Press release

7 Jun 2021 Detroit, US

EY Announces Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2021 Michigan and Northwest Ohio Finalists

Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) today announced the finalists for the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2021 Michigan and Northwest Ohio Award.

Press contact
EY Americas

Multidisciplinary professional services organization

Related topics Entrepreneur Unstoppables

Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) today announced the finalists for the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2021 Michigan and Northwest Ohio Award. Now in its 35th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program honors audacious business leaders whose ambition, courage and ingenuity help catapult us from now to next and beyond. These 29 entrepreneurs were selected as finalists by a panel of independent judges.

Award winners will be announced during a special virtual celebration on Thursday, August 5 at 6:00 p.m. ET and will join the ranks of a lifelong community of esteemed Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni from around the world.

The 2021 Michigan and Northwest Ohio finalists are:

  • Moses Shepherd | Ace Petroleum | West Bloomfield, Michigan
  • Amjad Hussain | Algo | Troy, Michigan
  • Jason Raznick | Benzinga | Detroit, Michigan
  • Sam Beznos | Beztak Companies | Farmington Hills, Michigan
  • Sydney Spraw, PhD | Designetics, Inc. | Holland, Ohio
  • Natalie King, Esq. | Dunamis Clean Energy Partners, LLC | Southfield, Michigan
  • Phil Eyler | Gentherm, Inc. | Northville, Michigan
  • Tom Ross | Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing | Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • Scott LePage | Griffin Claw Brewing Company | Birmingham, Michigan
  • Lorron James | James Group Inc. | Detroit, Michigan
  • Josh Hulst and Mark Johnson | Michigan Software Labs | Ada, Michigan
  • Tony Mira | MiraMed Global Services, Inc. | Jackson, Michigan
  • Ed Harmon | NAI Harmon Group | Toledo, Ohio
  • Robin Mohapatra and Kerry Ann Rockquemore, PhD | National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity, LLC | Detroit, Michigan
  • Brett VanderKamp | New Holland Brewing Company | Holland, Michigan
  • Trina Bediako | New Horizons Baking Company | Norwalk, Ohio
  • Mina Sooch | Ocuphire Pharma | Farmington Hills, Michigan
  • Dave Cataldi | PCS Company | Fraser, Michigan
  • Chris George | SUBTA | Troy, Michigan
  • Jim Richards | Total Security Solutions Inc. | Fowlerville, Michigan
  • Mat Ishbia | United Wholesale Mortgage | Pontiac, Michigan
  • Stephane Vedie | Varroc Lighting Systems | Plymouth, Michigan
  • Mike Vichich | Wisely | Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • Mike Morini | WorkForce Software | Livonia, Michigan
  • Lisa McLaughlin and Robin McIntosh | Workit Health | Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • Mike Harris | Worksighted | Holland, Michigan

Entrepreneur Of The Year is one of the preeminent competitive business awards for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. Finalists were evaluated based on six criteria: entrepreneurial leadership; talent management; degree of difficulty; financial performance; societal impact and building a values-based company; and originality, innovation and future plans. Since its launch, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries throughout the world.

“This year’s finalists are the next class in a long line of unstoppable visionaries. They showcase the entrepreneurial spirit, tenacity and innovation we value in Michigan and Northwest Ohio,” said Shannon Crone, Entrepreneur Of The Year Michigan and Northwest Ohio program co-director.

“These finalists have been carefully selected by our independent panel of judges for their unwavering commitment to their companies, customers and communities in a year of unprecedented change. We are thrilled to share their inspiring stories this year,” added Joe Lenglet, Entrepreneur Of The Year Michigan and Northwest Ohio program co-director.  

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, to be announced in November at the 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 EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Award in June 2022.

Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winners have exclusive, ongoing access to the experience, insight and wisdom of fellow alumni and other ecosystem members in over 60 countries — all supported by vast EY resources.

Michigan and Northwest Ohio Focus

Each year, EY US showcases successful entrepreneurs from 20 regional competitions across the United States. In 2020, 10 entrepreneurs from 9 leading companies in Michigan and Northwest Ohio were selected as Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winners.

For information on the Entrepreneur Of The Year Michigan and Northwest Ohio program, please visit ey.com/us/eoy/mnwo.

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 Michigan and Northwest Ohio, sponsors also include Citizens Bank, Donnelley Financial Solutions, Foley & Lardner LLP, Oswald Companies, Stanton Chase, and Tanner Friedman Strategic 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. National Overall winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ title. 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

About EY

EY exists to build a better working world, helping create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets.

Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.

Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacyEY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.