Chapman University honors Entrepreneur of the Year VIZIO founder William Wang

ORANGE, Calif. — Chapman University’s Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship will host its second annual Entrepreneur of the Year Award Dinner honoring William Wang, founder and CEO of VIZIO. The dinner will take place Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, at 5:30 p.m., in Chapman University’s Beckman Hall. Media are invited.

Since starting VIZIO in 2002, Wang has guided the Irvine-based company to its present status as the top selling brand of high definition televisions in the U.S. In 2007, VIZIO became the first American brand in more than a decade to be number one in the U.S. in TV sales. In 2008, VIZIO was ranked number one on the Inc. “500 Top Companies in Computers and Electronics.” And, in 2009 and in 2010, VIZIO was named one of Fast Company’s “Top 10 Most Innovative Consumer Electronics Companies.”

“We are pleased to be honoring William Wang as Chapman’s Entrepreneur of the Year,” said Richard Sudek, Ph.D., director of the Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Ethics at Chapman University.  “Wang’s dedication to value and his focus on customer service has led VIZIO to the top of the HDTV industry.  It is due to his impactful presence and success as an Orange County entrepreneur that we chose to recognize him this year.”  

“This award is designed to acknowledge those who have chased a dream to incredible success,” continued Dr. Sudek who is also Chairman Emeritus, Tech Coast Angels. “The Chapman Entrepreneur of the Year encapsulates the dreams, hard work, bold vision, passion and the persistence to building a market leader.”

William Wang is a native of Taiwan and came to the U.S. with his family at the age of 12. He later graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering. At age 26, Wang launched MAG Innovision, followed by Princeton Graphic Systems, and eventually VIZIO, Inc.

Wang has been recognized and received many awards including Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2008, and The Orange County Business Journal’s “Business Person of the Year in 2010.

For more information about the dinner, please visit www.chapman.edu/launch.

 About the Ralph W. Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Ethics

Established in 1995, Chapman University’s Leatherby Center offers one of the nation’s most respected programs for entrepreneurial young men and women.  The center aims to prepare and inspire principled, dynamic entrepreneurs whose ideas improve lives and solve important problems.  Through innovative courses and real-world leadership, the center provides students with access to a range of resources, including professional mentoring, entrepreneurial internships, a multi-university network, community resources, events, speakers, research, professional groups, competitions and boot camps. Ranked as the #6 Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Program by Business Week, the Leatherby Center is unique in its approach to connecting students with inventors, investors and real-world entrepreneurs.

Consistently ranked among the top universities in the West, Chapman University provides a uniquely personalized and interdisciplinary educational experience to highly qualified students. Our programs encourage innovation, creativity and collaboration, and focus on developing global citizen-leaders who are distinctively prepared to improve their community and their world. Visit us at www.chapman.edu.

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