Bill Duehring, president, Felt Bicycles
FINALIST – Consumer Products Bill Duehring president Felt Bicycles Bill Duehring has had a passion for bicycles and a knowledge of the industry since he was 12 years old when his parents opened a bike shop in Orlando, Fla. It was there, from his father, that he learned his hard work ethic, salesmanship and mechanic […]
Elliot Weissbluth, CEO, HighTower
FINALIST: Emerging Entrepreneur Many financial advisory firms talk about putting the needs of their clients first. Elliot Weissbluth wanted HighTower to be a firm that actually put that philosophy into practice. He created the company with the idea that his team of advisers would not push plans or products on clients that did not fit […]
July Movers & Shakers
People and companies making a difference in Northeast Ohio
Bradley Oleshansky, president and CEO, BIG Communications LLC
Winner, Business Services A lifelong entrepreneur, Bradley Oleshansky came to BIG Communications LLC with a vision of growth and possibilities. When he joined BIG, the company didn’t have a human resources team, and there were no employee benefits and only a few employees on the payroll. Oleshansky quickly saw that BIG needed to grow organically, […]
Alan Zafran, Partner, Luminous Capital
Financial Services – Finalist Alan Zafran walked away from significant economic incentives and a position on Merrill Lynch’s Advisory Council to Management to start Luminous Capital along with four colleagues in May 2008. Zafran, a partner at Luminous Capital, an investment advisory company, wanted transparency in all client handlings. Rather than hide fees, missteps, errors […]
Andy Fathollahi, CEO, Incipio Technologies
WINNER – Consumer Products Andy Fathollahi CEO Incipio Technologies In 1999, Andy Fathollahi founded Incipio Technologies in his parents’ Orange County garage with a small initial investment. Through his commitment to style and creativity, all while providing unparalleled protection and function, Incipio’s mobile device accessories are now available through nearly 40,000 premium retail locations globally. […]
Greg Brown, president and CEO, Learfield Communications Inc.
FINALIST In 2003, Learfield Communications Inc. was at a crossroads, and President and CEO Greg Brown knew that something needed to change soon. The radio and sports content space that Learfield had occupied for 30 years was transforming, while the company itself remained stagnant. “We were on the brink of going out of business,” he […]
David Karandish, CEO, Answers
WINNER – Communications David Karandish CEO Answers The world’s largest provider of questions and answers can trace its origins back to an old computer that was about to be thrown in the trash. David Karandish received the computer that had been discarded from his father’s business and used it to discover the power of computer […]
Ryan J. Blair, CEO, ViSalus Sciences
Winner, Consumer Products Ryan Blair’s life is an open book, literally. His story of graduating from the life of a gang member to that of a millionaire is portrayed in The New York Times best-seller titled, “Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain: How I went from Gang Member to Millionaire Entrepreneur.” Blair is the co-founder […]
Don Charlton, Founder and CEO, The Resumator
FINALIST / TECHNOLOGY In 2009, software designer Don Charlton became involved with AlphaLab, a Pittsburgh-based business start-up accelerator program. At AlphaLab, Charlton had an idea for an HR software program, and with a $25,000 investment from the program, The Resumator was born. Shortly thereafter, Charlton was approached by a potential customer who then became The […]