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2017 Innovation Celebration Winners Announced

CHAMPAIGN, IL, March 6, 2017 – Over 350 people gathered at Parkland College for the 12th Annual Innovation Celebration on the evening of Friday, March 3rd to recognize those individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions, taken risks, and provided leadership to ensure the continuing economic success of Champaign County, the ongoing success of the University’s economic development mission, and the growth of entrepreneurial talent and energy in our community.

Innovation Celebration is not merely an award for accomplishment, but a benchmark of success for those outstanding individuals, organizations and corporations who are nominated and selected to receive this prestigious award.

Innovation Celebration is hosted by the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation in partnership with the University of Illinois, Parkland College, and community sponsors. For more information, visit www.innovationcelebration.com.

Award Winners

Innovation Transfer Award—University of Illinois
Recognizes an individual or group from the University of Illinois whose research has resulted in either a discovery or a work with the potential for significant societal impact.

 Dr. Frederic Kolb

Alexis Wernsing Innovation Award—University of Illinois
Recognizes an individual or team from the University of Illinois that has channeled their experience living with a disability into positive change through the creation of new products, environments, or protocols that enhance quality of life.

Arielle Rausin

Innovation in Engagement Award—Parkland College
Recognizes an individual or group at Parkland College who has shown support of the college’s community engagement mission.

Jenni Fridgen

Entrepreneurial Excellence: Social Venture Award
Serve as change agents by creating and implementing sustainable solutions to reshape society, benefit humanity, and address social concerns.

 Young Entrepreneurship Program (YEP) – Champaign Unit 4 Schools

Entrepreneurial Excellence: Student Startup Award
Formed by students in the last three years and demonstrates a commitment to continuing success through entrepreneurial talent, creativity and energy.

 Cast21

Entrepreneurial Excellence: New Venture Award
Formed in the last three years, and demonstrates a commitment to continuing success through entrepreneurial talent, creativity and energy.

PhotoniCare, Inc.

Entrepreneurial Excellence: Paul Magelli Advocacy Award
Actively engage, encourage, coach and mentor entrepreneurs in the community, and provide extensive support to help them achieve success.

 Jed Taylor

Innovation: Economic Development Impact Award
Has successfully commercialized innovations while demonstrating a commitment to positive, local, economic impact.

 II-VI EpiWorks

Entrepreneurial Excellence: Management Award
Demonstrates expertise in assembling resources, creating an organization, and working to build and implement effective action plans.

 Laura Bleill – chambanamoms.com & University of Illinois Research Park

Innovation: Longevity Award
Recognizes those enterprises whose sustained success is the direct result of continued innovation over many years.

Litania Sports Group

The EDC was pleased to work with the following sponsors of Innovation Celebration 2017: the University of Illinois’ Technology Entrepreneur Center, Research Park, Office of Corporate Relations, and Office of Technology Management, along with Parkland College, Singleton Law Firm, Serra Ventures, City of Champaign, Village of Rantoul, Bridge – Champaign County’s Virtual Incubator, Martin Hood Friese & Associates, Fox Development Corporation, Ramshaw Real Estate, Illinois Small Business Development Center at Champaign County EDC, Hanson Financial, AARP, Surface 51, Guth & Associates, Pixo, Carle, IllinoisVENTURES, Huawei, II-VI EpiWorks, Adjacency, and Frasca International, Inc.

A special thanks to Five Foot Productions for producing the videos.

 

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Event recap video, created by ADJACENCY.

Click here to view event photos, courtesy of Darrell Hoemann.

Download the event program here.

View opening & closing remarks from the event. Award acceptance speeches can be viewed at the links below.

– Dr. Frederic Kolb
– Arielle Rausin
– Jenni Fridgen
– Young Entrepreneurship Program (YEP)
– Cast21
– PhotoniCare, Inc. 
– Jed Taylor
– II-VI EpiWorks
– Laura Bleill
– Litania Sports Group

Press:

Entrepreneurs recognized at Innovation Celebration, The News-Gazette

United Airlines To Begin Service At Willard Airport

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2/27/17

CONTACT:
Gene Cossey, Executive Director
University of Illinois-Willard Airport
217-244-8640
gcossey@illinois.edu

United Airlines to Begin Service at Willard Airport

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — United Airlines announced today that it plans to begin service between Champaign-Urbana (CMI) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) starting June 8, 2017.

The new service offers convenient flight times providing 150 additional daily seats for travelers to reach their final destination via Willard Airport.  United will join American Airlines at CMI, both providing air service to and from the greater Champaign-Urbana area and Chicago.

CMI now joins 1,300 airports in the Star Alliance network, the world’s largest airline alliance.  Star Alliance carriers operate 18,450 daily flights to cities in 190 countries on six continents, all of which will be accessible with a single airline ticket to and from CMI. Passengers will now be able to book tickets on all Star Alliance carriers, connecting at Chicago, including United, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Air India, ANA, Austrian, Avianca, Copa, EVA, SAS Scandinavian, Swiss, and Turkish Airlines.

Gene Cossey, Executive Director of Willard Airport notes that increased air service is a testament to the community’s support of Willard and the airport’s continued commitment to serve the region. Willard has worked to provide additional options for passenger convenience as United Airlines does not currently serve any other airport in the region.

“We are very excited to be welcoming United Airlines as a part of the Fly Champaign-Urbana family.  The new service will enhance the already convenient travel from Champaign-Urbana, provide easy access to destinations all over the world, and give more opportunities for economic growth in Champaign County.  So many people have worked very hard to help Willard Airport grow and this provides just one more reason to choose your hometown airport first.”

United Airlines is currently the largest airline in the world in terms of cities served, with flights to 360 cities on five continents. United Airlines largest domestic hub, O’Hare provides direct service to 208 destinations, including 153 domestic destinations and 55 international destinations.

“United’s new service between Champaign-Urbana and Chicago O’Hare International Airport offers United customers a much wider array of domestic and international travel options,” said Eric Schmauch, United’s director of Regional Sales. “With hundreds of available connections at our Chicago hub, we are confident that our customers in Champaign will benefit greatly from this flight.”

The United O’Hare hub will provide CMI with service to 27 unique one-stop destinations not currently served including Maui, Hong Kong, Mexico City, Costa Rica, Grand Cayman, Amsterdam, Dublin, Frankfurt and more.  United Airlines will provide a comprehensive international gateway serving Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. Currently the number one US carrier to Asia with service to 21 cities in Asia, University of Illinois Associate Chancellor Mike DeLorenzo said the new United Airlines service will be beneficial for the university’s international students.

“A goal of the Airport Task Force has always been air service enhancement for the University and community and we are thrilled United Airlines is adding air service to Willard.  This additional air service will provide our faculty, staff and students increased options for travel nationally and internationally as they continue work in supporting our preeminent University.”

US Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) believes this will have a positive impact on the local and regional community. “This is an exciting announcement that will allow Champaign-Urbana and surrounding areas the ability to grow and succeed,” said Davis. “Air service to our smaller communities is extremely important to connect them globally and support our local economies.”

The new Chicago flight schedule is available now for June ticketing. Tickets can be purchased at www.united.com.

The schedule for the new flights between Champaign-Urbana and Chicago (all times local) is as follows:

CMI to ORD 5:45 (departure) 1:45 (departure) 5:20 (departure)
ORD to CMI 12:15 (arrival) 3:50 (arrival) 8:55 (arrival, RON)

About United

United Airlines and United Express operate more than 4,500 flights a day to 339 airports across five continents. In 2016, United and United Express operated more than 1.6 million flights carrying more than 143 million customers. United is proud to have the world’s most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates 737 mainline aircraft and the airline’s United Express partners operate 483 regional aircraft. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 192 countries via 28 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United’s parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol “UAL”.

 

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View photos from the press conference here.

View the video from the press conference here.

Press:

United Airlines set to begin service at CMI starting in June, Smile Politely

United adds Willard to O’Hare service, The News-Gazette

United Airlines to Start Champaign-Urbana Service, chambanamoms.com

New Processing Facility Coming to Central Illinois for Organic and Non-GMO Sunflower and Soy Products

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:

Curtis Bennett
Vice President, Sales & Operations
Clarkson Soy Products, LLC
217-763-9511 – Ext. 124
Curtis.Bennett@clarksonsoy.com
www.clarksonsoy.com

CHAMPAIGN, IL, February 21, 2017 – A new state-of-the-art 30,000 sq ft processing facility for organic and non-GMO sunflower and soy lecithin is slated to open in August 2017 at Titan Warehouse in northeast Champaign.

This is the second Midwest facility owned and operated by Clarkson Soy Products, LLC. In 2004, the company became the first in the worldwide market to produce Certified Organic soy lecithin, an ingredient found in chocolate, ice cream, infant formula and numerous other edible products. Their current processing facility is located in Cherokee, Iowa.

The new processing plant in Champaign will be the first of its kind in North America and will employ four people. Clarkson Soy Products, LLC, plans to seek Organic, Kosher, and SQF Food Safety Certification for the facility.

According to Curtis Bennett, Vice President of Sales and Operations at Clarkson Soy, LLC, “The new facility will give our customers assurances of U.S. origin under the new FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) Regulations. We have evolved to become North America’s leader in specialty lecithins.”

The City of Champaign, Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, and Coldwell Banker Commercial Devonshire Realty assisted Clarkson Soy, LLC, in finding a suitable site. Clarkson Soy Products, LLC, will be working with The Atkins Group to complete the project.

Clarkson Soy Products, LLC, an employee-owned company located in Cerro Gordo, Illinois, was founded in 2002. The company processes, distributes, and exports high-quality Certified Organic and non-GMO lecithins for the food, personal care, nutritional, supplement, pet care, animal nutrition, and industrial markets.

 

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New Videos Highlight ECCA Program at Parkland College

CHAMPAIGN, IL, February 13, 2017 – Together with the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce, we are pleased to release three new videos highlighting the Early College and Career Academy (ECCA) at Parkland College.

ECCA is a joint effort of Education for Employment System #330 (a K-12 Career and Technical Education cooperative) and Parkland College. Through the program, area high school juniors and seniors earn credits that count toward a high school diploma and college, all while gaining skills in six different Parkland College degree programs: Manufacturing, Automotive Technology, Computer Networking, Certified Nursing Assistant, Emergency Medical Services, and Criminal Justice.

The first video provides an overview of the program from Nick Elder, Director of ECCA & EFE #330, and Parkland instructors Billy Wirth and J.R. Schultz.

The second video features five students currently enrolled in the Manufacturing program of ECCA, representing Paxton-Buckley-Loda CUSD #10, Rantoul Township High School #193, and Villa Grove CUSD #302.

The third video features HL Precision Manufacturing, Inc., Frasca International, Inc., and Litania Sports Group – all companies who have partnered with ECCA to not only sponsor students in the manufacturing program, but offer positions for students through internships and part-time work. The video also highlights Ben Perkinson, a Champaign Unit 4 grad who successfully completed the ECCA program with support from HL Precision Manufacturing, Inc., and now works for their company.

The idea for these videos – created by Five Foot Productions – was a direct result of feedback from a round table co-hosted by the Champaign County EDC and Champaign County Chamber of Commerce on National Manufacturing Day in 2016.

To learn more about ECCA, visit their website at http://www.parkland.edu/ecca.

 

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EDC Featured on Champaign Connection

Thanks to the City of Champaign for inviting Craig Rost on the Champaign Connection show! We were happy to talk about what we do, how we work with the City of Champaign, the You’re Welcome CU campaign, our Made in Champaign County program (#MadeInCC), and more.

You can catch Craig’s interview at the 8:03 mark.

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