NEW YORK, May 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP is pleased to announce the finalists for the Ernst & Young Metro New York Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) awards. This group of outstanding entrepreneurs was selected by an independent judging panel and the award recipients will be announced at the awards gala event on Thursday June 25 at the Marriott Marquis, Times Square, NY. "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 in Palm 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 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

Published May. 13, 2009 — Reads 103
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