Celebrating 25 years of inspiration

ISELIN, N.J., May 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP is pleased to announce the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® New Jersey finalists. This group of outstanding entrepreneurs was selected by an independent judging panel made up of previous winners of the award, leading CEOs, private capital investors and other regional business leaders. The winners will be revealed at a gala event on June 23, 2011 at the Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe.

"These finalists create jobs in our area, encouraging community development and innovation in our broader economy," said Michael Kacsmar, Entrepreneur Of The Year New Jersey Program Director. "No matter who wins on June 23rd we know one thing for sure – New Jersey is enriched by every one of these finalists."

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2011 New Jersey finalists are:

• Douglas Boothe – CEO, Actavis Inc.
• Chirag Patel – President, Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
• Chintu Patel – CEO, Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
• Beatriz Manetta – President & CEO, Argent Associates, Inc
• Andrew Surwilo – Co-Founder & CEO, Atlantic Coast Media Group LLC
• Thomas Shipley – Co-Founder & CEO, Atlantic Coast Media Group LLC
• Flint Lane – President & CEO, Billtrust Inc.
• Steven Pivnik – CEO, Binary Tree
• Karen Martinez-Wardzinski – President & CEO, Bravo! Group Services, Inc.
• Amit Gaur – Chairman & CEO, Compunnel Software Group, Inc.
• Joseph Herring – Chairman & CEO, Covance Inc.
• Julie Auslander – President, cSubs
• Robert Farina – CEO, Cybershift, Inc.
• Arun Verma – President & CEO, DATA Inc.
• Raymond Saluccio – Founder & CEO, EarthSure Renewable Energy Corp.
• Sasha Gilenson – CEO, Evolven Software Inc.
• Edward Tafaro – CEO, Exceptional Risk Advisors, LLC
• Katrina Neale – President, Global Essence, Inc
• Kevin Cummings – President & CEO, Investors Savings Bank
• Dennis Petrocelli – Senior Vice President, Matrix New World Engineering, Inc
• Scott Rosenberg – Founder & CEO, Miro Consulting, Inc
• Eliot Colon – President, Miro Consulting, Inc
• John Spitznagel – Chairman & CEO, Oceana Therapeutics, Inc.
• David Tierney – President & COO, Oceana Therapeutics, Inc.
• Gerald Wisler – President & CEO, Omthera Pharmaceuticals Inc.
• Sunil Mehta – President & CEO, Orion Systems Integrators, Inc.
• Marc Lore – Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO, Quidsi, Inc.
• Vinit Bharara – Co-Founder, General Counsel & COO, Quidsi, Inc.
• Prof. John Thompson – Chief Scientific Officer, Senesco Technologies, Inc.
• Dr. Leslie Browne – President & CEO, Senesco Technologies, Inc.
• Vanessa Stewart – Co-Founder & COO, Soltage, LLC
• Jesse Grossman – Co-Founder & CEO, Soltage, LLC
• Raymond Stenger – Chairman & President, Swapsol Corp.
• James Wasas – Executive Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer & Chief Science Officer, Swapsol Corp.
• Soren Hastrup – CEO, Telesto Group, LLC
• Jay Kulkarni – Founder & CEO, Theorem Inc.
• Venkat Yerubandi – Founder & Co-CEO, VEDICSOFT
• Bhat Dittakavi – Founder & Co- CEO, VEDICSOFT
• Simon Nynens – Chairman & CEO, Wayside Technology Group, Inc.

With a special award going to Buddy Valastro of Carlo's Bakery who will also be in attendance the evening of June 23.

The Entrepreneur Of The Year Program honors entrepreneurs regionally in June, leading up to the national awards in November. Additionally, venture-backed companies that win an Entrepreneur Of The Year Award regionally are also eligible for the Entrepreneur Of The Year Venture Capital Award of Excellence on a national level. The overall National US winner then moves on to compete for the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in June.

This year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Program celebrates its 25th anniversary. The program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 140 cities and more than 50 countries throughout the world. Awards are given to entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

All regional honorees are invited to the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards gala, hosted by Jay Leno, on November 12, 2011, in Palm Springs, California. The gala is the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation's most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies, which will be held November 9–13, 2011. For more information on the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, please visit www.ey.com/us/strategicgrowthforum.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are pleased to have the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation as a national sponsor.

In New Jersey, sponsors include Merrill Corporation, Empire Valuation Consultants,  DLA Piper, Morgan Lewis & Bockius, WithumSmith+Brown, Gibbons, P.C., New Jersey Technology Council, New Jersey Business Journal.

Contact information

To make reservations for the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards gala on June 23,2011, contact Michelle Mucci Liotta of Ernst & Young at 212 773 0975 or michelle.liotta@ey.com. Tickets are $325 per person or $3000 per table. For more information about the program, please visit www.ey.com/us/eoy.

About Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential, and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 140 cities in more than 50 countries.

About Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 141,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young LLP is a client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited operating in the US. For more information about our organization, please visit www.ey.com.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, a US client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited.

SOURCE Ernst & Young

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