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Press release
17 Apr 2025
EY US unveils Entrepreneur Of The Year®
2025 Southwest Award finalists
Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates ambitious entrepreneurs who are shaping the future
Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) announced the finalists for the prestigious Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 Southwest 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.
An independent panel of judges selected 52 finalists, representing 42 companies, for their entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and lasting impact in building long-term value
"This year's finalists are bold entrepreneurs making a lasting impact in their industries and communities," says Rex Alexander, Partner and Southwest Program Director at EY. "Chosen by an independent panel of judges, these trailblazers show unwavering dedication to their businesses, customers and communities. We’re thrilled to celebrate their success."
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 Southwest finalists are:
- Gordon Huddleston | Aethon Energy Management LLC | Dallas
- Dr. Karthik Koduru | Archer Review | Dallas
- Brad Hannagan, P.J. Brady and David Cartwright | ATCAP Partners | Dallas
- Josh Ernst | Backflip | Dallas
- Shilpa Abbitt | Caliber Resource Partners | Oklahoma City
- Ray Waddell | CEC Facilities Group | Irving
- John Hanighen | Cloyes Manufacturing | Fort Smith, Ar.
- Andre Angel | Curis Functional Health | Addison
- Kyle Gordon and Maggie Gordon | Dillas Quesadillas | Dallas
- Dani Austin and Jordan Ramirez | Divi | Dallas
- David Iliff | DuraServ LLC | Carrollton
- James Showalter | EG4 Electronics, LLC. | Sulphur Springs
- Tony Capucille | EightTwenty | Oklahoma City
- Karen Ezell | Event Supplies & Services Inc. | Plano
- Drake Gordon | Executive Exteriors | Dallas
- Will Edwards | Firehawk Aerospace | Addison
- Aaron Smith and Callie Turk | Flexcare Infusion Centers | Oklahoma City
- Kyle Noonan and Josh Sepkowitz | FreeRange Concepts, LLC | Dallas
- Kevin Keller and Allen Shafer | Fulton & Roark | Dallas
- Curtis Hite | Improving | Plano
- Kristin Rogers | IQ Supply Solutions | Carrollton
- Dan Amiga and Mike Fey | Island.io | Coppell
- Eric Fortenberry | JobTread Software, LLC | Dallas
- John Humphrey | JULY Business Services | Waco
- Sara Shenkan-Rich | Just Right Reader, Inc. | Irving
- Steve Little, Keith Post and Jayne Williams | KPost Company | Dallas
- Garrett Reed | Layne's Chicken Fingers | Frisco
- Tom Currier | Maverick Power | McKinney
- Ethan Ellenberg | Moonshot | Denton
- Brett Davis | National Indoor RV Centers | Lewisville
- Beverly Coghlan | Neighborhood Management, Inc. | Allen
- Rachel Sanchez | Prestige Maintenance USA | Plano
- Pradeep Govindasamy | QualiZeal Inc | Irving
- Bruce McClelland | Ribbon Communications, Inc. | Plano
- Justin Shugrue | Shug’s Bagels | Dallas
- Alfonso Montiel | SilverStone Health | Dallas
- Rob Morris | Skybox Datacenters | Dallas
- Mike Freeman | Steele & Freeman, Inc. | Fort Worth
- Leif Savage | Tall City Brine LLC | Midland
- Prasad Reddy | Twisted X Global Brands | Decatur
- Jordan Jayson | U.S. Energy Development Corporation | Fort Worth
- Richard J. Hall | US Oral Surgery Management | Irving
Learn more about the finalists at ey.com/us/eoysouthwest.
Regional award winners will be announced on June 9 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 Southwest, sponsors also include Platinum sponsors BGSF and Haynes and Boone and Silver sponsors Big Picture, Pierpont Communications, Shane Spillers: Certified EOS Implementer and The Slate.
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.
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/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.