Anthony Murphy Honored with the 2025 Business-Education Connection Award by the ESC of Central Ohio!
- Lead The Way
- Apr 17
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 25
Thursday April 18, 2025
The Educational Service Center of Central Ohio’s Business Advisory Council (ESC BAC) has proudly recognized Anthony Murphy, Executive Director of Lead The Way, as the recipient of the 2025 Business-Education Connection Award. This prestigious honor celebrates Murphy’s outstanding commitment to fostering impactful partnerships between the business sector and the educational community in Central Ohio.
A Visionary Leader Dedicated to Youth Empowerment
Anthony Murphy has long been recognized as a passionate youth advocate, mentor, and visionary leader. Through his tireless efforts, he has made it his mission to empower young people by providing them with access to leadership development, career readiness, and meaningful service-learning experiences. Under his guidance, Lead The Way has evolved into a transformative initiative that bridges gaps between students and the professional world.
Murphy’s work is grounded in the belief that every student deserves the opportunity to thrive, regardless of background. By aligning educational experiences with real-world expectations, he has inspired countless youth to pursue their goals with confidence and purpose.
Strengthening the Business-Education Pipeline
At the heart of Murphy’s impact is his ability to forge authentic, sustainable partnerships that bring together schools, employers, and nonprofit organizations. These partnerships have created direct pathways for students to explore high-demand industries such as healthcare, information technology, skilled trades, public service, and entrepreneurship.
Through innovative programming, Lead The Way has expanded access to:
Career exploration and job shadowing
Mentorship from industry professionals
Hands-on learning experiences
Community service initiatives that build both skills and confidence
Murphy’s leadership ensures that students—particularly those from underserved and historically marginalized communities—are not only participants in their own futures, but active architects of their success.
About the Business-Education Connection Award
The Business-Education Connection Award is presented annually by the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio’s Business Advisory Council (ESC BAC). It honors individuals and organizations that have demonstrated visionary leadership and made significant, lasting contributions to aligning the needs of the business community with the goals of the educational sector.
Awardees are recognized for their commitment to collaboration, innovation, and equity, and for building bridges that help students transition from the classroom to the workforce with the tools they need to succeed.
A Shared Vision for the Future
Lead The Way and its partners are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition of Anthony Murphy’s leadership. His work continues to shine as a model for effective, equitable, and forward-thinking community engagement.
We congratulate him on this incredible achievement and thank the ESC BAC for recognizing the power of education-business collaboration to build a stronger, more inclusive Central Ohio.
Stay tuned for more updates on our community partnerships and student success stories!
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