Gopher gets good news

Sarasota businessman Joel Schleicher, founder of several technology companies, recently received an accolade that takes him back in time: The University of Minnesota, the school where he earned an accounting degree in 1974, named him Entrepreneur of the Year. Schleicher was honored at a ceremony at the school Sept. 9.

The former president and COO of Nextel Communications, Schleicher founded Presidio Networked Solutions in 2003. That firm grew to more than $1.4 billion in annual sales before he sold it in 2011, according to a statement. Schleicher then founded Cyber Risk Management, the parent company over Tampa-based Sunera, a national leader in cybersecurity and IT compliance. Sunera has grown from five employees 10 years ago to more than 250 today.

“Joel's a passionate entrepreneur who has built and led management teams in several national technology companies,” University of Minnesota official John Stavig says in the statement. “We're proud to recognize Joel as a role model who has not only founded a billion-dollar company at Presidio, but who continues to build new ventures that create jobs and opportunities for its employees.”