‘Thinking Big to Succeed’: EY Names 46 Entrepreneur Of The Year Finalists for 2022

A panel of judges selected the finalists: 46 entrepreneurs and leaders of 41 high-growth companies "who think big to succeed" and have shown that "ambition, courage, ingenuity, and empathy are key to driving change."

Ernst & Young has announced the 46 finalists for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2022 Central Plains Award, including entrepreneurs from North Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

Celebrating “entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies who think big to succeed,” the awards are among the top competitive business awards in the nation, and globally as well.

“The 2022 Entrepreneur Of The Year finalists have shown us that ambition, courage, ingenuity, and empathy are key to driving change,” said Morgan Watson, EY’s Central Plains program director, in a statement. “They have a mindset that drives them to strive for more and an unwavering commitment to their companies, customers, and communities.”

The finalists were selected by a panel of independent judges and evaluated based on their demonstration of long-term value “through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth, and impact,” among other contributions and attributes. Here are the 46 finalists representing 41 companies:

• Carter Malloy, AcreTrader  (Fayetteville, Arkansas)

• Joseph Urso, ActivePure Technologies, LLC  (Dallas)

• Sean Minter, AmplifAI Solutions, Inc. ((Plano)

• Kenneth Lewis, APMEX (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)

• Chip Register, Argano  (Plano)

• John Lods, Arm Candy LLC (Dallas)

• Terry Weber, Biote Medical (Irving)

• Chintan Shah, Brainvire Infotech Inc. (Plano)

• Alec D’Cruz, Catalyze (Dallas) Holdings LLC (Dallas)

• Patricia D’Cruz, Catalyze (Dallas) Holdings LLC (Dallas)

• Rocky Cherry, Cherry Coatings (Carrollton)

• Zack Cherry, Cherry Coatings (Carrollton)

• Barbara Smith, Commercial Metals Company (Irving)

• Chris Crosby, Compass Datacenters, LLC (Dallas)

• Matthew Wadiak, Cooks Venture (Decatur, Arkansas)

• Eddy Badrina, Eden Green Technology (Cleburne)

• Elyse Dickerson, Eosera (Fort Worth)

• Lawrence King, Headstorm (Addison)

• Dan Noble, HKS (Dallas)

• Michael Gianni, MD7 (Allen)

• Jay Bray, Mr. Cooper (Coppell)

• Justin Simons, My Labs Direct  (Plano)

• Sulagna Bhattacharya, Nanoscope Therapeutics (Bedford)

• Mike Bidwell, Neighborly (Waco)

• Venkat Yerubandi, Noblesoft Technologies (Irving)

• Cesar Millan, PAWS, LLC (dba Halo with Cesar Millan)  (Plano)

• Heather Gode, PAWS, LLC (dba Halo with Cesar Millan)  (Plano)

• Ken Ehrman, PAWS, LLC (dba Halo with Cesar Millan)  (Plano)

• Michael Ehrman, PAWS, LLC (dba Halo with Cesar Millan) (Plano)

• Dan Berardi, Priority-1 Inc. (Little Rock, Arkansas)

• Michael Gorton, Recuro Health  (Richardson)

• Maria Carell, Revision Skincare & Goodier Cosmetics  (Irving)

• Kishore Khandavalli, RiseIT Solutions Inc. (Addison)

• Sachin Nayyar, Securonix Inc. (Addison)

• Tom Ellis, Shiftkey  (Irving)

• Mohammad Elashi, Synaptic Management Inc. (Richardson)

• Edwin Tatum, TatumTek Modular  (Dallas)

• Brad Heppner, The Beneficient Company Group L.P.  (Dallas)

• Daniel McCarthy, The Music Bed LLC  (Fort Worth)

• Joseph Walsh, Thryv Holdings Inc. (Irving)

• Marshall Hickey, Titus Oil & Gas   (Fort Worth)

• L. D. Green, Tops LLC   (Midland)

• Kevin Boscamp, True Velocity Ammunition   (Garland)

• Gabe Abshire, Utility Concierge (Farmers Branch)

• Dave Copps, Worlds  (Dallas)

• Shridhar Mittal, Zimperium (Dallas)

Regional winners will be announced on June 25. The winners will then be considered for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, to be presented in November at the annual Strategic Growth Forum in Palm Springs, California. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in June 2023.

Who won last year?

Meet the 11 winners of the 2021 Entrepreneur Of The Year Southwest Region Awards here.

About Entrepreneur Of The Year

Through its Entrepreneur Of The Year awards, EY showcases successful visionary leaders who deliver innovation, growth, and prosperity that transform the world. 

Since its beginning, the program has expanded to honor business leaders in more than 145 cities and more than 60 countries worldwide.

The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth, connecting them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. 

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