Jitendra Mohan, Sanjay Gajendra and Casey Morrison of Astera Labs recognized as Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2025 National Overall Award winners

PALM SPRINGS, Calif., Nov. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) announced that Jitendra Mohan, Co-Founder, CEO; Sanjay Gajendra, Co-Founder, President & COO; and Casey Morrison, Co-Founder, Chief Product Officer, of Astera Labs, a global leader in purpose-built connectivity solutions for enterprise AI, have been named the Entrepreneur Of The Year^® 2025 National Overall Award winners.

For 40 years, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program has celebrated ambitious entrepreneurs who are transforming industries, impacting communities and creating long-term value. Mohan, Gajendra and Morrison were chosen by an independent panel of judges from a group of 221 Entrepreneur Of The Year regional winners, representing 191 companies across the US. Astera Labs' solutions are at the core of how today's data centers support the explosive growth of AI.

"Entrepreneur Of The Year has celebrated the bold leaders who redefine what's possible for more than four decades. This program honors the many ways entrepreneurs drive our economy — through ingenuity, courage and an unwavering spirit of innovation," said Andrew (AJ) Jordan, EY Americas Entrepreneur Of The Year Co-Director. "This year's winners — Jitendra, Sanjay and Casey — embody that spirit. Their breakthroughs in connectivity let data centers across six countries talk to each other at lightning speed, boosting reliability and performance and redefining intelligent infrastructure. We are honored to celebrate them as the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 National Overall Award winners."

The Astera Labs cofounders recognized a tremendous gap in the market for connectivity solutions to support the growing demands of AI workloads. They embarked on a venture that enables the expanding AI ecosystem's nervous system to scale and use computer resources more efficiently. While most startups have focused on developing AI accelerators, Astera has addressed the unique challenges encountered by hyperscalers and large-scale cloud service providers.

Since 2017, Astera Labs has offered hardware with embedded software that improves data center observability, enabling predictive analytics for proactive maintenance, resource optimization and enhanced performance. Their commitment to research and development, innovation and cultivating a collaborative workforce — now nearly 500 strong — has been central to their continued success.

"Today's environment rewards entrepreneurs who can innovate at speed and scale. Astera Labs' founders have done exactly that, developing purpose-built silicon and software solutions for the world's leading data centers," said Anna Horndahl, EY Americas Entrepreneur Of The Year Co-Director. "Their talent strategy, smart market expansion and strong execution make them standout winners in a pivotal moment for AI."

In addition to Mohan, Gajendra and Morrison, EY US recognized 10 other exceptional Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 National Award winners from nine companies:

• John V. Oyler, Co-founder and Chairman and CEO, BeOne Medicines, Cambridge, Massachusetts
• Kate Haviland, CEO, Blueprint Medicines, Cambridge, Massachusetts
• Don Wenner, Founder and CEO, DLP Capital, St. Augustine, Florida
• Mitchell Eviston, Founder and CEO, Meristem Crop Performance Group, LLC, Powell, Ohio
• Tricia Wallwork, CEO, Milo's Tea Company, Bessemer, Alabama
• Stephen Ellsworth, Founder & Chief Product Officer, and Allison Ellsworth, Founder & Chief Brand Officer, Poppi, Austin, Texas
• Walter Driver, Co-CEO and Chairman of the Board, Scopely, Culver City, California
• Charlie Youakim, CEO and Founder, Sezzle, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Nathan Ough, President & CEO, VoltaGrid, Houston, Texas

Winners were selected by an independent panel of judges based on entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact. The program honors original founders who grew their business from inception; visionary CEOs who transformed existing companies with innovation; and family business leaders who modernized legacy models for future success.

This year's 221 regional winners represent 191 companies that are shaping what's next for the economy. Collectively, they generated more than $59 billion in revenue over the past year and employ over 189,000 people. Over the last three years, these companies achieved 38% sales growth and expanded their teams by 23%.

"Since the program's inception, more than 11,000 ambitious entrepreneurs have been part of the Entrepreneur Of The Year community in the US. Over the years, these visionaries have shaped industries, inspired generations and continually redefined what's possible," Jordan said. "The Class of 2025 is no exception. Their achievements are a testament to the enduring power of entrepreneurship and the limitless potential of those who dare to lead."

The national winners were announced during a celebration held at the Strategic Growth Forum^®, the nation's most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies. Learn more about the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 national honorees. All regional and national winners who were celebrated this year are lifetime members of an esteemed community of award winners, with exclusive, continued access to the experience, insight and wisdom of fellow alumni and other ecosystem members in nearly 80 countries — all supported by the full suite of EY resources.

EY US also supports entrepreneurs through the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ program and the EY Entrepreneurs Access Network to help connect underserved entrepreneurs with the resources, network and access needed to unlock their full potential

Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, SAP, Cresa LLC, Marsh USA, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

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 overall National 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, multidisciplinary 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.

Mackenzie Borland
Ernst & Young LLP
+1 908 256 6919
[email protected] 

SOURCE EY