RAEDI honors area entrepreneurs at 10th annual RAVE awards

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Rochester area business leaders came together to celebrate three entrepreneurs at the 10th annual Recognizing Awarding Valuing Entrepreneurs (RAVE) event Tuesday evening.

John Aho and Sasha Gentling, co-founders of Pneumeric, Inc., Rochester, Minnesota, Kerry and Jane Kingsley, co-founders of Kingsley Mercantile in Harmony, Minnesota, and Mary Hartman, founder of StableFeed in Kasson, Minnesota were recognized at the event hosted downtown at Two Discovery Square. Over the last ten years, 36 entrepreneurs have been honored.

“It started with an idea that we need to do more to recognize and foster and encourage people to start businesses,” John Wade, president of Rochester Area Economic Develop, INC., said. “Since that time, literally hundreds of businesses have started in this area, regionally, and continue to invest in southern Minnesota with great jobs for everybody here.”

This year, Bill Bowman was honored with the RAVE lifetime achievement award. Bowman founded Bowman Tool and Machining in Rochester, Minnesota.

The RAVE Warrior of the Year was Mayo Clinic Chief Business Development Officer James A. Rogers, III. The warrior award goes to a person who advocates, promotes, and supports area entrepreneurs, and increases awareness of the value entrepreneurs play in building our local economy.

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