Chris Saunders Named Parkland's 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year
The Entrepreneur of the Year Banquet will be held Thursday, June 5
The Parkland College Foundation recently announced its selection of Chris Saunders, founder and owner of Green Street Realty and CRS Hospitality, as the 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year.
Saunders will receive the V. Dale Cozad Entrepreneur of the Year Award during Parkland College's 14th annual Entrepreneur of the Year Banquet. An annual fundraiser for the Parkland College Entrepreneurial Network, the banquet will be held Thursday, June 5, at the I Hotel and Conference Center in Champaign. After a reception at 5 p.m., dinner and the program begins at 6 p.m.
Born in Grand Island, Nebraska, Saunders competed on the track and field and cross-country teams at the University of Illinois, earning All-American honors in the former. He graduated in education and later in curriculum and instruction from UIUC. Prior to Illinois, he earned Division II All-American honors in cross country and competed in the 1500m at the NCAA Division II Track and Field Nationals finals at the University of South Dakota.
Saunders taught and later served as coordinator of student services in the Champaign Unit 4 School District. He also coached girls track and cross-country at Central High School while volunteering with the UIUC track and field and cross-country teams from 1999–2003 until the retirement of his former college coach, Gary Wieneke.
Beginning his real estate career in 2004 with a single-family home in Urbana, he now serves as president of his own Champaign-based Green Street Realty, overseeing over 5,500 student housing beds, 1,500 multifamily units, and 300,000 square feet of office, industrial, and retail space. CRS Hospitality operates 13 brands in Champaign, including The Ribeye, Billy Barooz, Seven Saints, Jupiter’s, and The City Center, among others.
His other real estate ventures include Sub 4 Development Company; Culver’s franchise locations in Grand Island and Omaha, Nebraska, with his brother, Greg; Do it Best Hardware in Champaign; and Insurance Providers Group in central Illinois.
He currently resides in Urbana with his wife, Jodi, and four children, Morgan, Jay, Cole, and Harper.
In partnership between the college and community members committed to developing strong, educated leaders for today's workforce, the Parkland College Entrepreneurial Network provides scholarships to students demonstrating potential for growth as future managers, leaders and innovators. The program aims to increase the number of graduates with a strong work ethic and commitment to excellence that supports existing industry, creating a more attractive community to future employers.