Belkin named Cornell's Entrepreneur of the Year

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Jul 23, 2004

ITHACA - Steven B. Belkin, a Cornell University alumnus, chairman, and founder of Trans National Group (TNG), a Boston-based privately held corporation, and the principal owner of the professional sports teams the Atlanta Hawks and the Atlanta Thrashers, will be honored on campus, Oct. 14-15, as Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year 2004.

The award, managed by Cornell's Entrepreneurship and Personal Enterprise (EPE) Program, is given annually to a Cornell graduate who best exemplifies entrepreneurial achievement, community service, and high ethical standards.

Belkin founded TNG in 1974. Principally a direct-response marketing and investment company, TNG has a staff of 250 and generates more than $200 million per year in sales. Belkin was the founder of "affinity" credit cards, those Visas and Mastercards that also bear the logo of both businesses and nonprofits, which can generate special deals for the user or income for the organization. He also pioneered the concept of using direct-mail marketing to provide products and services to the affinity group marketplace.

The past four Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year (CEY) award winners have been Jules Kroll '63, executive chairman of the board of Kroll Inc.; Rob Ryan '69, founder of Ascend Communications; Jeffrey Parker '65, M.E. '66, MBA '70, founder of First Call and cofounder, chairman, and CEO of the Corporate Communications Broadcast Network (CCBN); and Jeff Hawkins '79, inventor of the PaImPilot and co-founder of Handspring Inc. A committee of Cornell alumni, faculty, and students reviews the nominations and selects the recipient.

The award was established in 1984 by Cornell's S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management and is now managed by the EPE Program. Founded in 1992 as a combined initiative of the Johnson School and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, EPE supports instruction, internships, student groups and an alumni network. The deans of nine participating Cornell schools and colleges govern the program.

This year's CEY celebration will begin with an award presentation dinner and reception Oct. 14, hosted by Cornell President Jeffrey Lehman. It also will include Belkin's public address, "Lessons Learned by an Entrepreneur," Oct. 15 in the Statler Auditorium on campus.