Nazareth College G.O.L.D (Graduate Of Last Decade) Award Winner.
Six years ago, Ian Prichard ‘ 98 and his friends Joe Sternberg started a delivery ski rental business in Steamboat Springs, CO. Black Tie Delivery Ski Rentals has since revolutionized the ski and snowboard rental process. Prichard and Sternbger’s company is one of the originators of the industry surrounding the idea of ski rental, and they feature delivery, personalized service, online reservations, and high quality equipment. The two men have grown the business into the largest operation of its kind with 11 locations in North America, from Aspen to Whistler. There’s is one of the most innovative ideas to hit the major resorts in recent years and the business has been featured in national publications and websites, including ski.com, Everett Potter’s Travel report, and the Washington Post.
Entrepreneurship, however, isn’t Prichard and Sternberg’s only focus. Black Tie Ski is a company with a conscience, emphasizing both sustainability and philanthropy into its business practices. Black Tie Skis is a Gold Planet -certified business, integrating sustainability into its mission and educating employees on environmental issues. The founders also encourage giving back to the community : employees are encouraged to car pool to work and volunteer for non-profit organizations, and the company supplies equipment to Sunshine Kids, an organization dedicated to provide programming for children battling cancer.
School of Management Dean Jerry Zappia has been duly impressed by the industriousness of graduates such as Prichard. As Zappia, who nominated Prichard for the G.O.L.D Award, explains, “Ian’s business fits our mission on two counts-it is profoundly entrepreneurial, and Ian and his partner run it in the highest ethical manner”