Alex Kazerani, chairman and CEO; James Segil, president, EdgeCast Networks
Finalists – Technology For Alex Kazerani and James Segil, starting a Web hosting company in the ’90s involved significant risk and uncertainty. However, the co-founders accepted that risk and uncertainty and built EdgeCast Networks into a position of strength. The primary differentiators for EdgeCast revolve around the technology — fewer servers, massive amounts of storage, […]
Randolph Buseman and Michael Hickenbotham, partners, Ernst & Young
DIRECTORS INTRODUCTION – St. Louis Randolph Buseman partner Kansas City office of Ernst & Young Michael Hickenbotham partner St. Louis office of Ernst & Young For more than 25 years, Ernst & Young has celebrated the entrepreneurial spirit of men and women who make our economy vibrant. Ernst & Young founded the Entrepreneur Of The […]
John Eldred, President and Owner, Midwest Tape LLC
Finalist, Distribution John Eldred’s entrepreneurial story begins more than 30 years ago, when he decided to open his first business — a video rental store in Toledo, Ohio, called Sights & Sounds. While building his company, Eldred looked for opportunities in other niches and industry segments that required media, including videotapes. This led him to […]
Patrick Perry, president and CEO, Genesys Systems
FINALIST Patrick Perry president and CEO Genesys Systems In the midst of the recent economic downturn, Pat Perry decided he had to “fire” his biggest client. As president and CEO of Genesys Systems, an innovative engineering firm, he was very concerned about how the client’s culture was negatively affecting Genesys employees. Perry saw far greater […]
John Raymont, founder, president and CEO, Kurion Inc.
WINNER – Business Services John Raymont founder, president and CEO Kurion Inc. As the CEO of a six-person start-up, John Raymont accepted the challenge in April 2011 to clean tens of millions of gallons of radioactive water at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station that was damaged by an earthquake and tsunami. It was a […]
Michael Vasquez, CEO, St. Gregory Centers Inc.
FINALIST After a family friend lost his life to drug use, Michael Vasquez delved into the reasons behind the low 15 percent national success rate of traditional drug and alcohol treatment centers. Utilizing his findings, Vasquez has since driven change in the areas of addiction treatment, recovery management and center operation as CEO of St. […]
James Lind, CEO, McKees Rocks Industrial Enterprises Inc.
FINALIST / INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING James Lind has climbed from the very bottom to the very top at McKees Rocks Industrial Enterprises Inc. through hard work and determination. He started as summer help during college. However, he quickly surpassed his peers in responsibilities and caught former President Jack Klee’s eye due to his strong initiative and […]
Scott Barnyak, Christy Maruca and Chris Simchick, Co-founders and Principal Partners, SDLC LP
FINALIST / SERVICES When they co-founded SDLC LP, partners Scott Barnyak, Christy Maruca and Chris Simchick put up a quote in their office. It read, “I am not worried that it’s not going to happen. I’ll make it happen. You go make the things you want.” This quote sums up the philosophy the three have […]
Michael Werner, president and CEO, Gerber Plumbing Fixtures LLC
Turnaround – Finalist In the midst of the worst housing market depression in recorded history, Michael Werner, president and CEO of Gerber Plumbing Fixtures LLC, has managed to revitalize the Chicago plumbing products manufacturer. Werner has transformed Gerber from a company that was just days away from bankruptcy and liquidation into one of the strongest […]
Rhonda Shear, president, Shear Enterprises LLC
AWARD RECIPIENT – Retail and Consumer Products Rhonda Shear president Shear Enterprises LLC Rhonda Shear has continued to reinvent herself over the years, evolving from successful actress to traveling comedian to self-made businesswoman. In 2003, she acted on the desire to own her own company and invested all she had to found St. Petersburg, Fla.-based […]