Stay Connected with the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center
Join the Spartan Collective to stay engaged with UTampa’s entrepreneurial community! As an alum, you’ll receive exclusive updates, event invitations and opportunities to connect with fellow entrepreneurs, mentor students and support the next generation of innovators.
Alumni Awards
Annually, The University of Tampa’s John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center honors its most outstanding alumni entrepreneurs in an awards ceremony. This gathering also serves as a platform for networking with like-minded alumni entrepreneurs.
Award Categories:
Lowth Entrepreneurship Center Service Award
This award recognizes alumni who have made an outstanding altruistic contribution to the community.
Social Entrepreneur
This award recognizes alumni who have shown a strong commitment to social responsibility.
Early Stage Award
This award recognizes alumni with promising ventures who are in the early stages of growth.
Family Business
This award recognizes alumni who are part of a family business.
Young Entrepreneur Award
This award recognizes young alumni who have shown exceptional talent and achieved success in business.
Outstanding Service to Entrepreneurs
This award recognizes alumni or non-alumni who have shown outstanding commitment to the entrepreneurial community in general.
Innovator Entrepreneur
This award recognizes alumni who have shown a commitment to innovative business practices.
Service-Based Entrepreneur
This award recognizes alumni entrepreneurs in service-oriented industries such as consulting.
Lifetime Achievement Award
This award recognizes alumni who operate businesses that have shown stability and success over a long period of time.
Lowth Entrepreneurship Center Annual Alumni Gathering and Awards
Established in 2012, the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center Alumni Gathering and Awards honors alumni who have made significant professional and personal achievements since graduation.
The 13th Annual Entrepreneur Alumni Awards was held on Feb. 19, 2026, from 5:30 to 9 p.m.
2026 Award Recipients
Steve Ciarleglio '05: 2026 Innovator Award
CEO, Novus Informatics
Steve Ciarleglio is the founder and CEO of Novus Informatics, a healthcare technology company he established in 2012 to help hospitals improve supply chain efficiency. Under Ciarleglio’s leadership, Novus has become a trusted partner to major hospitals across Tampa Bay and beyond, known for transparency, adaptability and innovation. Ciarleglio is also deeply committed to giving back, leading ongoing charitable initiatives that support local organizations and children’s health causes.
Alexis Alegre-Castro'25: 2026 Young Entrepreneur Award
Founder, Give Back Snacks
Alexis Alegre-Castro is the founder and CEO of Give Back Snacks LLC, a mission-driven food startup offering single-ingredient, freeze-dried fruit snacks through a Buy One, Give Back model that supports hunger relief. Launched in 2025, the company donates the equivalent of one meal per unit sold to Feeding Tampa Bay and has already contributed hundreds of meals. Alegre-Castro has been recognized with multiple UTampa honors, including the Alan Weimer Outstanding Entrepreneurship Student of the Year Award and selection as a Spartan Spark Fund recipient.
Frank Ghannadian: 2026 Outstanding Service to Entrepreneurs
Dean, Sykes College of Business
Frank Ghannadian has served as dean of the University of Tampa Sykes College of Business since 2007. During Ghannadian’s tenure, the number of students in the College tripled from 1,700 to over 5,000. During his tenure, many new degree programs were added, including business information technology, cybersecurity, the Executive MBA, Executive Doctor of Business Administration, the online M.S. in information technology and the online MBA. Additionally, Ghannadian oversaw the creation of the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center and the Southard Institute for Sales Excellence.
The college’s MBA and many of its master’s programs have been ranked in Bloomberg’s top 100 business programs for the past decade. In addition, Sykes College of Business has been ranked by Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report for its excellence for over 15 years.
Spartan Collective
Spartan Collective is the John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center’s platform that bridges students and alumni to a world of opportunities and meaningful connections. Whether you're a graduate or a current student, our unique space fosters collaboration, expertise sharing and mutual support.
Spartan Collective empowers alumni to give back to the community, embrace fresh perspectives and enhance leadership skills. As the core of Lowth Center's programming, it fuels initiatives like the Spartan Accelerator and Spartan Incubator, events such as Pitch Sykes and CREATE Business Idea competition, and UT Entrepreneurship club. Join Spartan Collective now and shape a brighter future together.
For our esteemed alumni, Spartan Collective ensures lifelong connections. We offer a comprehensive platform for alumni to access job opportunities, career support, mentoring and valuable resources—all in one place. No matter your career stage, Spartan Collective empowers you with meaningful connections and support. For ambitious students, Spartan Collective is the gateway to building a powerful network and unlocking endless opportunities.
Join Spartan Collective today and be part of a thriving community of innovators, mentors and change-makers. Together, we'll shape a brighter future for entrepreneurship and unleash the potential of every member in our network.
