Earlier this week, on Tuesday, September 26th, we had the privilege of commemorating a genuine trailblazer and champion for entrepreneurs. Vance Kershner, the founder and CEO of LabWare, graciously accepted the esteemed Pete du Pont Freedom Award before the largest audience the event has ever seen.
Kershner’s introduction was delivered by his children, Katie and Kyle Kershner, who provided a touching glimpse into Vance’s journey as an entrepreneur. They recounted his early days working in his parents’ soft pretzel factory, his tenure at DuPont, and the launch of LabWare in 1987, which has since become a leading global software company in laboratory informatics. Kershner continues to serve as the President and CEO of LabWare, a company still headquartered in Wilmington, DE, with a sprawling international presence encompassing 40 offices across 6 continents.
In addition to his role at LabWare, Kershner wears many other hats. He is a general partner at Leading Edge Ventures, chairs the Advisory Council for UD’s College of Engineering, holds a significant stake in Scrub Island, and co-owns Buckleys Tavern, among numerous other endeavors. During his speech, Kershner shared some of his passions with the audience, including foreign land development, investments in small businesses, mentoring emerging leaders, and, not least, his love for cars and race car driving.
“I am so honored to be your recipient of this Freedom Award, but also so humbled. The goals of the foundation to reinvent Delaware by fostering education, scientific innovation and entrepreneurship are truly special. And I make a promise that I will do whatever I can to help this mission to succeed and further Delaware for the benefit of everybody,” said Kershner.
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