NEW YORK – Ernst & Young announced that application deadline for its Entrepreneur of the Year 2010 Awards is March 19. The program, now in its 24th year, is recognized as one of the most prestigious business award programs in the country.
Award winners are selected by a panel of independent judges, including local business owners – many of whom have won the award in the past – as well as area leaders from civic organizations and academic institutions.
“Ernst & Young has recognized leading entrepreneurs for their contributions to
society for nearly a quarter of a century,” said Larry Haynes, Americas
Director of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year program. “These
entrepreneurs create jobs, bolster the economy, drive innovation and
revitalize their communities. We are proud to support them.”
Last year, approximately 250 entrepreneurs from across the nation were
selected as Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) award winners from
more than 1,500 nominations. Past award winners have included Howard
Schultz of Starbucks Coffee Company, Wayne Huizenga of Huizenga Holdings,
Pierre Omidyar of eBay, Inc., Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com, and last year’s
national winner, Tom Adams of Rosetta Stone Inc.
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 Venture Capital Award of Excellence on a national
level. The overall national US winner then moves on to compete for the
World Entrepreneur Of The Year title in June. Entrepreneurs are nominated
and evaluated by those in each region, including local business, academic and
community leaders.
All regional honorees are invited to the national Entrepreneur Of The Year
gala, hosted by Jay Leno, on November 13, 2010 in Palm Springs, California.
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