Hearty congratulations to Gerald Buckley, creator of Grocio.com and winner of the 2008 Tulsa Mayor’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award. The award is sponsored by SpiritBank, The Kauffman Foundation, the Tulsa Metro Chamber and the Tulsa Economic Development Commission, among others.

Gerald’s innovative online service provides comparison shopping for groceries. With your zip code and grocery list, Grocio.com will tell you which grocer has the least expensive total checkout for that list, while also providing valuable coupons matching the purchases.  Gerald wins a $30,000 check from SpiritBank and an additional $30,000 match from i2e.

Mayor Kathy Taylor presents 2008 Entrpreneurial Spirit Award to Gerald Buckley, creator of Grocio.com

The Spirit Award competition started with over 100 entries this year. Competitors had to provide a complete business plan and give presentations on their business idea. As the competition went along, the competitors received coaching, sharpened their business plans and gave additional presentations to a panel of judges from industry, academia, finance as well as other successful entrepreneurs.

I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Gerald for several years now and cannot imagine anyone who more embodies both the spirit and action of innovation, excellence, integrity and entrepreneurship. I look forward to seeing Grocio.com and whatever additional efforts he starts being very successful.