Meet the 2025 Southeast finalists

Marc Hodulich is the Founder and CEO of 29029.

29029 is a luxury adventure travel and experience provider. We host curated turnkey endurance challenges across the US and Canada.

Damon Stafford is the CEO of Alpine Intel.

Alpine Intel is dedicated to innovation across the property, auto, liability, and workers comp insurance fields - helping our customers reach peak performance through the policy lifecycle by delivering actionable intelligence extracted from our national team of specialized investigators.

Lou Hensley is the President and CEO of Aspida.

Aspida is a technology-driven financial services company specializing in retirement solutions and reinsurance, committed to safeguarding the dreams of its clients.

Matthew Dent is the President and CEO of Buffalo Rock Company.

Buffalo Rock Company is the nation's largest privately-held Pepsi bottler, which manufactures and distributes beverages throughout Alabama, the panhandle of Florida, and western Georgia.

Melanie Little is the President and CEO of Colonial Pipeline Company.

Colonial Pipeline Company is part of the critical energy infrastructure that safely, responsibly, and reliably delivers refined products to meet our nation’s daily energy needs. In short, America depends on the fuels the company transports.

Will Bartholomew is the CEO of D1 Training.          

D1 Training is a results-driven athletic facility offering expert coaching and specialized programs for all ages. With a 5-Star Training Program from D1 Strength & Conditioning, we have trained more than 100 NFL draft picks and 3,000 college athletes.

Rene Diaz is the CEO of Diaz Foods.

Diaz Foods is a wholesale food distributor specializing in Hispanic and specialty foods. Based in Atlanta, the company supplies a wide range of products, including dry goods, refrigerated and frozen items, to grocery stores, restaurants and other foodservice businesses.

David Quirk is the President and CEO of DLB Associates Consulting Engineers PC.

DLB is a US–based consulting engineering firm specializing in mission-critical and complex built environments. With more than 40 years of expertise, DLB delivers innovative, technology-driven solutions in engineering, commissioning and operations worldwide.

Markus Scott is the CEO of EyeQ Monitoring.

EyeQ Monitoring is an established provider of remote video monitoring solutions in the US, dedicated to serving partners with customized technology solutions underpinned by deep industry expertise.

Jon Gosier is the Founder and CEO of FilmHedge.

FilmHedge is a lending platform providing private credit short-term financing to Hollywood film productions. The company has financed 40 films since inception, 10 in 2024 alone.

John Fitzpatrick is the President and CEO of Force Marketing.

Force Holdings, LLC is a leading marketing technology provider to the automotive industry whose family of brands includes: Force Marketing, WeDrive Automotive and Gulf States Marketing (GSM, acquired in 2021).

Dr. Barry Patel is the Co-Founder and CEO and Dr. Wade Smith is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Galt Companies.

Galt specializes in acquiring, developing and commercializing prescription non-opioid pain medicines with defined product-market fit. The innovative commercial strategy supports community independent pharmacies and local sales-minded entrepreneurs.

Charles Gillespie is the Co-Founder and CEO and Kevin McCrystle is the Co-Founder and COO of Gambling.com Group Limited.  

Gambling.com Group is a fast-growing provider of digital marketing services for the global online gambling industry. GAMB leverages its proprietary technology and a portfolio of brands to drive revenue for sports betting and iGaming operators.

Mike Griffin is a Partner at Griffin Brothers Companies.

Griffin Brothers Companies began in 1961 as a tire shop in Charlotte’s Historic West End and has since grown into a diversified family business spanning waste management, real estate, hospitality and portfolio investments.

Erin Hanson is the Founder and CEO of Guardian Sports.

Guardian Sports is a family-owned company dedicated to serving athletes through safety and performance improvements in sports equipment. Major products include the Guardian Cap, PEARL ball and Guardian Infill serving the sports industry.

Dan Beem is the CEO of Hissho Sushi.

Hissho Sushi is a leading provider of high-quality, chef-crafted sushi and Asian-inspired cuisine, bringing fresh, responsibly sourced products to grocery stores, airports, universities, corporate dining and healthcare facilities nationwide.

Aaron Siegel is the Owner and Operating Partner of Home Team BBQ.

Home Team BBQ is a vibrant and inviting restaurant brand that specializes in serving authentic BBQ and southern cuisine with Mexican and southwestern influences.

Marc Murphy is the CEO of Ignite Digital Services.

Ignite Digital Services is a digital transformation and systems integration company supporting the national security sector. The team of domain experts, analysts and technical problem solvers harness the power of data to accelerate mission-critical initiatives.

Miller Chalk is the President and CEO of Inglett & Stubbs, LLC.              

Inglett & Stubbs is a leading electrical contractor specializing in mission-critical projects, including health care, data centers and industrial facilities. Founded in 1954, the company focuses on quality, innovation and fast-track project delivery.

Liza Rodewald is the CEO of Instant Teams.

Instant Teams offers outsourcing services, a targeted job board and brand marketing opportunities while driving a mission to impact the financial wellness of military families through remote customer experience employment.

Stephen Andresen is the CEO of McClancy Foods & Flavors.

McClancy Foods & Flavors, with 75 years of industry expertise, excels in creating innovative dry blends and ingredient solutions. Their state-of-the-art facilities and dedicated R&D team enable them to support brands and manufacturers in optimizing formulations and simplifying production processes.

Travis LeFever is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mission Mobile Medical Group.

Mission Mobile Medical Group is a mobile health care company dedicated to the promise and potential of standardizing the mobile health model to efficiently deliver health care to every corner of the country.

Cyrus Mojdehi is the President of Northway Homes.

Northway Homes is a top-ranked, vertically integrated homebuilder that is committed to delivering quality, new construction housing across the Southeastern US.

Connor Ryan is the CEO of NutraSky.

NutraSky accelerates nutraceutical innovation with rapid iteration, proprietary flavor systems and unmatched quality, empowering brands to launch tailored, market-ready products and shape the future of health and wellness.

Fritz Owens is the CEO of OTR Solutions.

OTR is FinTech for freight: a human-guided, tech-enabled financial platform that moves trucking forward for small owner-operators, big fleets, growing brokers and the entire logistics industry.

Christopher Chuang is the Co-Founder and CEO of Relay, Inc.

Relay is a cloud-based technology platform that helps frontline teams improve communications, increase employee safety and streamline their operations. Relay empowers frontline success through digital transformation.

Kurt Jacobus is the Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of restor3d, Inc.

restor3d, Inc. is a world leader in patient–specific musculoskeletal implants and driven by the belief that every patient deserves personalized care.

Tom Kendrot is the CEO of Shearwater Health.

Shearwater Health, founder of Clinical Process Outsourcing, provides scalable, clinician-driven solutions for payers, providers, and workers’ compensation and disability clients, enabling them to focus on delivering exceptional patient care.

Teak Shore is the Founder of Southern Lighting Source.

Southern Lighting Source is a manufacturer's representative for lighting and controls that creates exceptional experiences for our clients through turnkey solutions for lighting retrofits, solar, EV charging, and sports lighting.

Cindy Eckert is the Founder and CEO of Sprout Pharmaceuticals.

Sprout Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Addyi, the first FDA-approved pill for female low libido, stands at the forefront of women’s health advocacy, committed to scientifically proven solutions that empower women to take control of their well-being.

Bryan Moore is the CEO and Tina Moore is the CCO of TalkShopLive Inc.

TalkShopLive is a livestream video commerce platform with unlimited content distribution. Through its multi-embed point of sale patented technology, TalkShopLive allows video content to remain shoppable wherever the content is shared.

Igor Marinelli is the CEO of Tractian.

Tractian's advanced machine monitoring and predictive maintenance solutions empower industrial operations to enhance equipment reliability and reduce downtime. By leveraging sensors and sophisticated data analysis, their Industrial Copilot detects early failure signs and optimizes maintenance schedules, preventing unexpected breakdowns and improving operational efficiency.

Joan Butters is the Co-Founder and CEO of Xsolis.

Xsolis is an AI-driven technology company that reduces administrative waste by enabling collaboration between healthcare providers and payers. Their proprietary platform, Dragonfly®, utilizes real-time predictive analytics to optimize patient care, ensuring more accurate medical necessity assessments and streamlined operations across the healthcare system.