DURHAM, N.H. - The University of New Hampshire Whittemore School of Business and Economics has named high-tech investor and entrepreneur Matt Pierson the 2012 Holloway Entrepreneur of the Year.

Now in its 10th year, the Holloway Entrepreneur of the Year award is given to a business leader with a demonstrated commitment to the state's business community, an appreciation for UNH and its resources, and a track record of creating entrepreneurial value by starting companies, supporting and promoting new ventures and mentoring individuals engaged in business start-ups.

"It's an honor to receive this award. Today's innovation-driven economy relies on talented young people with a passion for entrepreneurship emerging from our universities. Working with the UNH on the Meaning of Entrepreneurship course has been one of the most satisfying parts of my professional life over the past four years. Helping to create opportunities for students, whether via unique course offerings, matching students with internships, or encouraging them to study abroad on Semester at Sea, makes a real difference to our New Hampshire economy and one that I'm proud of," Pierson said.

Pierson will be presented the award at the Paul J. Holloway Prize Innovation-to-Market Competition Wednesday, May 9, 2012, at UNH. The UNH Whittemore School is celebrating the 24th anniversary of the Holloway Prize Competition, which is the state's oldest business plan competition and honors New Hampshire businessman Paul J. Holloway. Six teams will vie for more than $65,000 in prize money and awards in the final round of competition, to be held in the Squamscott Room of Holloway Commons in Durham.

"We are excited to be able to hold the Holloway Prize annually and help UNH students share their dreams, visions and business proposals with judges from the business community.  And, we are proud to recognize Matt Pierson for his significant entrepreneurial contributions. He joins an elite list of successful award recipients who have helped to foster a vibrant and productive entrepreneurial community in the state and beyond," said Michael Merenda, Holloway Prize Competition director and professor of strategic management and entrepreneurship.

Pierson has been involved with numerous start-up and early-stage high tech companies in New Hampshire for the past 25 years. In 1996, he co-founded DTC Communications with two partners, building the company to $30 million in revenue before selling it to Cobham plc, a U.K.-based defense company, in 2004. In 2008 he founded JitterGram, Inc. one of the first companies to integrate email with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media tools into a cloud-based CRM system. JitterGram was acquired by The Meltwater Group in February 2011.

Pierson has been named Exporter of the Year (1993) and Entrepreneur of the Year (2003) in New Hampshire. He is an active angel investor, as well as sits on the boards of numerous nonprofit and for-profit organizations. In 2009, he joined Dunn Rush & Co. as a managing director in its mergers and acquisitions practice. He is a director of the New Hampshire High Technology Council and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. He is vice chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Semester at Sea program based at the University of Virginia.

Pierson received his bachelor's in business administration from the University of Rhode Island, and lives in Bedford with his wife and two daughters, ages 13 and 15.

The UNH Whittemore School of Business and Economics offers a full complement of high-quality programs in business, economics, accounting, finance, information systems management, marketing, and hospitality management. Programs are offered at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive development levels. The school is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the premier accrediting agency for business schools worldwide. In January 2013, the business school will move into its new state-of-the-art facility and become the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.

PHOTO
The University of New Hampshire Whittemore School of Business and Economics has named high-tech investor and entrepreneur Matt Pierson the 2012 Holloway Entrepreneur of the Year.
/unhtoday/sites/default/files/newsroom/img/mattpierson.GIF

-30-