Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates ambitious entrepreneurs who are building bolder futures
Atlanta, April 27 – Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) today announced the finalists for the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2023 Southeast Award. The Southeast program celebrates entrepreneurs from Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Now in its 37th year, Entrepreneur Of The Year is one of the preeminent competitive business awards for transformative entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies who are building a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous world for all.
These 37 entrepreneurs were selected as finalists by an independent panel of judges. The candidates were evaluated based on their demonstration of building long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth, and impact, among other core contributions and attributes.
The 2023 Southeast finalists are:
Dennis Lally and Jenna Lally Whigham | Abound Health | Charlotte, North Carolina
William Miller | Aimpoint Digital | Atlanta, Georgia
Josh Cady | CADY | Alpharetta, Georgia
Jill Evanko | Chart Industries, Inc. | Ball Ground, Georgia
Albert Edwards | Corporate Environmental Risk Management | Tucker, Georgia
Michael Mogill | Crisp, Inc. | Atlanta, Georgia
Todd Buelow, Ben Gilman and Daniel DelaCruz | Dualboot Partners | Charlotte, North Carolina
Reade Kidd | E*DRAY | Charlotte, North Carolina
Sonya Locke | EDS Service Solutions, LLC | Atlanta, Georgia
Michael Walsh | EspriGas | Atlanta, Georgia
Kelcy Pegler | FlexGen | Durham, North Carolina
Jason Murphy | Flip Electronics | Atlanta, Georgia
Chris Cochran | FreightWise | Brentwood, Tennessee
Todd Latz | GoHealth Urgent Care | Atlanta, Georgia
Nick Black | GoodUnited | Charleston, South Carolina
David Miles | Grayshift | Roswell, Georgia
Craig Gunckel | Iconex | Duluth, Georgia
Douglas Ghertner | IVX Health | Brentwood, Tennessee
Jennifer Byrne | Javara | Winston-Salem, North Carolina
David Voronin | MigWay, Inc | Pineville, North Carolina
Zebulon Hadley | National Coatings Inc. | Raleigh, North Carolina
Denise Shields | Nych Brands | Charlotte, North Carolina
John Bradford | PetScreening | Mooresville, North Carolina
Adam Wexler | PrizePicks | Atlanta, Georgia
Timothy Bertram | ProKidney | Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Jonathan Hinton | RavenVolt, Inc. | Cumming, Georgia
Courtney Folk | Renewal Logistics | McDonough, Georgia
Adam Gladieux | RxRise | Apex, North Carolina
Jane Zhang | STAR EV Corporation | Simpsonville, South Carolina
Donald Thompson | The Diversity Movement | Raleigh, North Carolina
Chanda Bell and Christa Pitts | The Lumistella Company | Atlanta, Georgia
L.T. Gibson | US LBM | Atlanta, Georgia
Paul Evans | Velocity Clinical Research | Durham, North Carolina
"This year’s finalists are ambitious entrepreneurs and steadfast leaders who are committed to transforming their industries and communities,” said Chevy Arnold, Entrepreneur Of The Year Southeast Program Co-Director.
“They have been carefully selected by our independent panel of judges for their unwavering commitment to their companies, customers and communities, and we are thrilled to recognize them,” said Kimberly Kicklighter, Entrepreneur Of The Year Southeast Program Co-Director.
Regional award winners will be announced on June 22 during a special celebration at the Coca-Cola Roxy in Atlanta, Georgia. The winners will then be considered by the National judges for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, which will be presented in November at the annual Strategic Growth Forum®, one of the nation’s most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the World Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award in June 2024.
The Entrepreneur Of The Year program has recognized more than 11,000 entrepreneurs throughout the US since its inception in 1986, and it has grown to recognize business leaders across 145 cities in over 60 countries around the world.
Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, N.A.; SAP America; and the Kauffman Foundation. In the Southeast, sponsors also include regional Platinum sponsors, Cresa Global, Inc., Marsh McLennan and Vaco, LLC, regional Gold sponsor, King & Spalding LLP, and regional Silver sponsor, ADP, LLC.
About Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Entrepreneur Of The Year® is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. National Overall Award winners go on to compete for the World Entrepreneur Of The Year® title. Visit ey.com/us/eoy.
About EY Private
As Advisors to the ambitious™, EY Private professionals possess the experience and passion to support private businesses and their owners in unlocking the full potential of their ambitions. EY Private teams offer distinct insights born from the long EY history of working with business owners and entrepreneurs. These teams support the full spectrum of private enterprises including private capital managers and investors and the portfolio businesses they fund, business owners, family businesses, family offices and entrepreneurs. Visit ey.com/us/private.
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