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Congratulations to our region’s Entrepreneur Of The Year® finalists, who were selected by an independent panel of judges based on their demonstration of long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact, among other core contributions and attributes. Finalists were recognized and winners were announced during the regional awards celebration.
Regional winners went on to compete for National recognition. National finalists and winners were announced during the National awards gala.
Nikhil Lalwani
President & CEO
ANI Pharmaceuticals
ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANIP) is a diversified biopharmaceutical company serving patients in need by developing, manufacturing, and marketing high quality branded and generic prescription pharmaceutical products, including for diseases with high unmet medical need. ANI is focused on delivering sustainable growth by scaling up the rare disease business through the successful launch of the lead asset, Purified Cortrophin® Gel, strengthening the generics business with enhanced research and development capability, innovation in established brands and leveraging U.S.-based manufacturing capabilities.
CoreWeave is a specialized GPU cloud provider, designed to power the most complex workloads with customized solutions at scale. The company's portfolio of cutting-edge technology delivers a broad range of capabilities for machine learning and AI, graphics and rendering, life sciences, real-time streaming, and more. Its world-class teams, talent, and engineering prowess bring unmatched speed-to-market for advanced compute. CoreWeave operates a growing footprint of datacenters covering every region of the US.
Vanessa Rissetto Co-Founder & CEO
Culina Health
Culina Health is on a mission to make clinical nutrition accessible and sustainable for all through virtual nutrition care with registered dietitians. The company believes that everyone deserves affordable, quality nutrition care from a credentialed expert. Patients are paired with registered dietitians for personalized, one-on-one virtual nutrition care that is science-based, inclusive, and culturally affirming. It makes insurance-covered nutrition care accessible and easier to understand so that patients can fuel a satisfying & well-balanced life. It offers non-judgmental, sustainable, and multilingual support in all specialties, and honor all patient backgrounds. Culina Health is proud to be clinician, women, and BIPOC owned.
Bill Mascharka CEO
Frazier Industrial Company
FRAZIER is an accredited industry leader in structural steel. When the company was developing its manufacturing capabilities in 1949, it made a fundamental decision to use structural steel instead of inferior roll-formed steel in all of its products. Since then, FRAZIER has become the leading producer of structural steel pallet rack systems with the greatest production capacity in the industry.
Carlos Patrick Oliver President
Frazier Industrial Company
FRAZIER is an accredited industry leader in structural steel. When the company was developing its manufacturing capabilities in 1949, it made a fundamental decision to use structural steel instead of inferior roll-formed steel in all of its products. Since then, FRAZIER has become the leading producer of structural steel pallet rack systems with the greatest production capacity in the industry.
Kunal Gupta CEO
Nutra-Med Packaging LLC
Nutra-Med Packaging provides packaging services for the pharmaceutical, OTC, medical device, diagnostics, and dietary supplement industries in the US, Canada, and beyond. The company’s focus is on blister packaging, bottling, vial and PFS labeling, specialized kitting, cartoning, and serialization operations for a variety of dosage forms and devices.
Daniel Prince, Ph.D. CEO
Prince Sterilization Services
Since 1970 the Prince name has been synonymous with pharmaceutical and medical testing and research excellence. The award-winning team has grown to become Prince Sterilizations Services, LLC (Prince)-- a premier provider of ready to use components and sterile ready to use components used for pharmaceutical therapeutics such as vaccines and parenteral. Terminal sterilization is performed only with environmentally responsible modalities such as, moist steam, low temperature vaporized hydrogen peroxide, and dry heat sterilization processes. The Prince management team is made up of three generations of industry wide subject matter experts Drs. Herbert, Daniel and Derek Prince. Prince is ISO 13485 certified, FDA registered, and cGMP compliant.
With more than $1 billion in premium, SageSure, the largest residential property insurance managing general underwriter (MGU) in the United States, is pioneering the ways people protect their American Dream. As a leader in catastrophe-exposed property insurance, it delivers reliable coverage, exceptional customer experiences, and strong underwriting results in challenging insurance markets across fourteen states. SageSure offers home, flood, and commercial coverage on behalf of its highly rated carrier partners.
Corey Gross Co-Founder/COO
Solar Landscape
Solar Landscape is the leading commercial and community solar developer in the United States. It partners with the world's largest real estate companies to develop, install, and operate solar projects on commercial and industrial rooftops. To date, Solar Landscape has deployed over four hundred megawatts of renewable energy projects totaling over $1 billion in capital investment. Solar Landscape was named the #1 Distributed Generation developer for 2023 by New Project Media and was awarded the U.S. Department of Energy’s Equitable Community Solar Grand Prize.
Shaun Keegan Co-Founder/CEO
Solar Landscape
Solar Landscape is the leading commercial and community solar developer in the United States. It partners with the world's largest real estate companies to develop, install, and operate solar projects on commercial and industrial rooftops. To date, Solar Landscape has deployed over four hundred megawatts of renewable energy projects totaling over $1 billion in capital investment. Solar Landscape was named the #1 Distributed Generation developer for 2023 by New Project Media and was awarded the U.S. Department of Energy’s Equitable Community Solar Grand Prize.
Video highlights: In their own words
Meet the entrepreneurs
Listen to our 2024 finalists as they share inspiring moments of their success and how they are making a positive impact on the communities around them.
2024 finalists
Mirtes is the Founder & CEO of AGM Tech Solutions.
AGM Tech Solutions is a women-minority owned IT staffing firm that specializes in providing IT staffing services from mid-size to emerging growth companies and the Fortune 500 across market sectors. Their niche brands provide direct hire, temporary staffing, contract consulting and temp/contract-to-hire solutions.
Paul and Bill are Co-CEOs and Co-Founders of Bubbakoo’s Burritos.
Bubbakoo’s Burritos is the community’s go-to Mexican-fusion fast-casual restaurant. Born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey along the Jersey Shore in 2008, Bubbakoo’s Burritos has grown to more than 100 U.S. locations in fifteen states.
Leonard is the Chairman & CEO of Citius Pharma.
Citius Pharma is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of first-in-class critical care products. The company's diversified pipeline includes two late-stage product candidates. At the end of 2023, Citius completed enrollment in a Phase 3 Pivotal superiority trial of Mino-Lok®, an antibiotic lock solution to salvage catheters in patients with catheter-related bloodstream infections. Citius has recently resubmitted the Biologics License Application for LYMPHIR™, a novel IL-2R immunotherapy for an initial indication in the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Citius previously announced plans to form Citius Oncology, a standalone publicly traded company with LYMPHIR as its primary asset. LYMPHIR received orphan drug designation by the FDA for the treatment of CTCL and PTCL.
Shailja is the CEO of Curio Digital Therapeutics Inc.
Curio is a healthcare company solving for issues unique to women's diverse life stages utilizing evidence-based practices, validated solutions, and leveraging our intelligent technology platforms.
Pip is the CEO of Current Trucking LLC.
Current delivers electric vehicles, charging and infrastructure to customers and partners seeking to deploy zero emission solutions. Current provides Vehicle-as-a-Service, charging as a Service while drawing on over 60 years of utility scale power and infrastructure projects globally. Current enables CAPEX to OPEX solutions for companies aiding them to drive towards their internal environmental goals while being compliant with broader Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policies.
Steven is the CEO of Denholtz Properties.
Based in Red Bank, New Jersey, Denholtz Properties specializes in the acquisition and development of multifamily, industrial/flex and office properties across the United States. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to excellence, Denholtz Properties’ highly experienced executive team is committed to providing outsized investment returns through opportunistic and strategic real estate investment.
James is the CEO & a Board Member of Edible Garden AG Incorporated.
Edible Garden AG Incorporated is a leader in sustainable indoor farming backed by a Zero-Waste Inspired® approach and offered at over 5,000 stores in the United States. Edible Garden is disrupting the controlled environment agriculture (“CEA”) and sustainability technology movement with its safety-in-farming protocols, use of sustainable packaging, patented Greenthumb software, and self-watering in-store displays.
Nina is the Co-Founder & CEO of EpiBone, Inc.
EpiBone is a pioneering regenerative medicine company at the forefront of bone and cartilage repair. Leveraging the power of stem cells, biomimicry, and 3D fabrication, they are developing a pipeline of innovative products with enormous potential to revolutionize orthopedic repair. Their lead product, a living, anatomically precise 3D bone graft, completed its Phase I/IIa clinical trial in August 2023. All the patients were successfully implanted and are healing with exceptional integration, exactly as expected. The rest of their pipeline focuses on cartilage repair, and includes an allogeneic osteochondral plug, whose IND was approved in July 2023. Their cartilage portfolio also includes an injectable cartilage filler that was partly funded by the Department of Defense.
Jill is the President & CEO of GeneScreen Counseling, LLC.
GeneScreen Counseling is an independently owned genetic counseling company merged with technology platform to scale genetic counseling worldwide. By collaborating with multiple labs, clients can receive the most appropriate testing given their specific familial history and concerns.
Samer is the Managing Partner of Hanini.
Hanini Group has solidified its reputation in the real estate sector with over $600 million in development projects, specializing in the sustainable urban development and historic renovation of residential, retail, commercial, and corporate properties. Renowned for its expertise in revitalizing historic buildings in Newark, New Jersey, the firm meticulously restores these structures to their original splendor, transforming them into celebrated city landmarks and community hubs. These successful ventures have not only enhanced Newark's urban landscape but also contributed significantly to the city's cultural and economic revitalization. Expanding its footprint, Hanini Group now embraces projects across the greater New York City metropolitan area, including Northern New Jersey and Brooklyn. This strategic growth underscores the firm's commitment to extending its impact, leveraging its deep industry knowledge to rejuvenate urban spaces and create sustainable, vibrant communities.
Don is the Founder of IFPG.
The International Franchise Professionals Group (IFPG) is a membership-based organization with more than 1,500 franchise professionals. The growing community is made up of franchisors, franchise consultants and brokers, lenders, and other key players who help potential candidates through the process of identifying and investing in a franchise business. Hundreds of nationally recognized franchise companies have chosen the IFPG and its members to represent their brands. Hundreds of experienced franchise consultants have chosen the IFPG to power their businesses. All these individuals understand the value of being associated with IFPG.
Jeffrey is the Founder, Chairman, and COO of JAKTOOL LLC.
JAKTOOL is a team of engineers, craftsman, and program managers who design, build, test, and sustain unique subsystems for the nation’s defense and advancing the state-of-the-art technology in healthcare leveraging the AIM(TM) process. They improve designs, fabricate concepts, and verify product to help material developers and manufacturers reduce risk and deliver fast.
William is the President of Kimmerle Newman Architects.
Kimmerle Group is a leading design and planning practice with 40 years of experience and integrated professional service divisions. The team of thirty-two dedicated professionals operates from offices in Harding Township, New Jersey, New York City, New York, and Stonington, Connecticut.
Gavin is the Co-Founder & CEO of LOVE CORN.
LOVE CORN is a delicious crunchy corn snack that comes in a variety of flavors and is made from simple ingredients. A popular snack in the Mediterranean diet, LOVE CORN is made with whole crunchy corn kernels (right off the cob). LOVE CORN is a fan favorite among busy adults, always-hungry teens, and picky little eaters, making lunchtime more exciting, road trips go quicker, the party more fun and life a little bit better, one kernel of joy at a time.
Ashish is the Founder & CEO of Net2Source Inc.
Net2Source is a global workforce management company that specializes in delivering talent management solutions to businesses across various industries. Founded in 2007, the company has grown to become a recognized provider of staffing, recruiting, and workforce management services.
Emer is the President & CEO of PsychoGenics Inc.
PsychoGenics (PGI) is a profitable preclinical Contract Research Organization (CRO) and a drug discovery (DD) company. Profits from the CRO business have funded the DD efforts. With its disease models and comprehensive preclinical capabilities, it helps companies discover the next generation of treatments for severely disabling central nervous system (CNS) and rare disorders. Since the founding in 1999, the company have performed tens of thousands of studies for hundreds of biopharma clients. Over 80 percent of the clients return for repeat business, attesting to the quality of service provided.
Nishit is the Co-Founder/CEO and Hetal is the Co-Founder/President of Rangam.
Rangam is a global, innovative, total talent management firm with the mission of accelerating meaningful employment for everyone. A minority-, woman-, and disability-owned firm with over 25 years of experience promoting sustainable and inclusive talent programs within its communities and employers.
Avis is the CEO of Technology Concepts Group International.
TCGi is proud to exemplify its core values as a leading diverse supplier of Advisory and IT Professional Services. TCGi is a mission-centric firm that drives value to corporate and government customers from four pillars – Technology, Procurement Solutions, IT Services, and Workforce of the Future.
