Icon Pro Solutions CEO Waqar Hussain was one of the 2025 winners of Syracuse University’s Hunter Brooks Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award. Each winner received $2,000, and the awards were announced on April 10, 2025, at the Blackstone LaunchPad in Bird Library.
Six students were recognized across five awards in 2025. Waqar was named as a Whitman School student, and his award check was made out to Iconnic.Cloud, the managed cloud platform Icon Pro Solutions built.
What the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award Recognizes
The Hunter Brooks Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award began in 2018 through the Hunter Brooks Watson Memorial Fund. It is given to Syracuse University students who best exemplify “The Spirit of Entrepreneurship.”
The award honors the memory of Hunter Brooks Watson, a Syracuse University student who died in a distracted driving accident.
It is announced alongside the School of Information Studies’ Raymond von Dran iPrize, a separate award for student entrepreneurship.
The 2025 Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award Winners
- Carolina Aguayo-Pla ’27 (Whitman School and School of Information Studies)
- Waqar Hussain ’25 (Whitman School)
- Isabella Carter G’26 (Newhouse School) and Ava Lubkemann G’26 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
- Ziekariba Nonr Diallo G’28 (School of Information Studies)
- Jase M Malloy ’25 (School of Information Studies)
An Earlier Award From the Same Program
A year before, Syracuse University named Waqar, as founder of Iconnic.Cloud, one of ten winners of the 2024 Raymond von Dran iPrize, also worth $2,000. It described Iconnic.Cloud as “a streamlined cloud server management solution” that lets small to medium enterprises “easily deploy and scale their digital products on dedicated cloud platforms.”
Waqar Hussain’s Recognition at Syracuse University
- 2023 ’Cuse Tank: first place, Iconnic.Cloud
- 2024 Raymond von Dran iPrize: one of ten winners, $2,000
- 2024 ’Cuse Tank: first place (tied), $10,000
- Fall 2024 Orange Innovation Fund: $5,000 grant, one of seven recipients
- 2024 Panasci Business Plan Competition: second place, $7,500
- 2025 Panasci Business Plan Competition: second place, $7,500
- 2025 Hunter Brooks Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award: $2,000
Read about the 2025 Panasci Competition result, the Orange Innovation Fund grant, and how Syracuse University’s startup ecosystem supported Iconnic.Cloud.
About Waqar Hussain
Waqar Hussain is the CEO of Icon Pro Solutions and the founder of Iconnic.Cloud. He is a member of the Whitman School’s MBA Class of 2025 and mentors student founders at Syracuse’s Couri Hatchery. Read more about Icon Pro Solutions, or see the company’s awards and recognition.
FAQ: The Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award in 2025
What award did Waqar Hussain win in 2025?
He was one of the 2025 winners of Syracuse University’s Hunter Brooks Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award, worth $2,000.
When was the award announced?
On April 10, 2025, at the Blackstone LaunchPad in Bird Library.
What is the Hunter Brooks Watson award?
A Syracuse University award started in 2018 through the Hunter Brooks Watson Memorial Fund, for students who best exemplify “The Spirit of Entrepreneurship.”
Was Waqar Hussain the only winner?
No. Six students were recognized across five awards in 2025.
Has Waqar Hussain won other Syracuse awards?
Yes: a 2024 Raymond von Dran iPrize ($2,000), first place at ’Cuse Tank in 2023 and 2024, a Fall 2024 Orange Innovation Fund grant, and second place at the Panasci Competition in 2024 and 2025.
