EY US unveils Entrepreneur Of The Year^® 2026 Gulf South Award finalists

Recognizing ambitious leaders who are shaping the future of their industries

Houston, TX, April 21, 2026 – Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) today announced the finalists for the Entrepreneur Of The Year^® 2026 Gulf South Award. Now in its 41st 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 uplifting communities. The program honors entrepreneurs whose innovations drive economic growth and help shape the future of business. 

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

“This year’s finalists are bold entrepreneurs making a lasting mark on their industries and communities across the Gulf South,” said Travis Garms, Program Co-Director.

“Chosen by an independent panel of judges, their companies are creating jobs, accelerating innovation and strengthening the regional business community. We’re thrilled to celebrate their success,” added Chris Smith, 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 2026 Gulf South finalists are:

• John Joyoprayitno, Daniel Peterson M.D., Sarah Mayes PhD | Alafair Biosciences | Austin, TX
• Greg den Herder | Amber Green Corporation | Houston, TX
• Jeff Cardenas | Apptronik | Austin, TX
• Billy Brown | Big Easy Ranch | Columbus, TX
• Terry W Black, Christina Black, Mark Black | Black Family Hospitality | Lockhart, TX
• Marshall Thompson, Ryan Thompson | Canworks, Inc. | Austin, TX
• Goran Haag | Champion Fiberglass, Inc. | Spring, TX
• Hari P Agrawal | CNA Metals Group | Stafford, TX
• Drew Gressett | Dovetail Partners | Austin, TX
• Joshua Shelton | Enterprise Electrical | Houston, TX
• Jason Kim | Firefly Aerospace | Cedar Park, TX
• Laura Ann Griffin | Frazer | Houston, TX
• Matt Lohstroh, Brent Whitehead | Giga Energy | Houston, TX
• Jesse Merrill | Good Culture | Austin, TX
• Levi Goode | Goode Co. Restaurants & Levi Goode Brand Holdings | Houston, TX
• Eric Hays | Hays Electrical Services | Houston, TX
• Dan J Karsten | Karsten Interior Services | Houston, TX
• Jaiden Waggoner | Luminate Energy | Houston, TX
• Chip Malt | Made In® Cookware | Austin, TX
• Chad Millis | Millis Family of Companies | Missouri City, TX
• Dr. Shanti Bansal | Octagos | Houston, TX
• Brett M. Mears | Palmer Logistics | Baytown, TX
• Donald Young | Race Rock | Houston, TX
• Lefteris Ntouanoglou | Schoox | Austin, TX
• Tamas Kadar, Bence Jendruszak | SEON | Austin, TX
• Tariq Shaukat, Olivier Gaudin | Sonar | Austin, TX
• Ajay Gupta | Stirista | San Antonio, TX
• Kyle Reynolds | Tomball Controls | Von Ormy, TX
• John Magee | VLS Environmental Solutions | Houston, TX

Learn more about the finalists at ey.com/us/eoygulfsouth.

Regional award winners will be announced on June 11th 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^®.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year^® Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, Cresa, LLC, Marsh USA, SAP and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. In Gulf South, sponsors also include regional platinum sponsors ADP, Donnelley Financial LLC (DFIN), DLA Piper; regional gold sponsors, Big Picture Inc.; vcfo, and regional silver sponsors Pierpont Communications, StevenDouglas.

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 80 countries and territories 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 national overall winner represents the US at the 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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