Cliff Kurtzman Named Entrepreneur of the Year
Mike Mora
Houston, TX, April 5, 2010 -- MyCityRocks executive director Dr. Cliff Kurtzman has been named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Houston Chapter of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO). The Entrepreneur of the Year Award is based on merit of business success, and in this instance recognizes the growth MyCityRocks achieved from late 2007 through late 2009, with sales doubling eight times during one six month period.
Based in Houston, Texas, MyCityRocks fosters a grassroots network of people who celebrate city pride and spirit, savor the very best in local culture and entertainment and give back to their community. The company also hosts the MyCityRocks Ticket Exchange, an extraordinarily popular web portal that allows people to buy and sell tickets to concert, theatre, and sporting events around the world.
"Cliff is an excellent addition to the distinguished list of top Houston Entrepreneurs who have led their companies to great heights and have taken time along the way to help foster the entrepreneurial spirit that is so prevalent in Houston," said Frank Vega, President of the Entrepreneurs' Organization Houston Chapter.
"I am thrilled to be recognized by EO for the success we have achieved in growing MyCityRocks, and the progress we have made towards evolving MyCityRocks into an enduring global brand," stated Cliff Kurtzman. "But going beyond our financial success, we are even prouder of how our activities are making a positive difference in our communities, creating awareness along with financial benefits for a broad range of local artists, musicians and charitable organizations annually."
A 5 Year Anniversary Celebration for MyCityRocks will take place on Sunday, April 18th. The event will be hosted by Hard Rock Cafe Houston (502 Texas Ave., Houston, TX) and will feature the nationally touring rock band Saving Abel. Tickets guaranteeing admission are available here, or at the cafe Rock Shop. In keeping with the MyCityRocks philosophy of using local events to benefit philanthropic causes, all proceeds from this event will be donated to Musicians On Call, an organization founded with the mission of bringing live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities.
About The Entrepreneurs' Organization
The Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) is a dynamic, global network which comprises more than 7,300 entrepreneurs in 118 chapters throughout 42 countries. Founded in 1987 by a group of young entrepreneurs, EO is the catalyst that enables entrepreneurs to learn and grow from each other, leading to greater business success and an enriched personal life. The EO Houston chapter, with 150 members, is one of the largest in the global organization; its members employ more than 6,500 employees and generate more than $1.5 billion in sales. Globally EO members employ more than 1 million people. For additional information on the Entrepreneurs' Organization, please visit http://www.eonetwork.org/.
About Cliff Kurtzman
Cliff Kurtzman came to Houston in 1988 with a Ph.D. in Astronautical Engineering from MIT, and worked building spacecraft for a few years with a commercial space engineering startup called Space Industries.
With a bit of help from NASA, in 1994 Cliff started one of the first online marketing companies in the world, and the very first one in Houston. Then in late 2003, Cliff used the MySpace social network to launch a testbed called "Houston Rocks", experimenting to see how social network tools could be used to create new types of communities. Based on the success of that testbed, in March of 2005, Cliff launched MyCityRocks to expand the concept out globally and develop it into a commercial venture. Cliff has been named by the Texas Ecommerce Association as one of 10 Texans playing a pivotal role in enabling the state's e-commerce economy. For additional information on Cliff, please visit http://www.kurtzman.biz/.
About MyCityRocks
MyCityRocks is a global social engagement venture that connects with people online to help them do fun stuff offline, bridging the gap between online social networking and offline real-world activity in a way that is fun, innovative and exciting. MyCityRocks focuses on helping people: 1) HAVE FUN by enjoying local culture and entertainment; 2) GIVE BACK to their local community and make their part of the world a better place to live; and 3) REPRESENT their pride and spirit for their city and the things in life they are passionate about. MyCityRocks is a privately held corporation with headquarters in Houston, Texas. For additional information on MyCityRocks, please visit http://www.mycityrocks.com/.
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