EY Announces Craig Taylor as Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2023 Gulf South Award Finalist

HOUSTON, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) today announced that Craig Taylor of Iapetus Holdings was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2023 Gulf South Award finalist. Now in its 37th year, Entrepreneur Of The Year is one of the preeminent competitive business awards for transformative entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies who are building a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous world for all.

Craig Taylor was selected by a panel of independent judges who evaluated entrepreneurs based on their demonstration of building long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact, among other core contributions and attributes.

"It's an honor and privilege to be named a finalist by Ernst & Young for this prestigious award," said Taylor. "I have the distinct benefit of working alongside a team of entrepreneurial-minded leaders across all our operating units who share in a unified purpose to help our customers solve their greatest challenges. Collectively, we thrive on positive momentum, growth, and impact – and it shows in our program outcomes."

Regional award winners will be announced on June 15 during a special celebration. The winners will then be considered by the National 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. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Award in June 2024.

The Entrepreneur Of The Year program has recognized more than 11,000 entrepreneurs throughout the US since its inception in 1986, and it has grown to recognize business leaders across 145 cities in over 60 countries around the world.

Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, N.A.; SAP America; and the Kauffman Foundation. In the Gulf South, sponsors also include Colliers, DLA Piper, Marsh McLennan Agency, ADP, Pierpont Communications and vcfo.

About Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Entrepreneur Of The Year^® is the world's most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. National Overall Award winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ title. Visit ey.com/us/eoy.

About Iapetus Holdings
Iapetus Holdings LLC is a privately held, minority- and veteran-owned portfolio of energy and utility services businesses and alternative investments. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Iapetus brings an entrepreneurial, forward-thinking approach and a deep bench of experienced individuals with diverse backgrounds in finance, energy, safety, risk management, communications, human resources, and various other spectrums. The Iapetus suite is a multimillion-dollar portfolio with offices throughout the U.S., efficiently structured to deliver optimum results for clients. The operating companies include Atlas Retail Energy, Atlas Commodities, Iapetus Infrastructure Services, Atlas Field Services, Soaring Eagle Technologies, UATI, Gold Coast Utility Specialists, and Hyperion Safety Environmental Solutions. Iapetus is the proud main sponsor of a 501c3 non-profit, Atlas Scholars.

About Atlas Scholars
Atlas Scholars is a 501c3 non-profit, founded by Taylor in 2013, that provides mentorship and internship opportunities for high-potential students of diverse backgrounds to participate in hands-on professional development. Sponsorship supports the expansion of the program in the form of scholarships, admission-test tutoring, mentorship support, and overall reach of the program for high school students beginning the summer before junior year through their third year in college. To date, Atlas Scholars has benefitted 87 scholars and has awarded over $450,000 in scholarships. At Atlas Scholars, students from across Houston come together to learn in a competitive and collaborative environment that pushes students to create their own success. The program creates a holistic ecosystem for success through a problem-based learning structure that includes mentorship from industry leaders from a variety of backgrounds and sectors, college and scholarship support, guest speakers, and field trips. Students move on to become leaders at their high schools and universities. From the class of 2021, 100% of the Atlas Scholars were accepted into selective universities, two received full ride QuestBridge scholarships, and $72,000 was awarded in four-year scholarships. Program alumni hold positions with leading companies such as KPMG, Amazon, TC Energy, Crumbl Cookies, Lion Fund Capital, J.P. Morgan and Aveva. The program's plan is continued growth in number of beneficiaries, scope, and years of continuous, integral support to program alumni beyond Houston. For more information on applying for the program, as well as offering workplace tours, speakers, or mentorship, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

About EY Private
As Advisors to the ambitious™, EY Private professionals possess the experience and passion to support private businesses and their owners in unlocking the full potential of their ambitions. EY Private teams offer distinct insights born from the long EY history of working with business owners and entrepreneurs. These teams support the full spectrum of private enterprises including private capital managers and investors and the portfolio businesses they fund, business owners, family businesses, family offices and entrepreneurs. Visit ey.com/us/private.

About EY
EY exists to build a better working world, helping create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets.

Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.

Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.

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Media Contact: L. Ribas 832-993-6794 | [email protected]

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SOURCE Iapetus Holdings