The managing director of an angel investing group received this year’s Sam Volpentest Entrepreneurial Leadership Award at the Oct. 21 annual Richland Rotary Entrepreneurial Awards luncheon at the Richland Riverfront Hotel.
Known as the Sammy Award, the honor went to Phil Ohl of the Tri-Cities Angel Alliance. The award recognizes those who have shown “true entrepreneurial leadership” and have significantly contributed to the success of the region.
Ohl launched Vista Engineering 25 years ago before selling it in 2014, and he has since used the resources to help other entrepreneurs.
He “has invested in numerous startups, not only providing startup capital, but also offering his time free of charge to help these and other startups forge a path to success,” said Diahann Howard, executive director of the Port of Benton, who presented the award.
Ohl has invested in Fuse Fund, offers his expertise in engineering, environmental and technology sectors, and has served on the boards of eight private companies and six nonprofits.
The Angel Alliance started in 2021 as a quarterly, informal “shark lunch” to facilitate networking between local startups and investors, Ohl told the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business in 2024. In 2023, the group was incorporated as a nonprofit and became a little more structured to include education and broader outreach.
Other entrepreneurial awards were presented to the following businesses that have shown an exemplary spirit of entrepreneurial success:
- MacDonald Accounting, Tyler MacDonald. Nominated by Fuse SPC.
- Precision Aviation Solutions, Darin and Jeanna Graybill. Nominated by Port of Benton.
- Miss Tamale, Leticia and Mark Whitten. Nominated by Richland Rotary.
- Tee Time, Reyes Gonzalez, Alex Pacheco and Aide Gonsalez. Nominated by Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce.
- Ciao Trattoria, Jessie and Susanne Ayala. Nominated by TRIDEC.
The awards are sponsored by the Richland Rotary Club, Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, TRIDEC, Fuse and the Port of Benton.