EY Announces Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2023 Southeast Finalists

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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