Dr. Stuart Bernsen, founder and CEO, Chiro One Wellness Centers
FINALIST: Health Sciences Dr. Stuart Bernsen knows that being a successful business leader doesn’t mean you’ve got to check your ego at the door. In fact, his experiences have shown just the opposite: strong ambition and ego, when channeled into the goal of building a great company and mission, actually have the potential to drive […]
Kenneth Paine, president, Hy-Tech Products and Industrial Heat Sources
FINALIST: Distribution and Manufacturing As the president of two highly profitable businesses, Ken Paine believes the key to his success has been, “staying the course and doing the right thing, all the time.” This mantra has motivated him through significant business challenges, from losing $30,000 in his startup’s first year to navigating the ebbs and […]
Carolyn Doerle, CEO, Doerle Food Services LLC
Logistics and Industrial Supplies — Finalist One of Carolyn Doerle’s biggest strengths is her management style. She blends being a bold decision-maker with being intuitive at the same time. She believes a leader must be able to make informed decisions in a timely manner. In 2003, Doerle made the decision to buy out her father […]
David Storch, chairman and CEO, AAR CORP.
WINNER: Master Entrepreneur David Storch has a knack for seeing opportunities in desperate situations. Unafraid to take strategic risks, he uses this ability to diversify his company’s business and expand into new markets, which has bolstered it through economic lows, industry changes and technological transitions. Storch, 15-year chairman and CEO of Wood Dale, Ill.-based AAR […]
JMA Information Technology senior management
FINALISTS Joseph Melookaran, president; Mithra Amaran, executive vice president; David Brown, executive vice president; Raqibul Huq, vice president; Maria Will, vice president, Technology As president of JMA Information Technology, Joseph Melookaran had a vision of what the company could become in the future. In 1994, JMA was formed as a professional service firm providing public […]
Ryan Kunkel and Joe Reynolds, president, Red Frog Events
WINNER: Emerging Entrepreneur Joe Reynolds had brother-in-law Ryan Kunkel right by his side to help make his dream a reality. They created Great Urban Race in 2007, a metropolitan scavenger hunt that attracted 1,200 participants. The venture has since grown into a booming business prompting an entirely new industry. Reynolds and Kunkel are co-presidents of […]
Jeremy Rayl, CEO, J. Rayl Transport Inc.
FINALIST: Distribution and Manufacturing As CEO of J. Rayl Transport Inc., Jeremy Rayl has successfully transformed the third-generation, Akron, Ohio-based international transportation company from a small family business to a thriving multimillion-dollar enterprise. Rayl was able to maintain corporate success during historic depressive macroeconomic conditions in an industry where many were closing their doors, filing […]
Tom Nies: Requirements for great entrepreneurship
How three key things will make you and your company better at entrepreneurship
Lars Buttler, founder and CEO, Trion Worlds Inc.
MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT, FINALIST Trion Worlds is a leader in innovating the gaming industry — changing the way games are developed, played and sold.At the head of this charge is founder and CEO Lars Buttler. Prior to starting the Redwood City, Calif.-based company, Buttler was the vice president for global online at Electronic Arts — […]
Andrew Sherman, president, MesoCoat Inc., Powdermet Inc.
FINALIST: Industrial and Engineered Products and Materials Andrew Sherman is a serial entrepreneur who has dedicated his professional life to developing sustainable materials using materials science and technology. He aims to reduce the environmental, energy and cost impact of society, while also eliminating waste such as lost productivity. Toward this end, he’s founded, personally capitalized […]