000 NC IDEA Micro Grant helped the startup navigate the Seed program’s rigorous three-month gauntlet of applications, reference checks and a 30-minute final pitch.

When the congratulatory email arrived, Casey’s four-person team immediately outlined two goals for the new funding: hiring additional engineers and expanding into four more metro markets.

“The capital will speed up everything on our roadmap, but the bigger win is NC IDEA’s network,” Casey said. “They surround you with mentors who selflessly provide all of the network access and expertise they can.”

Her three-year vision is national: Kahmino in every major U.S. market, working with real estate agents and using lifestyle data to match renters and buyers with neighborhoods that feel like home.

“����app�ٷ���վ�� felt like home the moment I stepped on campus,” she says. “I wanted that same feeling in my neighborhood. Everyone deserves that certainty when they move.”

����app�ٷ���վ�� the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Established through an endowment from Ed and Joan Doherty, the Doherty Center cultivates an entrepreneurial growth mindset among ����app�ٷ���վ�� students and positions alumni for economic and social impact worldwide. Students and graduates interested in mentorship, speaking opportunities or collaboration can contact innovation@elon.edu.

Dave Porter P’11 P’19, owner and managing partner of Baystate Financial, one of Massachusetts’ oldest and largest financial planning firms, received the ����app�ٷ���վ�� Medal for Entrepreneurial Leadership on April 23 inside LaRose Digital Theatre.

Porter, who recently concluded service as chair of the Board of Trustees, accepted the medal from President Connie Ledoux Book and Raghu Tadepalli, dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business.

In his acceptance remarks, Porter described what he calls the two gifts each new day delivers: a chance and a choice. “If you choose comfort, you’ll be comfortable for a while,” he said. “Choose discipline and you’ll change your future.”

After high-school athletics eclipsed academics in Ramsey, N.J., Porter’s first college mail contained mostly rejection letters, including one from West Chester University in Pennsylvania. Unwilling to accept the decision, Porter drove 150 miles to the admissions office, requested an interview, and walked out with an acceptance letter written on the back of the original rejection.

“That moment,” he said, “proved you can change your future if you own the outcome.”

Early missteps, most famously faxing a confidential salary sheet to the wrong law-office number, taught him to “fix errors fast, learn and move on smarter.”

When he became managing partner of Boston-based Baystate Financial in 1996, the firm tallied under $1 million in annual revenue; today it serves clients from 16 offices across New England.

“Growth came from one rule—promise integrity and hire people who keep those promises,” he said.

Putting people first remains central to his leadership. Porter writes three handwritten thank-you notes each morning, a practice that has filled seven storage crates with replies.

“A quick ‘hello, how are you?’ or a handwritten note can change the trajectory of somebody’s day,” Porter said. “Write those notes with the same discipline you bring to hitting your goals.”

Highlights from a Q&A with students

• On staying motivated after setbacks: Long-term drive comes only when people “own the outcome” of their goals; external rewards fade quickly.
• On launching a venture right out of college: Assemble mentors who deliver “truth-telling feedback,” starting with professors willing to critique both ideas and character.
• On life immediately after graduation: Explore service, travel or nonprofit work while expenses are low; constrained experiences reveal authentic passions.
• Most enduring lesson from a mentor: A former boss bought him 12 pocket-less shirts to cure sloppy pen storage – proof,  Porter said, that small details broadcast personal standards.
• A first no-nonsense investment: Porter recommended the Vanguard 500 Index Fund for its low fees and simplicity.

In 2011, Porter endowed the Porter Family Professional Development Center at Elon, which provides resources to assist students in preparing for and acquiring internships, full-time employment or graduate school placement after graduation.

Porter and his wife, Jen, are the parents of five children, including Tim Porter ’11 and Jack Hubley ’19, and three grandchildren.

Joshua Mason ‘25, lead scholar intern with the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, introduced Porter at the ceremony. Mason called Porter’s mantra of “doing well by doing good” the backbone of his own venture: Fate Line AI, a startup that delivers technical solutions to small businesses.

Doherty Center Director Dina Rousset concluded the program by reminding attendees that “an entrepreneurial mindset isn’t just about launching companies – it’s about choosing to see possibility everywhere.”

����app�ٷ���վ�� the ����app�ٷ���վ�� Medal for Entrepreneurial Leadership

The Elon Medal Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership is co-presented by the Love School of Business and the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Since 2009, the award has been given to an entrepreneur who is a leader in industry and who exemplifies the values of ����app�ٷ���վ��. These values include integrity, innovation and creativity, passion for lifelong learning, and a commitment to building a dynamic community.

����app�ٷ���վ�� the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

The Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship was established by an endowment gift from Ed and Joan Doherty, entrepreneurs from Saddle River, N.J., and parents of Kerry Doherty Gatlin ’07. The Dohertys have served on the university’s Parents Council, and Ed Doherty currently serves as an Elon Trustee. Their company, Doherty Enterprises, Inc., is one of the nation’s leading franchise operators of quality family restaurants, including Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, Panera Bread and Chevy’s Fresh Mex.

����app�ٷ���վ�� maker community is where curiosity becomes creation, and the Maker Takeover brings that spirit front and center.

Hosted by the Maker Hub, the 6th Annual Maker Takeover will take place on Wednesday, April 30, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Moseley Student Center. This free, drop-in event is open to the entire campus community. With more than 40 student-made projects on display, it’s a chance to explore, create, and engage with ����app�ٷ���վ�� vibrant maker community.

From quilting, woodworking, and 3D printing to student-designed games and immersive experiences, the Maker Takeover is equal parts interactive gallery and hands-on festival.

Attendees can:

• Play student-designed Connect 4 and Operation-style games.
• Sample liquid nitrogen ice cream from Elon Dining.
• Test their wit in the “Emergency Lockdown” escape room.
• Craft string art signs, custom t-shirts, keepsake buttons and stickers and other DIY giveaways.
• Watch live demos like chainmail making and screen-printing.

“I’m excited for Maker Takeover every year,” said Chloe Berkowitz-Pereyra ’26. “There are always new games, activities, and little personalized goodies to take home—but my favorite is the ice cream! My first year, it was mango ice cream; last year, they made Cheerwine. I can’t wait to see what unique flavor they have for us this year.”

The event will also feature the 2025 Kickbox cohort. Kickbox is a Maker Hub program that awards students funding, tools, and mentorship to turn passion projects into prototypes.

Some of this year’s creations include:

• Custom joint support rings, designed to ease chronic joint pain.
• A self-landing model rocket, for safer and more affordable engineering exploration.
• A wheelchair umbrella mount for hands-free weather protection.
• A handcrafted subwoofer engineered for audio precision.
• And a custom nightstand inspired by Where the Wild Things Are.

These projects highlight how ����app�ٷ���վ�� students are using design, engineering, art, and curiosity to solve problems, express themselves, and turn bold ideas into tangible results. Explore all of the 2025 Kickbox projects on the Maker Hub’s website.

“Maker Takeover is where creativity meets community. It’s not just about what our students made; it’s about what inspired them to make it, and their process of making it real.”

-Dan Reis, senior instructional technologist in Teaching and Learning Technologies, who leads the Maker Hubs.

Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to attend, bring a friend or colleague, and support the makers behind these innovative and meaningful projects. Some instructors even integrate Maker Takeover into class experiences—as extra credit, reflection prompts, or design inspiration.

Follow or visit the Maker Hub website for updates and a full event overview.

He presented a vision “to be the best food service company in the communities we serve”.

“Our vision is to be the best food service company in the communities we serve,” said Doherty.

He broke that vision into six words: wow, attitude, connect, engage, relationships, accountability.

“My mother was the hardest working person I’ve ever known,” he said, crediting her example for a work ethic that carried him from St. John’s University to Mobil and, in 1985, to launching his first franchise.

He advised students that franchise success rests on location, strong operations and community involvement. “Corporations don’t have the same passion as an entrepreneur whose money is on the line,” he said.

Doherty insisted that caring for employees is non-negotiable. “Celebrate their good times and support them in their times of need,” he said.

That approach helped Doherty Enterprises grow to more than 5,000 employees by 2020 and survive an 85% sales drop during COVID‑19.

He closed by challenging students to apply the wow mindset in internships and ventures.

“Connect, engage and build relationships, and success will follow,” he said.

The division itself is built on a framework to provide tools necessary for all people to flourish. Administrators work closely with students, faculty and staff to identify opportunities to connect and scale campus programs and initiatives that champion positive cross-cultural engagement at all times and in all places.

And for many students, inclusive excellence at ����app�ٷ���վ�� is more than an office. It’s a value system. It’s a framing of diversity, equity, inclusion and other constructs that support belonging and well-being.

“Inclusive excellence is the foundation to a thriving community,” said Anna Matawaran ’25, a sociology and strategic communications double major now serving as the executive intern for the Division of Inclusive Excellence. “It represents a shared responsibility to embrace human differences, celebrate diversity and cultivate an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.”

‘A supportive and uplifting space is essential’

Students say that working within the inclusive excellence framework established by the division helps to create an environment that benefits all individuals with especially positive impacts on underserved groups.

Murphy Davis ’27, co-vice president-chief of staff of ����app�ٷ���վ�� Black Student Union (BSU), said she has learned how Elon works to support students from diverse backgrounds and ensure they feel empowered both in the classroom and across campus. The division’s physical presence on the second floor of Powell building is certainly important.

“As someone who often feels like an ‘other,’” Davis said, “having a supportive and uplifting space is essential.”

Davis’ position with the BSU and the organization’s connections on campus give her unique perspectives. As the BSU promotes a welcoming environment and advocates on behalf of Black undergraduate students at Elon, Davis notes that important work remains.

“There is great potential for the division to have an even stronger presence through more dedicated spaces, programs, and resources,” Davis said.

The Division of Inclusive Excellence currently works with various groups to create resources and initiatives that foster an equitable and inclusive community. These initiatives help students to engage with their environments and increase their understanding and knowledge around diversity, equity and inclusion.

Shriya Baru ’25 is an accounting major who describes feeling encouraged to share her culture with the university community.

“When it comes to accepting and welcoming people of different cultures and different races, I feel ����app�ٷ���վ�� is an amazing place,” said Baru, one of many student small business owners supported by the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which has nurtured her work on launching an Indian American fashion fusion brand. “I just feel blessed to be in this school where I was welcomed by all.”

Matawaran notes how the Division of Inclusive Excellence strives to ensure equity, belonging and wellness across the campus.

“At Elon, I hope to see this commitment continue to evolve, weaving Inclusive Excellence into every interaction, initiative and decision to create a truly inclusive and welcoming space for all,” she said.

Inclusive excellence today and tomorrow

Robin Falkow ’25, a former Student Government Association (SGA) Speaker of the Senate, said she hopes to see a wider connection to the resources that the division can provide to students. SGA works toward making campus a more inclusive place by seeking to enhance student life and ensure the entire student body feels valued, heard and supported.

Students who participate in SGA can address concerns and promote positive change by working closely with university leaders, faculty and staff.

“It’s important to show students how they can have an active role in promoting inclusive excellence and what they can do to make Elon a more inclusive and inviting space,” Falkow said.

One way that SGA is working towards making campus more inclusive is with Students Promoting Inclusive Excellence, a committee within SGA whose work has been noticed by students. Marshall Horton ’27 and Carena Ziolkowski ’27 said they see positivity and a growing number of events that bring people together.

Nailah Ware ’26, an Odyssey Program scholar and Honors Fellow, also said she hopes to see a harmonious and infectious culture of inclusive excellence at Elon.

“I would like to see even more collaboration among different organizations on campus,” said Ware, a featured subject in The Huemanity of People project that highlights and celebrates stories of students, faculty and staff.

Matawaran said she supports embedding an inclusive excellence framework even deeper in ����app�ٷ���վ�� culture, while Davis said she hopes to see Elon continue its dedication to creating more resources that foster a more equitable campus and welcoming environment.

“In the future, I would like to see the Division of Inclusive Excellence expand its efforts to provide more targeted support and opportunities for minority students,” said Davis, who pointed to the Student Mentors Advising Rising Talent (SMART) peer mentoring program as one example of a successful program she admires. “I envision hosting events highlighting diversity such as collaborating with student clubs to celebrate heritage months and organizing speaker series on race, identity and social justice issues.”