Zum Founder and CEO Ritu Narayan Named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2026 Bay Area Award Winner

Recognition honors visionary leaders transforming industries through innovation, growth, and impact

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Zūm, the leader in modern student transportation, today announced that Founder and CEO Ritu Narayan has been named an EY US Entrepreneur Of The Year^® 2026 Bay Area Award winner. Narayan was selected among hundreds of entrepreneurs and business leaders recognized for their vision, innovation, and ability to create long-term value.

Zum is transforming one of the nation's most critical yet overlooked public infrastructure systems: student transportation. Under Narayan's leadership, Zum has grown from a personal mission to solve a transportation challenge she experienced as a parent into a leading technology platform serving school districts across the country. Today, Zum supports transportation for more than 4,500 schools across 18 states, helping districts improve reliability, increase operational efficiency, and expand access to education for millions of students.

Narayan is being recognized not only for building a category-defining company but for reimagining student transportation as critical infrastructure that drives educational access, equity, and opportunity. By combining technology, operations, and electrification, Zum is helping school districts modernize a system that affects millions of students every day.

"When I started Zum, I simply wanted to solve a problem that I experienced firsthand as a parent," said Narayan. "I never imagined the scale of impact this journey would have. It is an incredible honor to be recognized alongside such inspiring entrepreneurs who are building companies that are changing industries and improving lives. This recognition belongs to the entire Zum team, whose passion and commitment make our mission possible every day."

Now in its 41st year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program honors business leaders for their ingenuity, courage, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to creating long-term value. Regional winners were selected by an independent panel of judges composed of past award recipients, leading CEOs, and business leaders. Candidates were evaluated on entrepreneurial leadership, purpose-driven impact, growth, and innovation.

Under Narayan's leadership, Zum has pioneered a technology-first approach to student transportation, helping school districts improve service quality while reducing costs and modernizing operations. The company is also leading the transition to electric school buses, including the nation's largest electric school bus deployment and largest bidirectional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) school bus fleet in partnership with San Francisco Unified School District.

Through its Connected Mobility Experience (CMX) platform, the company is helping districts improve attendance, increase transparency for families, strengthen operational performance, and create more equitable access to education.

As a Bay Area award winner, Narayan will now be considered for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 National Awards, which will be presented in November at EY's Strategic Growth Forum^®, one of the nation's premier gatherings of entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders.

About Entrepreneur Of The Year^®

Founded in 1986, Entrepreneur Of The Year^® is the preeminent competitive awards program for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. The program celebrates ambitious leaders who are building and sustaining successful businesses while creating lasting economic and social impact. Entrepreneur Of The Year has honored thousands of entrepreneurs across the United States and around the world.

About Zum

Zum is revolutionizing mass mobility with its Connected Mobility Experience (Zum CMX) system that connects and coordinates people, vehicles, and operations in real time. In the $50 billion student mobility market—the largest segment of the mass mobility industry—Zum CMX is transforming a daily source of anxiety and disruption into a reliable, transparent, and efficient mobility experience for students and families. Learn more at www.ridezum.com.

Today, more than 4,500 schools in 18 states rely on Zum CMX. Recognized globally for its innovative approach and operational execution, Zum has been named to Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies, CNBC Disruptor 50 and Changemakers, the World Economic Forum, and the Financial Times' Fastest Growing Companies lists. Zum is backed by leading investors including Sequoia Capital, GIC, SoftBank, and TPG.

CONTACT

Jenny Mayfield
Vice President of Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE Zūm