Record

An abundance of maroon-and-gold pride filled the second-floor ballroom of the Omni Tempe Hotel on Friday, April 24, as a record-breaking cohort of alumni business leaders gathered to celebrate their Sun Devil roots.

Each year, the Sun Devil 100 recognizes the fastest-growing Arizona State University alumni-owned or -led businesses across the globe, spanning all industries and sizes.

This year’s class generated a combined total of $74.8 billion in revenue during fiscal year 2024, underscoring the impact of ASU’s entrepreneurial network.

“This program recognizes the achievements of Sun Devils with an entrepreneurial spirit and a mindset that drives success,” said Christine K. Wilkinson, president and CEO of the ASU Alumni Association, as she addressed the crowd of honorees, entrepreneurs and guests.

“Today, we celebrate 12 years of Sun Devil 100 with the largest class yet, recognizing 226 Sun Devil business leaders representing 161 companies, ranked in order of fastest growth within three revenue tiers,” she said.

A highlight of the luncheon was the recognition of the top three fastest-growing companies, based on percentage revenue growth from fiscal years 2022–24, across three revenue categories:

– $250,000–$1.99 million: SCORE NN’ – Jaron Lodge, ’21 BS business entrepreneurship – $2–$9.99 million: Jawliner USA – Tiffany Tran, ’13 BA communication – $10 million-plus: BioLab Holdings, Inc. – Bob Maguire, ’13 MBA; Jaime Leija, ’03 BS management

“It’s an honor to stand here as part of the Sun Devil 100,” said Bob Maguire, founder and chairman of the board at BioLab Holdings. “Being recognized among this group is both humbling and energizing. When you look around the room, you see more than successful businesses – you see stories. Stories that aren’t complete, and stories that will continue to be told.”

That spirit of storytelling and innovation extended beyond the awards themselves. In addition to honoring established business leaders, the event spotlighted the next generation of entrepreneurs through a student panel featuring four undergraduates from the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute.

Each student shared their business aspirations and insights from their current ventures. In recognition of their ambition, each student received $1,000 to support their pursuits, awarded by presenting sponsor Desert Financial Credit Union.

“We were founded by a group of teachers 87 years ago with the goal of giving back to the community and supporting education in Arizona. That is why ASU and Desert Financial make such a good team,” said Jason Huguez, director of business development at Desert Financial Credit Union.

As the event concluded, the energy in the room reflected both celebration and forward thinking, with alumni and students alike continuing to build on the legacy of entrepreneurship that defines the Sun Devil community.

To be considered for the Sun Devil 100, companies must be ASU alumni-owned or -led, have been in business for at least three years, have revenues of $250,000 or more for the past three years, and operate in a manner consistent with the ASU Charter.

Learn more about the Sun Devil 100 and nominate someone who meets the criteria for the Sun Devil 100 Class of 2027.