Summary: From aerospace and energy to healthcare, technology and professional services, this year’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® winners are building businesses that are shaping industries and strengthening communities across the country. As a sponsor of the program across four regions, Pierpont is proud to celebrate the entrepreneurs recognized in 2026.

  • Pierpont sponsored the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® program across the Gulf South, Pacific Southwest, Southwest and Mountain West regions in 2026.
  • Throughout the program, our team had the opportunity to meet and support entrepreneurs leading businesses across a wide range of industries.
  • This year’s regional winners reflect the innovation, resilience and ambition that continue to drive entrepreneurial growth across the country.
  • We congratulate all of this year’s entrants, finalists and winners on their accomplishments, and send our best wishes for their attendance and recognition at the national Strategic Growth Forum (SGF) conference in November.

Celebrating Entrepreneurship Across Our Markets

Great businesses start with leaders willing to see an opportunity, take a risk and build something better.

That entrepreneurial spirit is why Pierpont has remained a longtime supporter of EY’s Entrepreneur Of The Year® program. Each year, the program gives our team an opportunity to identify and nominate leaders into the program who are not only growing successful companies, but also creating jobs, advancing industries and making meaningful contributions to the communities they serve.

In 2026, Pierpont sponsored the program across four regions: Gulf South, Pacific Southwest, Southwest and Mountain West. Throughout the year, our teams had the opportunity to connect with entrepreneurs at different stages of the program, from nominations and interviews to regional finalist events and gala celebrations for the winners.

For me, those relationships are one of the most valuable parts of the experience. Whether someone is participating for the first time or returning after a previous nomination, I consistently come away impressed by the ambition, ingenuity and commitment behind the businesses represented.

Congratulations to the 2026 Regional Winners

Along with our support and recognition of all of the national finalists and winners we are especially proud to recognize a few of this year’s winners we engaged with in the four regions Pierpont supports.

Gulf South

Special Congratulations to:

  • Jason Kim, Firefly Aerospace
  • Matt Lohstroh and Brent Whitehead, Giga Energy
  • Jesse Merrill, Good Culture
  • Eric Hays, Hays Electrical Services
  • Donnie Young, Race Rock
  • Tariq Shaukat and Olivier Gaudin, Sonar
  • John Magee, VLS Environmental Solutions

Pacific Southwest

Special Congratulations to:

  • Chris Miner, ArborWorks
  • Dan Magy, Firestorm Labs
  • Mike Godbehere, GCON
  • Brigham Dallas and Keaton Wall, Hello Sugar
  • Morgan Haynes, Tribal Health

Southwest

Special Congratulations to:

  • Eric Fortenberry, JobTread
  • Jordan Miller, Yendo
  • Ethan Ellenberg, Moonshot

Mountain West

Special Congratulations to:

  • Bradley Cheetham, Advanced Space
  • Ryan Anderson, Filevine
  • Eric Sonner, Data Airflow

More Than an Award

While each regional celebration culminates in naming a group of winners, Entrepreneur Of The Year® is ultimately about recognizing something larger: the people behind businesses that are challenging convention, pursuing new opportunities and creating lasting impact.

The strength of the program is also reflected in the broader community it brings together. This year’s finalists represented an impressive range of companies, industries and entrepreneurial journeys, and being selected among them is an accomplishment in itself.

To every entrepreneur nominated this year, congratulations. I have enjoyed getting to know so many of you throughout the process and look forward to watching what you build next. To the winners, I look forward to seeing you in a few weeks at SGF in Palm Springs.

And to the entrepreneurs already thinking about next year: I hope to see you in the 2027 program as we add our fifth region, EOY Florida, to our sponsorship and participation.