Dr. Denise Reading, president, Global Corporate College
FINALIST: Services and Management Solutions When a client from Dr. Denise Reading’s former business challenged her about the limits of her organization’s localized corporate training model, she didn’t disagree. Instead she launched Global Corporate College, a company whose national human capital training and development distribution model could close the “talent gap” for globally located companies, […]
Doug Schukar, president and CEO, USA Mortgage
FINALIST What many saw as a failure, Doug Schukar saw as an opportunity. When his former employer, LoanSurfer.com, filed for bankruptcy, Schukar acquired select company assets, including the USA Mortgage name and the right to cherry-pick those he wanted to hire for his new start-up. He completed the acquisition in 2001, forming DAS Acquisition Co. […]
Will Fleming, co-founder and CEO, MotionPoint Corp.
FINALIST – Technology Will Fleming co-founder and CEO MotionPoint Corp. After top executives at several companies told Will Fleming and his co-founder, Adam Rubenstein, that they saw a need in the future for having multilingual websites, they created MotionPoint Corp. While there was a demand for multilingual websites, companies did not want the costly IT […]
Adam Jay Harrison, Managing Director, Mav6 LLC
AWARD RECIPIENT / TECHNOLOGY As a former U.S. Navy member in the field of technology, Adam Jay Harrison knows first hand the value of defensive technology to the survival of deployed soldiers. His passion for helping protect those who serve in the military eventually led him to award-winning success guiding a special endeavor for the […]
Michael M. Earley, chairman and CEO, Metropolitan Health Networks Inc.
AWARD RECIPIENT – Health Care Michael M. Earley chairman and CEO Metropolitan Health Networks Inc. In 2003, the board of directors for Metropolitan Health Networks Inc. asked Michael M. Earley to take over the CEO role at the primary care network for seniors. Earley packed his bags to begin what was intended to be a […]
Andrew Sieja, president and CEO, kCura Corp.
Technology – Finalist The early days of kCura were filled with many sleepless nights as Andrew Sieja crisscrossed the country with his laptop trying to build a business. He’d go to trade shows alone and fall asleep on hotel room floors working to get software out to potential users. He knew what they needed and […]
C. Jim Stewart IV, president, Surefire Industries USA LLC
Distribution & Manufacturing — Energy, Finalist A fifth-generation entrepreneur, C. Jim Stewart IV grew up inspired to start his own business. So when he saw the opportunity to create a manufacturing company that better met customer needs, he jumped at the chance to take this knowledge and vision and launch Surefire Industries USA LLC. With […]
TJ Farnsworth, founder and CEO, SightLine Health LLC
Health care & Health care Services, Finalist TJ Farnsworth, founder and CEO of SightLine Health LLC, was born and bred an entrepreneur. He grew up in a household where his mother, a schoolteacher, started a series of her own successful businesses, and his father, an attorney, started his own boutique practice. He never thought of […]
Honoring the best of the best
This group of honorees represent those individuals who pursued and obtained the coveted distinction of an Entrepreneur Of The Year Finalist. Smart Business, along with Ernst & Young, is proud to recognize and honor the accomplishments of these entrepreneurs.
Curtis Brown, president and CEO, Rimkus Consulting Group Inc.
Business Services, Finalist Curtis Brown took the helm of Rimkus Consulting Group Inc. in 2008 and has led the forensics consulting company through a period of significant growth and geographic expansion. Since becoming CEO of the company, where he has worked for 22 years, Brown has overseen the opening of 10 new offices, including one […]