GREENVILLE, Pa.—Thiel College has named Mark Marmo ’93 its 2025 Haller Enterprise Institute Entrepreneur of the Year and Ava Kavulla ’25 and Casey Yacos ’25 as Student Entrepreneur of the Year winners. All will be honored in the College’s Lutheran Heritage Room in the Howard Miller Student Center on January 29, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.
Marmo is a 1993 graduate of Thiel College. He is the Chief Executive Officer at Deep Well Services and a former member of the College’s Board of Trustees. Along with being an industry leader, Marmo worked with the College’s administrators and faculty members to help Thiel establish its Environmental Safety Management program.In 2024, Marmo was presented with the College’s Simon Chiu, M.D., Ph.D. ’73 Science Professional Award.
“I love working in the energy industry because oil and gas help sustain the world,” Marmo said.
Deep Well Services provides life-sustaining energy around the world and aims to assist North America in becoming energy independent, Marmo said. Despite substantial industry downturns in 2018 and 2020, which bankrupted 100-plus public and 100-plus private oil field companies, Marmo led Deep Well Services’ revenue growth from $7.5 million to $120 million. In addition, the team has expanded to approximately 400 full-time employees.
In 2024, Marmo was presented with the College’s Simon Chiu, M.D., Ph.D. ’73 Science Professional Award. During his time as CEO, he has been influential in the company’s overall success and safety culture.
Kavulla, of Sharpsville, Pa., is a business administration major and a 2023 home school graduate. She is the founder and co-owner of A Pastel Petal, which she runs with her sister, Anna Kavulla ’27.
A Pastel Petal provides hand-painted watercolor and calligraphy items, as well as customized artwork services. Since 2018, the company has served both individual and commercial customers locally and online. In 2024, the sisters designed the official Christmas card at Thiel College. In addition to her business, Ava Kavulla teaches entrepreneurship and art to high school students as part of the United Way of Mercer County's Teens2Careers program. She helped her kids win a county-wide competition and was asked to create an entrepreneurship curriculum for local schools.
Yacos is the founder of Sellingbykc, an Instagram-based resale business that sells clothes. Yacos is from Weirton, W. Va., and a 2021 Madonna High School graduate. She is a senior business administration major with tracks in advertising, marketing and management with a Certificate in Entrepreneurship.
She began her business as a first-year student at Thiel College. She’s been an entrepreneur for nearly three years and has shipped products to 49 states. Her business has grown to over 36,000 Instagram followers, considerably increasing her reach and consumer base. She stated that her enthusiasm for entrepreneurship continues to fuel her success.
In 1996, Henry E. H’97 and Grace Mary Haller, of Pittsburgh, provided Thiel College with generous financial support resulting in the renaming of the Thiel Business Institute as the Haller Enterprise Institute. Their $1 million gift was earmarked for the development of entrepreneurial education, a discipline for which the College has become increasingly well-known.
In 1997, Thiel awarded Henry Haller an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. In 1998, Grace Mary passed away. Henry passed away in March 2012, and Linda Haller H’13 currently serves on the Haller Enterprise Institute’s Advisory Board.
About Thiel College
Thiel College is an independent college founded in the Lutheran tradition. Located in Greenville, Pa., the College offers 60 majors and minors, 24 varsity sports, and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio. The College is also home to a new Master of Science in speech-language pathology and 2Master of Business Administration. Both master’s degree programs offer innovative and accelerated five-year paths which allow students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The speech-language pathology program also has an accelerated 15-month graduate-level program. The M.B.A. program also has a 12-month post-graduate program.A dedicated faculty paired with dynamic research and internship opportunities produce numerous graduate school and job placements. Coeducational from its beginnings, the College remains committed to combining tradition with innovation as it celebrates 150 years.