Ernst & Young announces Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2013 finalists in New York

NEW YORK, May 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP today announced the finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year^® 2013 Award in the New York Region. The awards program recognizes high-growth entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. These finalists were selected by a panel of independent judges. Award winners will be announced at a special gala event on Tuesday, June 18, 2013 at the Marriot Marquis.

The finalists are:

• Shauna Mei - Founder and CEO, AHAlife
• Darron Antill - CEO, AppSense
• David Jaffe - President and CEO, Ascena Retail Group, Inc.
• Michael DeSimone - CEO, Borderfree
• John Gore- Owner, Broadway.com
• Lisa Price - Founder and President, Carol's Daughter
• Tony Shure - Co-founder and President, Chop't Creative Salad Company
• Colin McCabe  -  Co-founder and President, Chop't Creative Salad Company
• Nick Marsh - CEO, Chop't Creative Salad Company
• Christopher Kelly - Co-founder and Principal, Convene
• Ryan Simonetti – Co-founder and Principal, Convene
• J. Robert Mann, Jr. - Chairman, E-J Electric Installation Co.
• Leonard Tannenbaum - Founder and CEO, Fifth Street Finance Corp.
• Morris Moinian - Founder and President, Fortuna Realty Group
• Jonathan Opdyke - Co-founder and CEO, HookLogic
• Scott Ganeles - CEO, Ipreo
• Steve LaBella - President and CEO, iSend
• Ron Yekutiel - Co-founder, Chairman and CEO,  Kaltura
• Daniel Lubetzky - Founder and CEO, KIND Healthy Snacks
• Alexandra Lebenthal - President and CEO, Lebenthal & Co., LLC
• Luke Holden - Founder and President, Luke's Lobster
• Bill Wise - CEO, Mediaocean
• Maneesh K. Goyal - Founder and CEO, MKG
• Robin Smith, MD - Chairwoman and CEO, NeoStem
• Dan Pickett - CEO, nfrastructure
• Kerry Breitbart - Founder and CEO, North American Power
• David Goldring - Chairman and CEO, Overseas Military Sales Corporation
• Rebecca Minkoff - Co-founder and Creative Director, Rebecca Minkoff, LLC
• Uri Minkoff - Co-founder and CEO, Rebecca Minkoff, LLC
• Neil Capel - CEO, Sailthru, Inc.
• Adam Feldman - CEO, Chairman of the Board, Special Materials Company
• Jonathan Segal - Founder and CEO, The ONE Group
• Ben Lerer - Co-founder and CEO, Thrillist Media Group
• Will Dean - Co-founder and CEO, Tough Mudder
• Neil Blumenthal - Co-founder and Co-CEO, Warby Parker
• Dave Gilboa - Co-founder and Co-CEO, Warby Parker

Now in its 27th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Program has expanded globally to recognize company builders in over 140 cities and in more than 50 countries throughout the world.

Regional award winners go on to compete at the national level. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the National Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 16, 2013. The awards are the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum^®, the nation's most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

In New York, local sponsors include Marsh Inc., Merrill Corporation, Goodwin Procter LLP, Empire Valuation Consultants, HSBC, Scherzer International, SolomonEdwardsGroup, Cooley, Murray Devine, DLA Piper, WithumSmith+Brown, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, and Marks Paneth & Shron.

About Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year^®
Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award recognizes the significant contributions of entrepreneurs who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement.

About Ernst & Young LLP's Strategic Growth Markets practice
Ernst & Young LLP's Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) practice guides leading high-growth companies. Our multidisciplinary team of elite professionals provides perspective and advice to help our clients accelerate market leadership. SGM delivers assurance, tax, transactions and advisory services to thousands of companies spanning all industries. Ernst & Young is the undisputed leader in taking companies public, advising key government agencies on the issues impacting high-growth companies and convening the experts who shape the business climate. For more information, please visit us at ey.com/us/strategicgrowthmarkets, or follow news on Twitter at EY_Growth.

About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 167,000 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.

For more information, please visit ey.com.

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 Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.

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

SOURCE Ernst & Young LLP