Sun Devil 100 luncheon honors alumni entrepreneurs
The 145 organizations in this year’s group collectively reported an astonishing total revenue of $70.7 billion for the 2023 fiscal year. Photo courtesy Tim Trumble
On Friday, April 25, the ASU Alumni Association hosted the Sun Devil 100 Class of 2025 recognition luncheon at the ASU Tempe Student Pavilion, celebrating a record-breaking cohort of 145 of the fastest-growing businesses owned or led by Sun Devil alumni.
Together, these companies generated an impressive $70.7 billion in total revenue during the 2023 fiscal year.
“The Sun Devil 100 program recognizes the achievements of Sun Devils with an entrepreneurial spirit and the attitude that brings success,” said Susan Casper, Arizona Family community anchor and emcee for the luncheon, as she welcomed attendees.
This year’s class — the largest to date — comprises 205 business leaders representing a versatile range of industries, including health care, technology, construction, education, architecture and more.
Collectively, their companies employ nearly 257,000 full-time professionals across 14 states and two countries, exemplifying ASU’s interdisciplinary approach and widespread economic impact.
The luncheon also recognized the top three fastest-growing companies, based on percentage revenue growth from the 2021–23 fiscal years, in three revenue categories:
- $250,000–$1.99 million: SCORE NN’
- Jaron Lodge, ’21 BS in business entrepreneurship
- $2 million–$9.99 million: Good Company Real Estate
- Matthew Manoogian, '01 BIS
- $10 million-plus: Cambridge Companies Inc.
Bryan Young, ’14 MBA
Leaders from each of the top companies took the stage to reflect on their entrepreneurial journeys and the significance of being honored.
Jaron Lodge, founder and CEO of SCORE NN’, emphasized the importance of taking risks and acting on ideas.
“You can’t wait for the perfect moment," he said. "You’ve just got to show it to people, and let it evolve from there.”
Matthew Manoogian, realtor and co-founder of Good Company Real Estate, highlighted the role ASU played in his company’s development: “We built this company based on relationships, and the foundation of all of that started at ASU.”
Bryan Young, partner at Cambridge Companies Inc., expressed his gratitude for being part of the event, saying, "It’s a privilege to be recognized here around such an outstanding group of Sun Devil-led businesses."
The luncheon also bridged generations of Sun Devil entrepreneurs with a student panel featuring four undergraduates from the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute.
Each student shared their business aspirations and insights from their current ventures. And in recognition of their ambition, each student was awarded $1,000 to support their pursuits by event gold sponsor Desert Financial Credit Union.
In attendance were ASU executives, Arizona legislators, local business leaders and community members, all celebrating the entrepreneurial achievements and economic contributions of ASU alumni.
“You are a testament to the power of the ASU ecosystem and the caliber of its alumni,” said Kevin Macklem, director of sales at Canon, the event’s presenting sponsor. “You’ve not only built successful businesses, but have also created jobs, driven innovation and contributed to the economic vitality of our communities.”
To be considered for the Sun Devil 100, companies must be ASU alumni owned or led, have been in business for at least three years, have revenues of $250,000-plus for the past three years and operate in a manner consistent with the ASU Charter.
Learn more about the Sun Devil 100, and nominate someone who meets the criteria for the Sun Devil 100 Class of 2026.
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