The Third Annual Pioneer Event was a night to remember.

We’ve come a long way since the first Pioneer Event. From just a couple of guys working tirelessly to put it all together in year one, to having a strong team that planned for months to make sure every detail was taken care of.

All the planning was well worth it, as it resulted in a beautiful evening of networking, celebrating our region, and recognizing several outstanding individuals.

If you don’t remember how the night unfolded, watch our recap HERE!

This year, we had more nominees, more videos, more categories, and more community involvement, which resulted in an increase in live votes for our 2025 Pioneer of the Year, Dan Starr.

This year’s awards featured four distinct categories: Brand Champion, Social Impact, Entrepreneur, and for the first time, a Junior Pioneer.

The 2025 Junior Pioneer was Sammie Vance, Founder of Sammie’s Buddy Bench Project! Her project has been spreading kindness around the world and is a wonderful story.

The award winner for Brand Champion (and Pioneer of the Year) was Dan Starr, CEO of Do it Best. Our winner for Social Impact was Javier Mondragon, Co-Founder and CEO of Bridge of Grace Ministries. The winner of the Entrepreneur category was Kayla Ellenwood, Owner of Pulse Dance and Performance Center.

Thanks to all our partners who helped us organize the event, especially our Platinum Sponsors: Lake City Bank, Indiana Tech, and Forvis Mazars.

Their support helped us in every aspect of the event and was truly appreciated by all.

We look forward to seeing you all again next year!

If you have any thoughts or feedback on the event, we would love to hear from you!

-SACKETT!!!

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