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About
The Dean Yep, Jr. Prize of $6,000 is awarded annually to an exceptional MBA entrepreneur/team as part of the Duke Startup Showcase.
Dean Yep, Jr., a beloved member of the Fuqua School of Business Class of 2012, passed away in 2016. Dean believed in entrepreneurship’s ability to diminish geographic and social boundaries, and he embraced the Team Fuqua culture. His intensity and tenacity inspired and empowered everyone around him to thrive in all aspects of their lives, empowering everyone around him to be better. Dean was selfless, often providing encouragement, solutions, and a helping hand during difficult situations. His deep and powerful connections with classmates, friends, and other acquaintances served as a beacon of hope and support for everyone whose life he touched. Although his time here was too short, we seek to continue his legacy through encouraging other members of the Duke and Fuqua communities to build upon these ideals through the creation of the Dean Yep, Jr. Prize made to a Duke student founder.
Dean Yep, Jr. was born on October 22, 1982 in Flushing, New York to Dean and Winnie Yep. He grew up in Woodside, NY and Glen Cove, NY. Growing up, Dean was involved in a number of extracurricular activities and graduated fourth in his class at Glen Cove High School.
Dean attended Georgetown University (The McDonough School of Business), where he majored in finance and management. He was a member of Alpha Sigma Nu, the National Jesuit Honor Society, and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in business administration. At Georgetown, Dean was heavily involved with the Chinese Students Association and frequently hosted gatherings to bring students together. He volunteered as a math tutor at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and he was a member of the McDonough School of Business Admissions Council. While on campus, Dean also worked at the McDonough School of Business Technology Center and the Georgetown University Alumni and Student Federal Credit Union.
After graduating from Georgetown in 2004, Dean worked for BearingPoint and E888 International before attending The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He obtained a Master of Business Administration degree in 2012 with a concentration in entrepreneurship and innovation. While at Fuqua, Dean was involved in a number of clubs, including the entrepreneurship and venture capital club, the asset management club, and the real estate club, and was a member of the Program 4 Entrepreneurs. In addition, he was an admissions fellow and a management communications teaching assistant. When he wasn’t studying, working, or volunteering, he enjoyed spending time with his friends, singing karaoke, and playing volleyball or a good game of poker.
After business school, Dean returned to commercial real estate and worked at Capital Appraisal Services. He obtained a New York State Certified General Appraiser License and had been working towards the requirements necessary for an MAI designation. Dean also worked for Fultonex Realty as an exclusive sales associate on “Flushing Commons,” one of the largest mixed-use developments in Downtown Flushing, New York. Never one to be idle, Dean worked tirelessly towards obtaining his CFA designation, and received it in August 2014.
On November 3, 2016, Dean passed away from complications due to encephalitis. During the two weeks he was hospitalized, doctors worked tirelessly to determine the cause. However, all of the lab results came back negative and the cause was never determined.
Dean was a generous and dedicated son, brother, and friend who had a passion for traveling the world and was always there to provide encouragement. He never missed an opportunity to connect with friends or to lend a helping hand. Although he was taken from us too soon, he made a difference and deeply touched the lives of everyone he knew. He is survived by his parents and his twin sister, Didi.
“Dean’s selfless attitude, kindness, loyalty, commitment, and passion for life will always be missed. We are so thankful and humbled that this prize will keep the memory of our beloved son and brother alive forever,” said the Yep family on the second anniversary of Dean’s unexpected passing. “Dean always encouraged those he knew to strive for their maximum potential, so it seems fitting that this prize will enable a deserving team to go further with their vision.”
“Thanks to the fund, we expect these prizes to be distributed in perpetuity, empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs and honoring Dean’s love for Duke,” said Aju Joseph John, Dean’s friend from Fuqua and one of the prize administrators.
2024
Runo Obafemi, BETACARE
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Runo Obafemi MBA ’25 is the 2024 winner of the Dean Yep, Jr. Prize in the amount of $6,000 for her work on Betacare. Runo was awarded the prize during the Duke Startup Showcase on April 11, 2024. In addition to the Dean Yep, Jr. Prize, Betacare received a $30,000 prize as the best graduate or professional student venture in the Showcase.
Betcacare is revolutionizing healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa, offering equitable health education, insurance, and medical services.
Runo is a Daytime MBA student at the Fuqua School of Business. She is a Forté Fellow, a Duke I&E Impact Scholar, and is pursuing a certificate in Health Sector Management in addition to the MBA. Prior to enrolling at to Duke, Runo lived in Nigeria and served as Chief Product Officer at a software company and as an analyst at KPMG.
On wining the prize, Runo said, “I am honored to have received the Dean Yep, Jr. Prize and am grateful for the opportunity to leverage this prize to further advance our mission at Betacare. We hope to fulfill our goal of promoting health equity and better health outcomes for the underserved regions in sub-Saharan Africa and Dean's legacy serves as a powerful reminder of this goal.”
2023
Ayra Diwase, Himayat
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Arya Diwase is the 2023 winner of the Dean Yep, Jr. Prize in the amount of $5,000, for her work on Himayat.
Arya was awarded the prize during the 2023 Fuqua Fast Pitch finals held in Geneen Auditorium on March 29, 2023.
Himayat is a comprehensive human resources management and employee benefits platform supporting female domestic workers and their employers in India. A minimal investment by the employers will provide millions of dollars’ worth of benefits for domestic workers while helping employers save money and retain trustworthy labor. Himayat’s vision is to protect and improve the working and living conditions of domestic workers worldwide by formalizing their role within the economy.
Arya is a dual MBA and Masters of Public Policy student at Duke where she currently serves as co-president of the MBA Association. Prior to Duke, Arya founded a boutique student mentorship platform, Application Ally, and a non-profit that teaches English in India through the use of drama, Jazz Hands.
“I am so touched and honored to receive the Dean Yep Jr. award for Himayat. Keeping his legacy and selfless service in mind, I hope we reduce social inequality and empower those around us through our work. I am grateful to the donors and the Yep family for their support which will help women in India.”
2021
STEPHEN COLVILL, RISCS
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This year’s award, in the amount of more than $5,000, has been made to Stephen Colvill. Stephen is co-founder of RISCS, Inc., a rating and certification organization dedicated to preventing drug shortages. RISCS developed and implemented the first and only rating system that uses non-public data to evaluate pharmaceutical supply chain resilience at the product level. The RISC Rating System™ helps ensure hospitals and other drug purchasers can access life-saving and life-sustaining medicines through better buying and contracting decisions.
Stephen is a Weekend Executive MBA student at Duke and a part-time Research Associate at the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy. Prior to co-founding RISCS, Stephen held roles of increasing responsibility in business analytics, marketing, portfolio management, finance and supply chain at Pfizer and Hospira. Most recently, he was Director, Business Analytics Team Lead for Pfizer Injectables.
“I am honored to be this year’s recipient of the Dean Yep, Jr. Prize,” Stephen said. “Dean sounds like a fantastic person and I am sure we would have hit it off had our paths crossed at Fuqua. I look forward to using the prize to continue pursuing my entrepreneurial venture.”
2018
ARSHEEN ALLAM, GOLEAFE
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GOLeafe is a Durham-based startup that has developed a patent-pending and low cost manufacturing process to produce Graphene, currently one of the most expensive materials on earth under current production methods. Imagine solar panels that can generate energy 24 hours a day and picture an energy storage solution that outcompetes lithium ion batteries in cost, storage capacity, charging speed, weight, lifespan, and safety; nanomaterial Graphene makes it possible. Graphene is 1000 times lighter than paper and 200 times stronger than structural steel. GOLeafe has introduced a scalable batch process to produce Graphene that is 10x cheaper than the competition, while keeping it very eco-friendly by removing most of the harsh chemicals used in competing methods.
GOLeafe’s founder and CEO is Arsheen Allam, who previously co-founded CNanoz, an innovator in developing nano-technology based water purification systems. At CNanoz, Arsheen developed an interest in Graphene that eventually resulted in the launch of GOLeafe. Arsheen has a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering, as well as a master’s degree in Global Innovation Management from NC State University, and an MBA from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.