The New Castle County Chamber of Commerce earlier this month announced the winners of the David J. Freschman Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the Entrepreneurial Advocate of the Year Award. Here are the winners, with descriptions provided by NCC:
David J. Freschman Entrepreneur of the Year Award - Alisa Morkides, owner and founder, Brew HaHa!
A fateful trip to Florence in the Spring of 1993 was the catalyst to the creation of one of Wilmington's most beloved coffee hangouts. Educated as a chemist, and working in corporate management, Alisa never let go of her dream to start her own business. But it was while sipping another perfect cappuccino in a setting worthy of a Shakespearean drama that gave her the impetus to open Brew HaHa!, Wilmington's first bona fide espresso café in a 750 square foot store front in Greenville, Delaware. Today, Brew HaHa! has grown to 10 coffee houses with sales of over $7 million, multiple awards, including Best Coffee in Delaware for over 22 years in a row. In 2015 Alisa started a second business, Brandywine Coffee Roasters, which sells coffee world wide.
Entrepreneurial Advocate of the Year Award - Mark Olazagasti, managing partner, Info Solutions, LLC
As managing partner and founding member of Info Solutions LLC, Mark Olazagasti has helped create and build one of the area’s preeminent IT infrastructure consulting and managed services firm. As a first generation entrepreneur, Mark has taken the lessons he has learned from his more than 25 years of operations, personnel, and project management experience to help mentor local entrepreneurs and students. Mark serves on numerous boards and committees, and as a moderator at various business-related events. In addition, Mark has conducted over 25 Q&A sessions for hundreds of students at local educational institutions including Goldey-Beacom College, Wilmington University, Delaware Technical Community College, and the University of Delaware.
