The Queens McColl School of Business, along with the Entrepreneurial Leadership Circle, proudly established the Carolinas Entrepreneur Hall of Fame in 2010 to honor the individuals whose legacies still shape today’s business and economy throughout the Carolinas and beyond.

While the program concluded in 2025, the McColl School remains dedicated to developing leaders of high competence and character who are committed to shaping their communities. The Hall of Fame served as a way for the school and the university to recognize and thank the entrepreneurs who made lasting contributions and laid the groundwork for major business sectors in our region. Wells Fargo sponsored the event during its legacy at Queens.

Prior inductees were selected based on specific criteria established by the selection committee: each laureate was either a founder or a subsequent entrepreneurial leader of a business with at least a ten-year track record, demonstrated significant, positive impact on the community they served, and made personal contributions to the greater good of the Carolinas. Inductions occurred during active leadership, after retirement, or posthumously.

Innovator of Distinction Award

In 2020, Queens University of Charlotte announced the addition of the inaugural Innovator of Distinction award, featuring an emerging entrepreneur or business to be honored at the Carolinas Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.

The award recognizes the entrepreneurial efforts and achievements of a businessperson who has developed a successful regional or national business. This entrepreneur must have launched and run a business with at least three to five years of sustained growth and multiple rounds of venture funding or sustained revenue growth. Additionally, the selected entrepreneur must be making a significant impact on the Charlotte region and have a clear statement of company principles.