Miner Business Trailblazer Award

This award honors the fastest-growing businesses founded, owned, or led by UTEP alumni. Recipients will be selected based on their businesses' compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over three years, verified by KPMG, an independent accounting firm.

The company must meet all four criteria:

• Five or more years in operation as of December 31, 2025.
• $250,000 or more in revenue for 2023, 2024, 2025.
• Miner-owned, Miner-founded, or Miner-led from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025
  • Miner-owned: 50% or more owned by UTEP graduate(s).
  • Miner-founded: established by UTEP graduate(s) who remained in senior leadership role.
  • Miner-led: UTEP graduate(s) who served in C-suite position during the years being measured.
• Adheres to UTEP Standards of Conduct.

Revenue Verification

To ensure the integrity and credibility of the ranked list, calculations will first be reviewed by a UTEP financial officer and then validated by KPMG, an independent accounting firm. Financial information provided will remain confidential and will never be published or made public. To participate, companies must submit high-level financial data via the Miner Business Trailblazer Revenue Verification Form. 

UTEP reserves the right to:

• Independently verify that applicants meet all criteria.
• Reject any applicant for any reason.
• Modify criteria or requirements as needed without notification.
  
  

 Key Dates

• September 7, 2026: Miner Business Trailblazers Application Opens

• December 4, 2026: Miner Business Trailblazers Nomination Closes

• December 11, 2026: Miner Business Trailblazers Application Closes

• February 2027: Honorees for All Awards Notified

• May 27, 2027: Celebration Ceremony