Finalists Announced for Ernst & Young Metro New York Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) 2009 Awards

      

"Entrepreneurs contribute so much to our economy and the fabric of this nation," said Jodi Burns, Ernst & Young LLP Entrepreneur Of The Year Program Director for Metro New York. "These finalists help our region create jobs, while encouraging community growth, development and innovation. We are pleased to honor them."

The Metro New York finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year awards in 2009 are:

    Abbie        Newman            Abigail Michaels Concierge
    Michael      Fazio             Abigail Michaels Concierge
    Aaron        Lieberman         Acelero Learning
    Kevin P.     Ryan              AlleyCorp LLC
    Robert       Rosenschein       Answers Corporation
    Daniel       DiSano            Axispoint, Inc.
    Matthew      Wasserlauf        BBE, Inc.
    Lexy         Funk              Brooklyn Industries
    Glenn        Goldman           Capital Access Network, Inc.
    Joe          Apprendi          Collective Media
    Seth         Besmertnik        Conductor, Inc.
    Mike         Seiman            CPX Interactive
    Kevin        Lee               Didit
    Tariq        Farid             Edible Arrangements International, Inc.
    Eleni        Gianopulos        Eleni's New York
    Wayne        Danson            Encompass Group Affiliates, Inc.
    Joshua S.    Levine            ESP Technologies Corp.
    Ray          Sidhom            EVO Merchant Services
    ReiJane      Haui              FalconStor Software
    Liz          Neumark           Great Performances
    Douglas W.   Klares            Infinity Consulting Solutions, Inc.
    Vikas        Kapoor            iQor, Inc.
    Dante Raul   Teodoro           JUNO Healthcare Staffing System, Inc.
    Nonette      Teodoro           JUNO Healthcare Staffing System, Inc.
    Alan         Arsht             M Space Holdings, LLC
    David        Perla             Pangea3 LLC
    Marc         Boroditsky        Passlogix
    Barry        Silbert           SecondMarket, Inc.
    Daniel       Tomai             Signature Construction Group, Inc.
    Donald       Vaccaro           TicketNetwork, Inc.
    Lisa         Giaquinto         Universal Environmental Consulting, Inc.
    Doug         Stevenson         Vibrant Media, Inc.
    Craig        Gooding           Vibrant Media, Inc.
    Court        Cunningham        Yodle, Inc.
    Thomas       Butkiewicz        Zorbit Resources
    Scott        Kestenbaum        Zorbit Resources

Regional award winners will be eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2009 national awards. Winners in numerous national categories, as well as the overall national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala inPalm Springs, California, on Saturday November 14, 2009. 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.

This year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year awards program celebrates its 23rd anniversary. The program has expanded to recognize business leaders in over 135 cities in 50 countries throughout the world. Awards are given to entrepreneurs who demonstrate extraordinary success in the areas of innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year awards are pleased to have the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and SAP America as national sponsors.

In Metro New York, sponsors include:

Platinum sponsors: HSBC, Scherzer International, Vintage Filings

Gold sponsor: Curran & Connors

Silver sponsors: Solomon Edwards, WilmerHale and WithumSmith + Brown

Contact information

To make reservations for the Entrepreneur Of The Year awards gala on Thursday June 25, contact LaToya Henry of Ernst & Young at 212.773.2474 or email latoya.henry@ey.com by Friday June 5th. Tables are $2,500 and individual tickets are $250 each. For more information about the program, contact Andrea Scanlon, Metro New York Program Manager on 212.773.5240 or please visit www.ey.com/us/eoy.

About Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) Awards Program

Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) Award is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) award celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 135 cities in 50 countries.

About Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 135,000 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 www.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 member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited.

SOURCE Ernst & Young New York