Tulane honors 2018 Entrepreneurs of the Year

The A. B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University honored business executive Patrick Comer as Tulane Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year and civic activist and alumna Sandy Rosenthal as Tulane Outstanding Social Entrepreneur of the Year during the 2018 Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Awards Gala.

The Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation presents the awards each year to highlight outstanding entrepreneurs in the community. The Tulane Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year Award honors individuals who combine a history of entrepreneurial success with philanthropic generosity and service to the community. The Tulane Outstanding Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognizes individuals who are solving social problems and meeting community needs through the use of entrepreneurial principles.

Comer is the founder and CEO of Lucid, a platform that connects buyers, sellers and users of survey sample data. The company is headquartered in New Orleans with offices in London, New York and New Delhi, India. Comer has worked in startups since 1998 and in market research since 2003.

“Patrick and Sandy both embody the true spirit of entrepreneurship.”

— Dean Ira Solomon

Rosenthal, who holds an MBA from Tulane, is executive director of Levees.org, the nonprofit she founded in 2005 to educate the public on the facts regarding the catastrophic flooding of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Through public service announcements, media outreach, and state and federal government lobbying, the organization has worked to show that the flood was not an act of God but a man-made civil engineering disaster. Levees.org has also pushed for legislation to help prevent future disasters.

“With the remarkable success of Lucid, Patrick transformed the sampling industry and helped establish New Orleans as a center of entrepreneurial innovation, while Sandy, through Levees.org, changed the narrative regarding the flooding of New Orleans while championing legislation to protect future generations,” said Freeman School Dean Ira Solomon. “While their achievements differ, Patrick and Sandy both embody the true spirit of entrepreneurship, and I couldn’t be more pleased to honor them as our 2018 Entrepreneurs of the Year.”