Entrepreneurship, determination and a passion for giving back to the community have earned two UTS Business School graduates the prestigious UTS: Chancellor's Award for Excellence at the 2015 UTS: Alumni Awards held last night.
Lance Kalish and Ido Leffler, who co-founded natural beauty company Yes To Inc after meeting as students at UTS Business School, were honoured by UTS Chancellor Professor Vicki Sara AO during the ceremony, which also celebrated the outstanding achievements of a number of alumni from across the university's seven faculties.
Since founding the start-up in 2006, Kalish and Leffler have transformed Yes To into a multi-million dollar international business, building it to become the number two natural beauty brand in the United States with stockists across 15 countries.
Alongside their entrepreneurial success, the duo's commitment to driving social change through their business was also acknowledged.
"Lance and Ido have created a wonderful business model, with giving back to the community at its core – working to educate children on healthy living, feeding the hungry, and providing school equipment to disadvantaged children. They provide an outstanding example to other entrepreneurs on the power of business to create positive change," said Professor Sara.
Through their Yes To Seed Fund, to which they direct a portion of the company's profits, they teach children about nutrition and healthy living through projects including micro-farms in Africa and organic school gardens. They have also developed two cause-related brands – Yoobi school supplies and Cheeky Home disposable table-top products – which has seen them donate classroom supplies to one million children and meals to more than four million people in need in the United States.
"We always felt that finding a purpose for our business was as important as driving a profit," said Kalish. "Understanding that the more successful your business is, the more you are able to give away and make an impact on society – it's the best driver you can set for yourself and your employees."
Picture by Carmen Lee Platt for Encapture. See below for full caption
More than 200 alumni, staff and students attended the gala awards ceremony and dinner in the UTS Great Hall to honour the achievements of 11 of the university's most outstanding graduates, whose qualities of innovation, leadership and compassion are changing the world around us for the better. Amongst this year's recipients were innovators in technology and health, drivers of social justice and change in the community and leaders across business and the legal profession.
Ralph Kelly, the father of 18-year-old Thomas Kelly, who was killed in an unprovoked attack during a night out in Sydney's Kings Cross in 2012, was recognised with the UTS: Community Alumni Award for his work as founder and director of the Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation, established to help combat alcohol-related violence on Sydney streets.
2015 NSW Young Australian of the Year, founder and director of Bus Stop Films, Genevieve Clay-Smith, was also recognised for her work establishing a not-for-profit production company focused on creating inclusion in the film industry and employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Other award recipients included Jane Needham SC, NSW Bar Association President; Professor Carolyn McGregor AM, whose big data research is helping NASA's planned mission to Mars in 2030; and Dr Lacey Johnson, who was recognised for her breakthrough research in the field of blood cryopreservation.
The event was hosted by UTS Chancellor Professor Vicki Sara AO and Vice-Chancellor Professor Attila Brungs, with writer, presenter, broadcaster and UTS alumnus Sunil Badami acting as Master of Ceremonies.
To read more about the 2015 Alumni Awards, and the inspiring stories of this year's Award recipients, visit the UTS Alumni website.
This year's full list of recipients includes:
UTS: Young Alumni Award 2015
Genevieve Clay-Smith
Director and Co-Founder, Bus Stop Films and Taste Creative
Bachelor of Arts in Communications (Media Arts and Production) (2009)
UTS: International Alumni Award 2015, sponsored by UTS: INSEARCH
Justice Rong He
Deputy Vice President, People's Republic of China Supreme People's Court
Master of Laws (2004)
UTS: Community Alumni Award 2015
Ralph Kelly
Founder and Director, Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation
Bachelor of Business in Marketing (1991); Master of Business Administration (1998)
UTS: Alumni Award for Excellence 2015 – UTS Business School;
UTS: Chancellor's Award for Excellence 2015
Lance Kalish and Ido Leffler
Co-Founders, Yes To Inc
Bachelor of Business (2000)
UTS: Alumni Award for Excellence 2015 – Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences
Andrea Myles
Chief Instigator, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, China Australia Millennial Project
Master of Arts in International Studies (2007); Master of Arts in China Studies (2011)
UTS: Alumni Award for Excellence 2015 – Faculty of Design, Architecture & Building
Chris Bulmer
Chief Executive Officer, Pacific Group Holdings Pty Ltd
Bachelor of Applied Science in Building (1991)
UTS: Alumni Award for Excellence 2015 – Faculty of Engineering & Information Technology
Professor Carolyn McGregor AM
Canada Research Chair in Health Informatics, University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Bachelor of Applied Science in Computing Science (1991); PhD in Computing Sciences (2003)
UTS: Alumni Award for Excellence 2015 – Faculty of Health
Tanya Farrell
Executive Director, Nursing and Midwifery, Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne
Master of Nursing in Midwifery (2000)
UTS Alumni Award for Excellence 2015 – Faculty of Law
Jane Needham SC
President, NSW Bar Association
Bachelor of Laws (1991)
UTS Alumni Award for Excellence 2015 – Faculty of Science
Dr Lacey Johnson
Principal Research Fellow, Australian Red Cross Blood Service
Bachelor of Medical Science (Hons) (2003)
Pictured above, from the left: UTS Chancellor Professor Vicki Sara AO, Andrea Myles, Tanya Farrell, Lance Kalish, Genevieve Clay-Smith, Dr Lacey Johnson, Ralph Kelly, and Christopher Wood (on behalf of Jane Needham SC) and UTS Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor William Purcell.
- UTS Business School alumni and entrepreneurial success story Lance Kalish and Ido Leffler were last night jointly awarded the prestigious UTS: Chancellor's Award for Excellence
- The annual UTS: Alumni Awards recognise the university's most outstanding and inspiring alumni