GEORGE MUELLER NAMED ERNST & YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR REGIONAL FINALIST
Color Kinetics Co-Founder Recognized by Ernst & Young For Entrepreneurial and Leadership Spirit
BOSTON - June 18, 2002 - In recognition of his unwavering entrepreneurial spirit and outstanding leadership skills, George Mueller, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Boston-based leader of intelligent illumination technologies Color Kinetics, has been named a New England regional finalist in the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® award program. Each year, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards recognize great business achievements around the world made possible by the entrepreneurial spirit - the incredible depth and character that entrepreneurs possess as they develop new technologies, create faster ways to distribute goods and services, and improve the quality of life for people around them. This year, a panel of independent judges chose Mueller as a regional finalist recognizing his vision, courage, endurance and passion in founding and leading Color Kinetics, a company whose cutting-edge technology and pioneering spirit has revolutionized the lighting industry and forever changed the way light is generated.
Some would say Mueller, 32, was born to be an entrepreneur: His family heritage boasts several business owners and entrepreneurs, including his parents, grandparents and uncle. A seasoned inventor and entrepreneur, Mueller has successfully created and grown several new companies through a variety of economic climates. In 1994, with his brother Gary, Mueller co-founded Internet Securities Incorporated, an emerging market financial and business information provider that currently employs 240 people in 19 countries. Prior to that, Mueller worked as a research engineer at the Field Robotics Center, Department of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). The technical savvy and creative insight Mueller brings to his endeavors is due in large part to his varied interests. He holds a dual undergraduate degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a minor in Fine Arts from CMU. He also completed courses in the University's Graduate School of Industrial Administration. Mueller currently holds six U.S. patents and numerous patent filings relating to Color Kinetics' flagship Chromacore® technology. He serves on the CMU Dean's Leadership Council, and has lectured at CMU, MIT, Harvard, Babson and other top academic institutions.
With his penchant for snowboarding and ice hockey and his commitment to hard work and hard fun, Mueller defies the typical image of a CEO of a successful, multi-million dollar company. In turn, Color Kinetics - the company he co-founded in 1997 with a college friend - is not your typical company. Color Kinetics was founded on the basis of its patented Chromacore intelligent illumination technology. Chromacore is a cutting-edge method of generating light through the use of microprocessor-controlled, multicolored LEDs (light emitting diodes, a semiconductor technology). With Mueller's strategic vision, Color Kinetics has grown into an industry leader and technology pioneer providing intelligent illumination technologies to some of the most recognizable companies in the world, including Disney, Saks Fifth Avenue, Harrods of Knightsbridge, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Marriott, Sony, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Boston Symphony Hall, New York State Bridge Authority, Limited Inc., and Loews Theatres. Under Mueller's leadership, the company has received nine U.S. patents, with close to 100 international and national patents pending, has raised in excess of $65 million in funding, and now employs nearly 80 people.
New England regional award winners will be announced at a gala event at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel on June 26. Regional winners are inducted into the Entrepreneur Of The Year Hall of Fame, and become eligible for the national awards announced in November.
About Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year
The Entrepreneur Of The Year awards program was created in the U.S. in a single Midwestern city by Ernst & Young in 1986 to honor entrepreneurs whose ingenuity and perseverance have created and sustained successful, growing business ventures. Since then, the award has expanded to over 100 cities internationally in more than 30 countries. 2002 Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrations will be held in 42 cities around the country throughout the month of June. Winners will be selected from an elite group of finalists in each city and announced during the black-tie award ceremonies. All of the regional winners will then be eligible for the overall National Entrepreneur Of The Year award, as well as several additional Entrepreneur Of The Year category awards. All national finalists and award winners will be announced at a gala event in Palm Springs, California, November 23, 2002, at the Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards. Additional information about the Entrepreneur Of The Year program may be found by visiting the Ernst & Young web site at http://eoy.ey.com.
About Color Kinetics
Color Kinetics Incorporated is the pioneer of intelligent solid-state illumination technologies. The company designs, manufactures and markets an award-winning line of products that apply the practical and aesthetic benefits of LEDs to transcend the limits of traditional light sources for use in professional, consumer, and OEM and licensing applications. Its flagship line of technologies leverage a patented layer of digital intelligence, called Chromacore®, to generate and control millions of colors and dynamic lighting effects. Color Kinetics leads the industry in solid-state lighting innovation, including the custom engineered Chromasic® microchip, and holds a growing patent portfolio encompassing a number of emerging digital technologies. Founded in 1997, the company is privately held and is headquartered in Boston, MA with offices in the UK, China, and a joint venture in Japan. More information can be found at http://www.colorkinetics.com.
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