EY US unveils 2025 Entrepreneur Of The Year® Mid-Atlantic Award finalists

Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates ambitious entrepreneurs who are shaping the future

Washington, DC, Tuesday April 22 – Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) announced the finalists for the prestigious Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 Mid-Atlantic Award. Now in its 40th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program celebrates the bold leaders who disrupt markets through the world’s most ground-breaking companies, revolutionizing industries and making a profound impact on communities. The program honors entrepreneurs whose innovations shape the future and pave the way for a thriving economy and a hopeful tomorrow. The Mid-Atlantic program celebrates entrepreneurs from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC.

An independent panel of judges selected 36 finalists for their entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and lasting impact in building long-term value.

"This year's finalists are shaping the future of their industries and impacting their companies, customers, and communities in exciting and impressive ways," said Steve Canaras, Mid-Atlantic Program Co-Director.

"Our independent panel of judges selected bold entrepreneurs who show resilience and adaptability as well as a dedication to solving real problems in business and society. We are delighted to recognize their successes,” said Lisa Kelly, Mid-Atlantic Program Co-Director.

Entrepreneur Of The Year honors many different types of business leaders for their ingenuity, courage, and entrepreneurial spirit. The program celebrates original founders who bootstrapped their business from inception or who raised outside capital to grow their company; transformational CEOs who infused innovation into an existing organization to catapult its trajectory; and multigenerational family business leaders who reimagined a legacy business model to strengthen it for the future.

The 2025 Mid-Atlantic finalists are:

• Gautam Ijoor | Alpha Omega | Vienna, VA
• Olivia Trivisani Bowker | Amivero |Reston, VA
• Bill Schaefer | Amyx | Reston, VA
• Jeff Beck | AnswersNow | Richmond, VA
• Arlene Wube and Lonye Ford | Arlo Solutions | Washington, DC
• Kathy Freeland | A-TEK | McLean, VA
• Kristen Valdes | b.well Connected Health | Baltimore, MD
• Areo Nazari | CaryHealth | Washington, DC
• Shawn Gundrum | CATHEXIS | Tysons, VA
• Richie Huffman | Celebree | Baltimore, MD
• Stefano Ratti | Chaberton Energy | Rockville, MD
• Kendall Holbrook | Dev Technology Group | Reston, VA
• Mark Jablonowski | DSPolitical | Washington, DC
• Mitchell Cho | FedWriters | Fairfax, VA
• Kirsten Brecht Baker | Jeenie | Washington, DC
• Jim Buck | Medcura | Riverdale, MD
• Gloria Bohan |Omega World Travel | Fairfax, VA
• Greg Craddock | Patriot Group International | Warrentown, VA
• Debbie Ailiff | Procare Ambulance of Maryland | Rosedale, MD
• Amir Hudda | Qu | Arlington, VA
• Shubhi Mishra | Raft | McLean, VA
• Dr. Josh Funk | Rehab 2 Perform | Germantown, MD
• Mohammad Elias | RELI Group | Catonsville, MD
• Dan Doll and David Simnick | Soapbox | Washington, DC
• Rob Schroder | SteerBridge | Tysons, VA
• Glenn Diersen | Summit Human Capital | Richmond, VA
• Matt Small | Symplicity | Arlington, VA
• Helen Stefan Moreau | The Midtown Group | Washington, DC
• Craig Halliday | Unanet | Dulles, VA
• Eric Gertler | US News & World Report | Washington, DC
• John Ackerly | Virtru | Washington, DC
• Ahmad Nassar | Winners Alliance | Tysons, VA
• Mark Drever | Xcelerate Solutions | McLean, VA
• Felix Lloyd | Zoobean | Arlington, VA

Learn more about the finalists at ey.com/us/eoy/midatlantic.

Regional award winners will be announced on June 18 during a special celebration. The winners will then be considered by the National independent panel of 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.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, Cresa, LLC, Marsh USA, and SAP. In the Mid-Atlantic, sponsors also include regional Platinum sponsor ADP, regional Gold sponsors Cooley and DLA Piper, and regional Silver sponsor REQ.

About Entrepreneur Of The Year

Founded in 1986, Entrepreneur Of The Year has celebrated more than 11,000 ambitious visionaries who are leading successful, dynamic businesses in the US, and it has since expanded to nearly 60 countries globally.

The US program consists of 17 regional programs whose panels of independent judges select the regional award winners every June. Those winners compete for national recognition at the Strategic Growth Forum^® in November where National finalists and award winners are announced. The overall National winner represents the US at the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ competition. Visit ey.com/us/eoy.

About EY

EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society and the planet, while building trust in capital markets.

Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow.

EY teams work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions. Fueled by sector insights, a globally connected, multi-disciplinary network and diverse ecosystem partners, EY teams can provide services in more than 150 countries and territories.

All in to shape the future with confidence.

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