Miami University is taking an extra step to highlight some of its most successful graduates. Its inaugural RedHawk50, a list of the 50 fastest-growing companies owned or operated by alumni, includes a ticket brokerage first conceptualized in an Oxford dorm, a coffee roasterie with a more than 20-state footprint and a professional sports franchise that scored the best record in Major League Soccer last season.
The honorees were officially revealed during an awards reception and gala Friday, March 15, at Cincinnati’s Music Hall. Forty of the 50, including eight in the top 10, were in attendance.
RedHawk50, modeled after the similarly shaped Aggie 100, a program founded 20 years ago at Texas A&M University, aims to “identify, recognize and celebrate the success of alumni in the startup economy,” Tim Holcomb, professor and chair of Miami’s Department of Entrepreneurship and director of its John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship, told me.
RedHawk50 is an effort two years in the making, he said. Nominations opened in May 2023, and university officials said it drew immediate support.
Miami in total received 525 submissions for 360 Miamian-founded or -led businesses.
"The entrepreneurial spirit and perseverance of the RedHawk50 honorees have contributed to Miami's global reputation as a leader in entrepreneurship education," Miami University President Gregory Crawford said in a news release. "These remarkable individuals are a testament to the caliber of talent that our institution fosters and an inspiration to future Miami entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders."
To rank its top 50, Miami used compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for 2020, 2021 and 2022. EY, a Big Four accounting firm, produced the rankings for Miami using figures submitted; the revenue for the winning companies will not be publicly disclosed.
The 50 winners represent 17 industries, 14 cities in the U.S. and Great Britain, and 12 have been featured on the Inc. 5000, an annual list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.
They also represent 24 different university majors, Holcomb said.
“It’s an eclectic list, but it also shows the diversity of experience and education,” he said.
Seven of the 50 companies on the list are based in Greater Cincinnati. Many others have Cincinnati ties – either its founders were born locally or the company launched here. Oros, an apparel startup founded by Michael Markesberry and Rithvik Venna, both 2015 Miami graduates, relocated the company from Cincinnati to Portland in 2019. Oros has done work for Blue Origin, the Department of Defense and more. Mad Rabbit, a tattoo skincare brand backed by billionaire Mark Cuban, among others, was launched by Oliver Zak and Selom Agbitor while students in Oxford.
The local companies include:
No. 12: FC Cincinnati, 48.44% growth
- FC Cincinnati, which finished with the best record in MLS last year, was founded in 2015 by Carl H. Lindner III and President and Co-CEO Jeff Berding (class of 1991). The team’s home field, TQL Stadium in the West End, seats 26,000 fans and hosts more than 300 private events per year. The team, its MLS NEXT Pro and youth academy players train at the Mercy Health Training Center in Milford, a $35 million, 24-acre facility, while the FCC Foundation and its programs, which focus on soccer, education and character development, reach more than 28,000 children annually.
No. 19: Kruger and Hodges Attorneys at Law, 41.65% growth
- Auto injury law firm Kruger and Hodges, based in Hamilton, was founded in 2018 and is led by partner Joshua Hodges (class of 2010). It has grown rapidly due to its community outreach and focus on clients, many of which come from Ohio's many small and midsized towns. The firm has implemented innovative processes both in case handling and marketing.
No. 20: Eleeo Brands, 40.58% growth
- Eleeo Brands, led by founder and CEO Richard Palmer (class of 1992), is a consumer goods company. Its collection of health and household brands includes two leading baby products: Boogie, known for its patented Boogie Wipes; and Dapple Baby, a line of plant-based cleaning products. The company was founded in 2020 and is a certified B Corp. Palmer and Mark Wuellner said Eleeo is focused on hiring individuals with barriers to employment.
No. 21: Rooted Grounds Coffee, 39.47% growth
- Rooted Grounds Coffee Co. founders, Patsy and David Knopf (classes of 1988 and 1990), have always had a passion for artisan coffee. After spending many years in the business world, they saw the opportunity to provide freshly crafted coffees outside the coffee shop. Rooted Grounds Coffee has since expanded to 22 states.
No. 27: Kinettix, 33.17% growth
- Kinettix, a global IT field services company, was founded in 2016 by Chad Mattix (class of 1993). Among the company's significant achievements are the creation of the Dispatch1 API-based service management platform and the establishment of a global operations center in Cebu, Philippines. With more than 100 employees, this center supports project coordination, marketing, accounting and recruiting services. Kinettix has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in America, ranking on the Inc. 5000 list in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
No. 45: Interlink Cloud Advisors, 22.01% growth
- Mason-based Interlink, founded in 2011 and led by co-founder and CEO Matt Scherocman (class of 1997), provides support and products around Microsoft-based technologies. The firm coaches clients through the complexities of Microsoft, including licensing rules, bundled offerings, incentives and funding programs. Interlink has ranked in past years as one of the fastest-growing companies in the Cincinnati region.
No. 47: Republic Wire, 21.09% growth
- West Chester-based Republic Wire was incorporated in 1982. In its first decade, it operated as a wire broker. In 1994, the company built a 40,000-square-foot building and started manufacturing wire with a team of 27 people. It now has 400,000 square feet of manufacturing space and a new 320,000-square-foot, $20 million distribution center, currently under construction. Republic Wire has 200 employees, and its sales team covers the entire U.S. and Canada. It serves electrical, industrial and utilities wholesale distributors covering residential, commercial, industrial and utility markets. It's led by co-owner and CEO Ronald Rosenbeck (class of 1970).
TEX Tickets, an international ticket brokerage, placed first on the RedHawk50 with 222.38% growth. Founders Mike Gau and Simon Landon initially came up with the idea in a Miami University dorm nearly 22 years ago. Since its full-scale launch in 2018, the St. Louis-based company has doubled its revenue annually and is now a team of more than 80.
Holcomb said RedHawk50 will become an annual event. Miami plans to open nominations for next year’s program in June.
Will the university eventually expand it to 100 companies? It’s possible, he said. Miami has even trademarked RedHawk100. For now, the plan is to continue the momentum garnered during the program’s first year.
“The response we received was significant for a university in its first year running this program, but it shows Miami alumni have strong loyalty and attachment to the university,” Holcomb said. “I would expect to see many on the list again.”
The RedHawk50 class of 2023
- TEX Tickets
- Aleta Couture
- InGoodTaste
- Mad Rabbit Tattoo
- Steno
- Foxen
- Transactly
- Loop Returns
- COhatch
- Professional Fighters League
- Cleveland Kitchen
- FC Cincinnati
- Fire Rover LLC
- SPR Therapeutics
- Hidden Harbor Capital Partners
- Bridge Industries
- Arrive Logistics
- Coastal Ridge Real Estate
- Kruger and Hodges Attorneys at Law
- Eleeo Brands
- Rooted Grounds Coffee Co.
- Semify
- OROS
- AiFi
- Saucy Brew Works
- Textbook Painting
- Kinettix
- Midwest Power Products
- Freestar
- UpWest
- BHDM Design
- Vellabox
- Renovation Sells
- Campbell Psychological Services
- Unity Sourcing and Roasting
- Flaherty and Collins Properties
- Articulation LLC
- Orazen Extruded Polymers
- Jennifer Manners Design
- Mugsy
- Xtreme Xperience
- No Laying Up
- Orangewood Partners
- UPshow
- Interlink Cloud Advisors
- Nested Spaces
- Republic Wire Inc.
- Zylo
- Align Communications Inc.
- Golden Ceramic Dental Lab
