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Tulsey goes to pizzeria owner

Blake Ewing of Jo Momma's Pizza wins the popular online vote for top entrepreneur.
By LAURIE WINSLOW World Staff Writer
Published: 11/20/2009  2:19 AM
Last Modified: 11/23/2009  3:57 PM
Correction: This story originally contained an incorrect business name for the winner of a Tulsey Award in the Legend category. The story has been corrected.

In a ceremony that mimicked the Oscars and MTV Music Awards, 11 category winners of the second annual Tulsey Awards received a golden bronze Driller statuette Thursday evening in recognition of their entrepreneurial spirit.

Nearly 500 people attended the awards ceremony at the historic Cain's Ballroom downtown.

Blake Ewing, the owner of Joe Momma's Pizza, received the most votes, 1,200, and was named the 2009 Tulsey Entrepreneur of the Year as a result. He also won in the category for Restaurateur.

The Tulseys are an outgrowth of the Mayor's Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, a business-model competition that attracted more than 85 contestants.

That contest, which kicked off in April and lasted about nine months, included a rigorous process in which some entries received coaching to hone their business models. Spirit Award winners were announced Tuesday.

The Tulseys, by contrast, is a publicly driven contest in which nominations are submitted online in several different categories. Voting, which was open to everyone, began in mid-October and ended at midnight Nov. 4.

More than 90 nominations were made for the Tulseys, and more than 14,000 votes were cast. That represented an increase from last year, which had about 64 nominations and more than 8,500 votes.

Libby Auld of Elote
Café and Catering was a dual winner this week.

She won a Tulsey in the "green category," recognizing her for simultaneously targeting and creating relationships between economic development and environmental sustainability in her business.

Auld also received the Spirit Award's "Skunk Whisperer" honor, which will provide her with six months of service from an advisory board made up of Spirit Award judges and coaches.

The sponsors of the 2009 Tulseys were Tulsa Technology Center, Tulsa Community College, the University of Tulsa, the Tulsa Metro Chamber and the Lobeck-Taylor Foundation.



TULSEY AWARDS

Entrepreneur of the Year — Blake Ewing, Joe Momma’s Pizza

Civic — George Kaiser, George Kaiser Family Foundation

Emerging — Melanie Menry, 918moms.com

Entertainment — Ben Sumner, “Up Late With Ben Sumner”

Franchise — Chester Cadieux, QuikTrip Corp.

Green — Libby Auld, Elote Café and Catering

Interactive — Natasha Ball, TashaDoesTulsa. com

Legend — Charles Kingsley, Coney I-Lander

Restaurateur — Blake Ewing, Joe Momma’s Pizza

Serial — Gavin Manes, Avansic

Young — Jonathan Conneely, Bootcamp Tulsa

Laurie Winslow 581-8466
laurie.winslow@tulsaworld.com

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Comments
makattack, Tulsa (10 months ago)
Hi Laurie, I know it's far to late for the print version, but in the "Legend" category Chuck Kingsley is affiliated with the Coney I-Lander restaurants.
Arbythree, Tulsa (10 months ago)
Congratulations Blake. Your Pizza is great and the award is well deserved.
itsjustmyopinion, BA (10 months ago)
Blake is not only a great business owner, but a kind man as well. He was my mentor years ago, just after my mother died in 2001, I was still a teenager then, and without any parents me and my younger brother were being raised by our older sister, that isn't much older than I. We attended church with Blake, and he spent his summer doing activities like taking me and my brother swimming and other things. He was so thoughtful and fun to be around. Blake kept us out of trouble that summer, and had a large impact on our family. I have lost touch with Blake since then, but just wanted to say, that more than an incredible business owner, he is an incredible person!
lucky girl, mine (10 months ago)
congrads
Panza, (10 months ago)
It's a shame Chuck Kingsley wasn't listed properly. What would Tulsa be without the Coney I-Lander restaurants? Congratulations, Chuck!
Elusive, Owasso (10 months ago)
Congrats winners! Where is Joe Momma's Pizzeria? I haven't tried it.
okie ridgerunner, Small Country Town State Line (10 months ago)
Please lets us know where this pizza place is. i have never heard of it.
nuffsaid, Tulsa (10 months ago)
Jo mamma's has the best pizza in town. They have the most creative pizza you can imagine. From cheese burger, Buffalo wing, Tabasco chicken and many more and they are delicious. I never go to same ol bland Mazzio's anymore.
nuffsaid, Tulsa (10 months ago)
It's at 61st just west of 169. The same complex that the batting cages are in.
Worried about the system, Tulsa (10 months ago)
There's a downtown location, too. 1st and Elgin.
TexBaggins, (10 months ago)
The only real Joe Momma's location is downtown at 1st and Elgin. They grew up out south, but have now renamed that location Momma's Express as it serves a different product with a lunch buffet and delivery. The downtown location has a large menu featuring brick oven, hand tossed pizza and live entertainment. Way to go Joe Momma's!
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