Jennifer Pritchett of Minneapolis received the 2010 Distinguished Young Alumni Award from Minnesota State University, Mankato last week.
Pritchett, co-founder and owner of Smitten Kitten, is one of 12 alumni who are 2010 award winners. She was honored at an April 23 dinner and ceremony hosted by the Minnesota State Mankato Alumni Association.
The Distinguished Young Alumni Award goes to graduates 35 years old or younger who have reached professional achievements early in their careers, and have positively impacted their communities.
At Minnesota State Mankato, Pritchett volunteered with the LGBT Center, worked in the Affirmative Action Office, and was a student fundraiser and graduate assistant with the Women’s Center.
In 2003 she decided to open her own business. She and two others co-founded the Smitten Kitten, a sexual health and wellness boutique, with stores in Minneapolis and Denver, and online.
Banks were uncomfortable lending to a business considered by many as taboo. But Pritchett persevered, and in 2009 the Smitten Kitten earned more than $1 million.
Pritchett started a consumer advocacy organization, the Coalition Against Toxic Toys, and her stores sell only products made with non-toxic materials. The stores also support community organizations, raising money for AIDS awareness, gay and lesbian youth organizations and organizations that work to end violence against women and children.
Recently Smitten Kitten was honored by the Twin Cities Quorum with a Community Leadership Award. Last year Pritchett was named a Young Entrepreneur of the Year by Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal.
Those who want more information about the Minnesota State Mankato Distinguished Alumni Awards may go to www.mnsu.edu/alumni/daa/.
Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive, doctoral university with 14,950 students, is part of the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities system, which comprises 32 institutions across the state.
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