LEAWOOD, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Benjamin Tumbleson of Lawrence, Kan., Elijah Baker of Kansas City, Mo. and Joshua Thomas of Leawood, Kan. are the 2015 recipients of the annual Tortoise Young Entrepreneurs Scholarship Awards. The scholarships are designed to give deserving students a head start in their academic endeavors and encourage an entrepreneurial mindset that helps recipients conceive or support firms that create innovative products, processes and solutions.
“We are extremely proud of our scholarship recipients,” said Tortoise Capital Advisors’ Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Birzer. “Each of these young entrepreneurs has demonstrated vision, determination and passion to transform an idea into a viable business opportunity. This program is an important part of our company’s culture, and we are pleased to help support the next generation of entrepreneurs.”
Tortoise 2015 Young Entrepreneurs Scholarship Recipients
Benjamin Tumbleson
Benjamin Tumbleson is a senior at the University of Kansas, studying finance. He became aware of his entrepreneurial spirit in 5th grade, following the loss of his family’s home to a fire. Using trace paper, Benjamin “designed” his new home at least a dozen different ways. With visions of a future in architecture, Benjamin decided to minor in business and took an entrepreneurship course. It was a life-altering decision. His was assigned the task of writing a proposed business plan for a financial tool designed for first-time investors. The plan won a university-wide business plan competition and launched Benjamin’s first business, Carbon Financial, which provides an online investment experience designed for the millennial generation. He is commercializing the business with the hope of raising capital. Benjamin is a business honors student with memberships in Jayhawk Consulting and the Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity. He is a participant in the KU Catalyst Student Business Accelerator and was recently a finalist in the Shocker New Venture competition. As an architecture student, Ben won multiple awards in 2D/3D architectural design at the Technology Student Association and Competitive Technology Design events hosted locally.
Elijah Baker
As a child, Elijah Baker became interested in robotics, participating in many international robotics competitions. While in FIRST LEGO LEAGUE (FFL), he proposed an idea to his teammates for a biomedical engineering product, code-named Script Alert. The concept was designed to ensure that patients would take their medication at the right time in the right dose. The team applied for and won one of just 15 grants issued worldwide by Lemelson-MIT InvenTEAM Program, and built Script Alert, a computer-based desktop device that “reads” prescription bottles tagged with special codes, and includes a touchscreen and 3D-printed housing. The application enables users to receive reminders via phone and computers and share data with their caregivers. Elijah begins his freshman year at Rockhurst University in Kansas City this fall.
Joshua Thomas
Joshua Thomas inherited his entrepreneurial spirit at a very young age from his father, who taught him to think like a mathematician, conducting abstract problem-solving using variables and strategies. In high school he developed an interest in computer engineering class and found his niche. His love of learning and programming culminated in the creation of CandyCam, an iPad app that serves as a remote control between a user and an external camera that can be moved into any position at any angle and any speed. A junior at Dartmouth, Joshua has won numerous robotics competitions. During his college career, he landed contract work at a tech start up and as a project developer at Dartmouth’s Digital Arts Leadership and Innovation Lab. As a Native American, Joshua is eager to give back to his heritage community, ultimately funding scholarships and mentoring Native American students interested in science, technology, math and engineering.
About Tortoise Young Entrepreneurs Scholarship Program
The Tortoise Young Entrepreneurs Scholarship Program was established in 2012 in celebrat ion of Tortoise Capital Advisors’ 10-year anniversary. The program recognizes the challenges and rewards of the entrepreneurial spirit and encourages the next generation of curious, persistent and passionate entrepreneurs. The Tortoise Young Entrepreneurs Scholarship Program awards three annual, non-renewable scholarships valued at $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000. Applicants must (i) be a resident of Kansas or Missouri (Tortoise Capital Advisors’ headquarters borders these two states) who attends or plans to attend a full-time undergraduate course of study toward a bachelor’s degree, or (ii) be a full-time student seeking a bachelor’s program at a Kansas or Missouri accredited university or college. All applicants must also meet certain academic and college entrance exam scores.
About Tortoise Capital Advisors, L.L.C.
Tortoise Capital Advisors, L.L.C. is an investment manager specializing in listed energy investments. As of June 30, 2015, the adviser had approximately $17.0 billion of assets under management in NYSE-listed closed-end and open end funds and other accounts. For more information, visit www.tortoiseadvisors.com.