Danielle “Dani” Bowman

Founder, Danimation Entertainment, LLC
Nominated by Woodbury University

Dani Bowman founded her company, DaniMation Entertainment LLC, at age 11. She has worked professionally in the animation industry since she was 14. Bowman uses her passions for public speaking, animation, illustration, fine and visual arts, and teaching to demonstrate to others on the autism spectrum that anything is possible.

Since age 15, Bowman has led summer animation camps around the country, initially with Joey Travolta's Inclusion Films; she then expanded out on her own to teach more than 1,000 teens and young adults with autism and other disabilities. Bowman not only teaches animation, but also works with her students as a role model and mentor, encouraging them to follow their dreams.

Bowman is a national speaker, giving talks about autism and employment nationally since she was 19, keynoting a wide range of conferences throughout the U.S.

Bowman has also premiered eight award-wining animated short films at San Diego Comic-Con each year for the past seven years. Her shorts feature the voices of Joe Mantegna, Tom Kenny (the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants), June Foray, Debi Derryberry, and Stella Ritter, among others.

Bowman graduated from Woodbury University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in animation in 2018, and she is currently completing a Master of Business Administration with a focus in organizational strategy and leadership at Woodbury.

Mark A. Casale

President, CEO, Chairman of the board of directors, Essent Group Ltd.
Nominated by Saint Joseph's University

Mark A. Casale joined PwC in 1986 and completed an MBA at New York University in 1989. He has held senior positions at Advanta Corporation (SVP, 1992), Society Hill Capital Management (VP, 2000), and Radian Group, Inc. (SVP Strategic Investments, 2001; SVP Capital Markets, 2004; EVP Mortage Insurance 2005; president, 2006). Essent Group Ltd. named him president and CEO in 2008 and chairman of the board in 2013.

In 2014, Casale received the Ernst & Young Greater Philadelphia and National Entrepreneur of the Year awards (financial services category). The awards recognize outstanding, high‐growth entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. He is a member of the Saint Joseph’s University (SJU) board of trustees and the Magis Society for major donors, and he was inducted into the Haub School of Business Hall of Fame in 2016.

Casale’s generosity to SJU includes donations of $1.5 million to support the Dean’s Leadership Program, Women’s Forum, Accounting Alumni Society, Collegiate Business Ethics Case competition, HSB Hall of Fame, and the Shield of Loyola Award for distinguished alumni. He was instrumental in the purchase of 40 acres adjacent to SJU’s main campus, which nearly doubled SJU’s physical presence. Additionally, Casale recently donated $1 million to support SJU’s accounting program and $1 million for its scholarship fund for students with financial need.

Ted Castle

President, Rhino Foods & The Rhino Foods Foundation
Nominated by The University of Vermont

University of Vermont (UVM) graduate Ted Castle incorporated Rhino Foods with his wife, Anne, in 1981. They opened an ice cream shop while Ted was assistant hockey coach at UVM. In 1991, Rhino partnered with Ben and Jerry’s to invent the new flavor sensation: cookie dough ice cream. The company is now the #1 producer of cookie dough inclusions for ice cream.

Rhino is a certified B Corporation; its most distinguished awards are the Terry Ehrlich Award for Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility, University of Vermont First Generation Family Enterprise Award, Optimas Award for vision in the workplace, Hal Taussig B Corp Award for using business as a force for good, Forbes Magazine’s Small Giants Award, and Inc. Magazine’s “Best Companies to Work For.”

Castle’s passion is to create positive social change through business. His company emphasizes long term financial health by investing in its customers, employees and community.

At Rhino, Castle has been innovating workplace practices with open book management and by offering an employee exchange program, on-site resource coordinator, and English classes, as well as an income advance program.

In 2019, Ted and Anne founded the Rhino Foods Foundation with a mission to “develop and promote financial security programs for employees that make good business sense.”

Castle has served on the boards of Prevent Child Abuse Vermont, the United Way, Shelburne Farms, and the Community Sailing Center.