EY builds on three decades of honoring unstoppable entrepreneurs
Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) is pleased to announce the winners of the Entrepreneur Of The Year® Greater Los Angeles Award. Now in its 34th year, Entrepreneur Of The Year is one of the preeminent competitive business awards for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. This group of unstoppable entrepreneurial leaders transforming our world was selected by an independent judging panel comprised of previous award winners, leading CEOs, investors and other business luminaries. Greater Los Angeles winners were unveiled during the program’s first-ever virtual awards celebration, hosted by Deborah Norville, anchor of Inside Edition, on October 8, 2020.
“We’re thrilled to recognize and celebrate these exceptional entrepreneurs who truly exemplify the enduring, innovative and intrepid spirit of entrepreneurship in Greater Los Angeles,” said Scott Porter, Entrepreneur Of the Year Greater Los Angeles Program Co-Director. “These unstoppable visionaries are fueling growth, creating solutions and providing strong leadership – all of which are essential during these challenging times.”
The winners of the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 Greater Los Angeles Award are:
- 8minute Solar Energy | Dr. Tom Buttgenbach, Founder and CEO | Los Angeles, CA
- Barry's | Joey Gonzalez, CEO | Los Angeles, CA
- CAULIPOWER | Gail Becker, Founder and CEO | Encino, CA
- Dave.com | Paras Chitrakar, Co-Founder and CTO, Jason Wilk, Co-Founder and CEO, and Dr. John Wolanin, Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer | Los Angeles, CA
- GeBBS Healthcare Solutions | Nitin Thakor, CEO and President | Culver City, CA
- GT's Living Foods | GT Dave, Founder and CEO | Vernon, CA
- Thrive Market | Nick Green, Co-Founder and CEO | Marina Del Rey, CA
Candidates were evaluated based on six criteria, including overcoming adversity; financial performance; societal impact and commitment to building a values-based company; innovation; and talent management.
Since its launch, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries throughout the world.
Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 National Awards, to be announced Thursday, November 19, during a virtual awards gala. The awards are the culminating event of this year’s virtual Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Award in June 2021.
Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winners become lifetime members of a global, multi-industry community of entrepreneurs, with exclusive, ongoing access to the experience, insight and wisdom of program alumni and other ecosystem members in over 60 countries — all supported by vast EY resources. Since 1986, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program has recognized more than 10,000 US executives.
Greater Los Angeles Region Focus
Each year, EY US showcases successful entrepreneurs from 20 regional competitions across the United States. Prior award winners from the Greater Los Angeles Region include: Janice Bryant Howroyd of The ActOne Group; George Rathmann of Amgen Inc.; Michael Dubin of Dollar Shave Club; Daniel Broukhim, Michael Broukhim, and Katie Kitchens of FabFitFun; Rich Pierson and Andy Puddicombe of Headspace; Ryan Hudson and George Ruan of Honey; John Kilroy of Kilroy Realty Corporation; Earvin “Magic” Johnson of Magic Johnson Enterprises; Andrew J.C. Cherng of Panda Management Company, Inc.; Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia, Inc.; Michael Mente and Mike Karanikolas of REVOLVE; Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill of Riot Games; Chris DeWolfe of Jam City; Jeff Green and Dave Pickles of The Trade Desk; and Nadine Watt of Watt Companies.
To learn more about the Greater Los Angeles program, please visit www.ey.com/us/eoy/greaterla. Join the conversation on social media using #EOYGLA and #EOYUS.
Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America and the Kauffman Foundation. In Greater Los Angeles, local sponsors include Platinum sponsor: Marsh; Gold sponsors: Avitas Wealth Management and Tangram; Silver sponsor: Cresa; and PR sponsor: Olmstead Williams Communications.
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. Winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ title. ey.com/us/eoy
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