Sam Houston 79
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SAM HOUSTON 79 AWARDS PROGRAM
MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2025 | Student Lowman Center
Celebrating Entrepreneurship: A Partnership Between the SHSU Alumni Association and the College of Business Administration
This collaboration aims to elevate student engagement, celebrate entrepreneurial success, and strengthen ties between alumni and the next generation of Bearkat business leaders.
Together, we are excited to offer a series of events that spotlight innovation, mentorship, and business growth!
SAM HOUSTON 79 EVENT DETAILS
COBA Career Panel
3:00 – 4:00 PM (White Ballroom, LSC)
Open to alumni, students, community
Panel featuring Bearkat business leaders sharing insights on growth, leadership, and entrepreneurship
Closing remarks will highlight the Student Entrepreneur Showcase
Our Panelists Include:
Jessica Bensema ʼ18 | Lake Conroe Lakeside Properties
Justin Burnett ʼ02 | Burnett Ventures and JAR Capital
Kaeman Perkins ʼ19, ʼ24 | Farm and City Interiors
John Thomas ʼ70 | Wildseed Farms
Student Entrepreneur Showcase
4:00 – 5:00 PM (White Ballroom, LSC)
Open to alumni, students, community
Explore displays from the Student Entrepreneur Showcase finalists
Networking Happy Hour
4:00 – 5:00 PM (White Ballroom, LSC)
A casual mixer to foster relationships between honorees, alumni, students, and faculty.
Sam Houston 79 Business Awards Dinner
5:30 – 7:00 PM (Orange Ballroom, LSC)
The main event unveiling the top SHSU Bearkat-owned or Bearkat-led businesses of 2025. (Ticketed event)
Dinner and program including video features, speakers, and awards presentation
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Support the Sam Houston 79 program while showcasing your business to a broad network of alumni, students, and university partners.
Select sponsorships will help fund scholarships and awards for COBA students, so join us in supporting the next generation of Bearkat business leaders!
Give Back Today!
For sponsorship inquiries and additional information: please email Bailey Bernal, Bbernal@shsu.edu
ABOUT
Sam Houston 79
This SHSU Alumni Association annual program identifies and honors the fastest growing SHSU Bearkat-owned and Bearkat-led businesses.
The nominated businesses that send in their information will be ranked, and the top businesses based on percentage of compound annual growth in sales or revenues (net of returns), over a three-year period will be recognized and celebrated during the annual Sam Houston 79 event.
If you know of a Bearkat Business you would like to nominate, nominations for the Sam Houston 79 event are open now!
Whitley Penn: Official Verification Partner
We are honored to partner with Whitley Penn LLP as the official verification partner of the Sam Houston 79 Awards.
Whitley Penn ensures the credibility of the ranked list by calculating each company’s compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) using confidential revenue data submitted through the Revenue Verification Form.
All financial data is handled solely by Whitley Penn and is not shared with Sam Houston State University, the Alumni Association, or any third parties.
We are grateful for Whitley Penn’s partnership and their commitment to celebrating the success of Bearkat-led businesses with accuracy and integrity.