McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship Awards Chairman & CEO

The Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University today recognized WeDriveU’s Chairman & CEO Dennis Carlson as its 2020 SJU Entrepreneur of the Year.

The Donald McNeely Center’s awards recognize and celebrate successful alumnae/i entrepreneurs who embody the entrepreneurial spirit and demonstrate the Benedictine values in their professional and personal lives.

According to its announcement, “…in 2020 – a year where an entrepreneurial mindset and engagement in ‘pivots’ is a daily activity for all, the 2020 Entrepreneur of the Year recipients highlight that exemplary entrepreneurship is rooted in the foundation of ‘Inspired Learning. Inspiring Lives’ with their diverse academic majors and Benedictine values that their founding ventures impact.”

2020 SJU Entrepreneur of the Year

Dennis Carlson ’86
Chairman and CEO of WeDriveU

Since founding WeDriveU in 1988, Carlson has led WeDriveU’s growth as the leader in shuttle transportation solutions. Besides serving as chairman and CEO of WeDriveU, he also leads the Shuttle division for National Express America, operated independently by WeDriveU.

Carlson’s vision for transforming transportation has been featured by the Financial Times, Fox Business News, The New York Times and The Mercury News. His entrepreneurial spirit inspired the company’s early growth as the leader in professional chauffeurs who drive executives in their personal car, and he continues to advance WeDriveU’s vision to address clients’ evolving mobility challenges with workplace and campus commuting solutions for companies, universities and hospitals.

“I’ve wanted to be an entrepreneur ever since I learned the word in a management class at Saint John’s, so being named the Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship 2020 Entrepreneur of the Year is an incredible honor.” – Dennis Carlson

The Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship is an interdisciplinary center focused on “inspiring the entrepreneurial spirit” throughout the campus community through curricular, extracurricular and community events for students of all majors and class years – including its signature Entrepreneur Scholars cohort where students in an interdisciplinary cohort are expected to launch a business during the three-course, 12-credit program.

Dennis is among three graduates to receive awards from the McNeely Center. Due to COVID-19, they will receive their award and be honored in person along with next year’s award recipients at an awards celebration in the fall of 2021. Readdetails on the awards.

Content published with permission from SJU’s Communications team.