Cowboy100 Honoree Gala celebrates OSU alumni and their businesses

Seventy-six Oklahoma State University alumni and their businesses were celebrated Friday night during the 2021 Cowboy100 Honoree Gala, which recognizes the fastest-growing and top 10 revenue-generating Cowboy-owned and Cowboy-led businesses.

The event was live streamed and the video of the evenings activities can be found at https://ostate.tv/media/Cowboy+100+Gala/1_0fyz72pk/87553051.

The Cowboy100 recognizes outstanding entrepreneurship throughout OSU’s alumni base. Hosted by the Riata Center for Entrepreneurship in conjunction with the OSU Foundation, the gala raises funds for the Riata Center’s student programs and activities. It also serves as an additional resource for students to engage with industry leaders and for the Riata Center to become the reference point for entrepreneurship throughout the university.

“It’s a great honor to recognize the many Cowboy-owned or Cowboy-led businesses who are making a difference in the world,” OSU President Kayse Shrum said. “OSU graduates are among the many business leaders and entrepreneurs who are critical to the economic growth throughout Oklahoma, across the United States and internationally. I congratulate all of the Cowboy100 honorees.”

The inaugural class of Cowboy100 honorees included 76 businesses from 11 states and two foreign countries. A complete list of this year’s honorees is available at the Cowboy100 website: https://business.okstate.edu/riata/cowboy100/honorees.html.

Medefy Health, a Tulsa-based modern technology company which helps consumers navigate their health insurance, earned the number one spot for the fastest growing company with a yearly growth rate of 350%. Medefy Health was founded by cousins and OSU graduates Matt Scovil and Nathan Gilchrist and has quickly grown to serve more than 1,000 employer groups in all 50 states.

“For us, it’s a massive honor,” Scovil said. “Many of the companies recognized we heard about when we were in school, so just to be in the same room with them is honestly an honor.”

“This event is awesome,” Gilchrist said. “It gets the top 100 companies owned or operated by OSU alums together and we not only get to be honored together but we also get to talk with each other, network and figure out what makes each of us tick. It’s great to get together and have a shared experience.”

The Blazing10, recognizes the 10 highest revenue-generating OSU-owned or OSU-led businesses from within the Cowboy100 honorees. Wedgewood, a diversified real estate company in Redondo Beach, California founded in 1985 by Greg Geiser, is the inaugural winner of the Blazing10. This vertically integrated company includes residential revitalization, non-performing loans, property management, private lending, brokerage and escrow as additional sources of revenue.

[Homes by Taber is ranked No. 7 on the Blazing10 list]
To view the 2021 list of Blazing10 honorees visit: https://business.okstate.edu/riata/cowboy100/blazing_10.html.

The evening event which attracted more than 300 attendees included entertainment from Wade Tower and a plated meal of surf and turf by chef Tuck Curren. It was an event to remember for this year’s honorees and their families.

“The highlight for me tonight was seeing so many people that graduated 30 years after I did that have done so well in business,” said Jim M. Morris II owner of River Ranch Capital and 1973 OSU business school graduate. “I mean these people have the right attitudes. They're doing the right things, so anytime you can be around a younger group of people that are energetic and really getting the job done, it's exciting.”

Visit https://business.okstate.edu/riata/cowboy100/index.html, to learn more about the Cowboy100 and how to apply or nominate an OSU alum for next year’s awards.

The presenting sponsor was Hood and Associates CPAs, PC and the Cowboy100 partners were the OSU Foundation and JTaylor Advisory, Assurance and Tax.

Find the original article here.